Several trails and a hang glider launch point have temporarily reopened on Mingus Mountain after a forest thinning operation was postponed due to the heavy monsoon storms.
The trails have been closed for the past two months while a contractor has been using heavy equipment in the area to thin the forest as part of the Butterfly Stewardship Project, which started March 26.
The thinning is taking place on 284 acres of Prescott National Forest land on Mingus Mountain east of State Route 89A along Forest Road 104. Work on the project began on July 8.
During work, portions of Forest Road 104 and 104D, as well as parts of trails 105, 536, 537 and 538, were closed. The Mingus Mountain hang glider launch and the Trail 105 trailhead as well as the picnic and playground area were also closed for public safety reasons.
“Unsafe conditions are due to heavy equipment being used and falling/ felled trees,” Prescott National Forest Public Affairs Representative Debbie Maneely said.
The closed trails are relatively popular during the warmer months, Maneely said.
“Trails in the Mingus Mountain are very popular and get medium use. Use of these trails is weather-dependent as Mingus is higher in elevation and can receive snow in the winter months,” she said.
Only a few temporary logging roads in the area will remain closed, and off-road vehicles are still restricted from using the roads as doing so could cause serious damage to the forest’s natural resources.
Because of the heavy monsoons and wet conditions the area received this year, the contractor has paused operations on Mingus Mountain to begin working on neighboring forests. Because no work is being done in the area, the Forest Service has determined that it is safe to allow recreators in the area again until thinning resumes, though they still encourage visitors to use caution while in the area.
“The Forest Service would like to remind visitors to use caution when walking around felled logs and branches on the ground as they can be unstable,” according to a press release.
The contractor anticipates that thinning operations will resume in the winter or spring depending on the weather conditions.
The idea behind the Butterfly Stewardship Project is to improve the health of the forest and maintain the resilience of the fire-adapted ecosystem. The project also aims to reduce the risk of bark beetle outbreaks, which have seriously damaged the forest over the years.
“The intent of thinning projects is to improve forest health and resiliency of fire-adapted ecosystems while reducing the threat of insect disease due to unhealthy forests/drought,” Maneely said.
For more information about the project, visit fs.usda. gov/prescott.
