Anyone driving into Enchantment Resort knows one thing above all else: The facilities sit amid some of the most stunning property in the Sedona region.
What many do not know is that, in addition to operating its business, Enchantment does its fair share to preserve the surrounding landscape. Established by Enchantment in cooperation with the U.S. National Forest Service in the 1990s, the Boynton Canyon Preservation Fund is an advised fund with the Arizona Community Foundation.
The fund’s purpose is to preserve the land surrounding the resort and its archaeological sites. Together with local advocates and Forest Service personnel, resort administrators consult over appropriate ways to achieve the fund’s ends.
The fund recently awarded the Verde Valley Archaeology Center $3,000 to work with Enchantment and the Red Rock District to develop an improved protection program through the center’s Verde Valley Site Watch Program, VVAC Executive Director Ken Zoll announced Oct. 27.
“Graffiti, damage to archaeological sites, wildlife conflicts and heavy foot traffic are on the rise in wilderness areas within the Red Rock District of the Coconino National Forest, in locations such as Boynton Canyon,” Zoll said.
“To combat these types of destruction, the VVAC created its Verde Valley Site Watch Program in cooperation with Arizona State Parks’ Site Steward Volunteer Program with the goal of supporting and expanding cultural site preservation in the Sedona and Verde Valley area. The program supports site stewards with training and tools to protect these irreplaceable cultural resources.”
According to Zoll, Enchantment is developing programs to educate visitors about the importance of conservation and the benefits of public wilderness access.
“In addition to teaching guests about local flora and fauna, Enchantment’s conservation programs will focus on the importance of respecting and preserving the legacy of indigenous tribes, whose history is visible in the rock walls that surround the resort,” Zoll said.
“Recognizing that many local Native American tribes consider Boynton Canyon a sacred place, Enchantment prioritizes the safeguarding of the resort’s surroundings. The concern of Enchantment staff, guests and local tribes has inspired a larger discussion around working with the center and the Forest Service to enhance efforts to preserve these historic sites.”
The VVAC is located at 385 S. Main St., Camp Verde, and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information, contact the VVAC at 567-0066 or vvarchcenter.org.
