Yavapai News

Submitted by Joe Baynes, Director of Recreation Services, City of Prescott Arizona

The recent purchase of over 2,200 acres of prime land around Glassford Hills and the Granite Dells was a momentous occasion. This purchase was over 25 years in the making. I would like to share a bit about the timeline of the events that lead to the purchase as well as my thoughts about it.

In 1997 a committee of stakeholders from both Prescott and Prescott Valley was put in place with the intent of petitioning the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) to set aside 1893 acres of Glassford Hill through what at the time was the Arizona Preserve initiative. On November 4th, 1998, the State Land Department commissioner issued order # 132-98/99 setting those lands aside as suitable for conservation, however the funding for the purchase was not available and despite the efforts of the two neighboring communities the project stalled. Fast forward 25 years and the communities along with Yavapai County collectively decided to revive the project and the partnership entered into an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to pick up where the committee left off in 1998.

The subject property was owned by the Arizona State Land Department whose core mission is to sell these lands to the highest bidder with the proceeds going to fund primarily K-12 education in the State of Arizona.

On February 18th 2021 the first meeting of the IGA partners was held including representatives from the ASLD as well as Arizona State Parks and Trails, over the next two + years the group met monthly to put together and accomplish the multiple steps needed to get the property to the auction sale.

Finally on November 21st, 2023 the auction was held and the partnership was the successful bidder. This effort to preserve these lands for public enjoyment would not have been possible without the combined efforts of the two communities and Yavapai County. In addition to the IGA partners, we also received an appropriation from the State of Arizona of $3.5 million dollars thanks to House Bill 2518 sponsored by Representatives Selina Bliss and Quang Nguyen and Senator Ken Bennett.

This partnership is a great example of how we can do more together to benefit the region in improving our quality of life while also producing tax revenues through the eco-tourism a park such as this will create.

Combining this purchase along with all the contiguous open space in the Granite Dells and Watson Lake will result in the 29th largest municipally owned Park in the United States and something we will be proud to have our citizens and visitors enjoy now and into the future.

https://www.prescott-az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Peavine-Trail-Glassford-Hill.jpg

https://www.prescott-az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Elisabeth-Creek-Glassford-Hill.jpg

Original source can be found here.