The Friends of Redington Pass (FRP) is a collaborative initiative composed of different recreational user groups committed to imrpoving the condition of the Pass for all to enjoy. Recently, FRP completed a collaborative area management plan (CAMP) for Redington Pass with assistance from SGPP faculty and UA students in collaborative governance helped design, convene and facilitate the public meetings and individual working group meetings over a two year period.
The CAMP process addresses the need for sustainable future use of the Pass through a unique public participatory approach in which spatial data and local knowledge help collaborative decision-making by providing concrete, specific information about issues and “hot spot” focus areas on the Pass. The first public community meeting drew over 150 participants who worked on detailed maps of the Pass to pinpoint personal favorite and trouble spot areas and completed a survey about their specific uses and interests regarding the Pass. This initial data helped FRP determine what further information was needed to begin discussing the CAMP.
FRP then posted an online community survey (drawing over 300 respondents) and conducted rapid assessments at meetings with individual interest-groups (organizations, clubs, individuals, and agencies) in Fall 2014. A second public meeting in November 2014 was organized to share the results of that data collection effort, which included a list of shared values held by visitors to the Pass and key issues that needed to be addressed in the CAMP. Participants were encouraged to volunteer to serve on one of four issue working groups focusing on recreational shooting, recreational access, highly used areas, and user conflicts. FRP then composed each working group based on the applicants’ stated interests, familiarity with the Pass, connections to formal organizations and informal networks, as well as the need to balance the interests within each group.
The four working groups developed recommendations for the CAMP. The results of this effort have been submitted to the U.S. Forest Service for their review and will be shared with the public again at a third community meeting. The FRP plans to continue its commitment to Redington Pass through assistance in implementing the CAMP, further monitoring, and adaptation of management recommendations in the future.
For more information, visit http://friendsofredingtonpass.org.
