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Course Outline

BLM and National Forest Access

The vast majority of the land in Arizona is public land owned by an agency of the federal or state government. Although access is authorized, there are many rules and regulations to determine the proper usage of these lands.

There are potentially:

  • seasonal closures,
  • hazard closures,
  • limitations to fire,
  • camping rules,
  • vehicle usage,
  • off-road vehicle usage,
  • big game retrieval rules,
  • target shooting or hunting prohibitions,
  • trespass rules, and
  • other issues that are determined by the local forest/BLM/State Land Department/National Monument.
Arizona Wildlife Manager with a map laid out on his tailgate showing hunters the surrounding area

The best plan is to determine in what areas you will be hunting and either contact the land management agency that controls the area or to find their information on the internet. Preplanning is critical for properly utilizing Arizona’s public land.

Misuse of these lands can cause law enforcement issues for the individual who is violating the rules of the area that they are in. Complicating this is the fact that rules from one forest differ tremendously from the adjacent forests. It is the responsibility of the user to know the rules and abide by them or face the consequences.

For reference, here are the websites of the different National Forest or Bureau of Land Management district offices.

Arizona Has Six National Forests

  1. Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests: https://www.fs.usda.gov/asnf
  2. Coconino National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/coconino
  3. Coronado National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/coronado
  4. Kaibab National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
  5. Prescott National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/prescott
  6. Tonto National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto

Arizona Has Several Bureau of Land Management District Offices

  1. Arizona State Office: [email protected]
  2. Arizona Strip District Office: https://www.blm.gov/office/arizona-strip-district-office
  3. Arizona Colorado River District Office: https://www.blm.gov/office/colorado-river-district-office
  4. Arizona Gila District Office: https://www.blm.gov/office/gila-district-office
  5. Arizona Phoenix District Office: https://www.blm.gov/office/phoenix-district-office
  • Unit 5 of 10
  • Topic 3 of 5
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