Desert Messenger

February 1, 2017 www.DesertMessenger.com 5 Planet Ranch Ribbon Cutting - AZ Peace Trail ����� | M��� G������� QUALITY BEADS AND JEWELRY American Indian Jewelry Pottery – Beads – Supplies Gemstone Jewelry Black Hills Gold Jewelry Hardies Beads & Jewelry 1250 W. Main Street - P O Box 1920 - Quartzsite, AZ 85346 Across the street from McDonalds 928-927-6381 OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY 8 - 4 SUNDAY 9 - 3 • Microdermabrasion • Chemical Peels • Facials • Waxing • Customized Services • Professional Skin Care Products • MANIS & PEDIS S KIN C ARE Linda Marie's 250 East Main Street #3 202-430-4924 T ry my customized 24 k GOLD Facial Treatment Linda Cushman is a Board Certified Master Aesthetician By Mark Goldberg Quartzsite Off-Road The Peace Trail is a 725+mile off- road loop trail linking Mojave, La Paz, and Yuma Counties. Saturday, January 28, a new/old link was cre- ated in the new Arizona Peace Trail. In order to enter Mojave County from La Paz County on the Peace Trail, riders had to divert around the Bill Williams River to make the north-south connection. There is a unique area on the Bill Williams River named Planet Ranch, an old copper mining area. At Planet Ranch, the Bill Williams River goes underground, below the ranch, and exits on the surface again, at the op- posite edge of the ranch, which per- mits river crossing on land, via the Historic Planet Ranch Road. A Peace Trail route via Planet Ranch Road will save a 13-mile di- version around the river to the east and provide more diversity of trail options. The Planet Ranch Road has been closed to through traffi c for 32 years. After several changes of ownership of Planet Ranch since 1984 (including a lengthy owner- ship by the City of Scottsdale), the land was last transferred to the Ari- zona Game and Fish Department, with a portion currently under lease to the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation for habitat restoration. The Arizona Peace Trail Committee, chaired by J.C. Sanders, with 15 off- road club partners, negotiated with the Arizona Fish and Game Depart- ment Offi cials to re-open Planet Ranch Road to through traffi c. On January 28, 2017, over 400 off-road enthusiasts from the partner clubs and winter visitors from Washing- ton State, Montana, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and other areas converged on the ranch from all directions in Jeeps, ATV's, and UTV's. Commemora- tive AZ Peace Trail decals were distributed by Mark Goldberg of Quartzsite Off- Road and the Arizo- na Peace Trail Committee; followed by a formal ribbon-cutting ceremo- ny offi cially re-opening the Historic Planet Ranch Road after 32 years of closure. Following acknowledg- ments by the key participants, J.C. Sanders was given the honor of cut- ting the ribbon. He thanked the agencies and personnel for their cooperation, and cut the ribbon; thereby, opening a new chapter in the Historic Planet Ranch, and New The Arizona Peace Trail. More information on the Arizona Peace Trail is available at www.ArizonaPeaceTrail.com; and on Facebook: "Arizona Peace Trail." Above Left to Right: Dee Pfl eger, AZG&F; Jeremy Pennell, AZG&F; Holly Irwin, La Paz Co. 3rd Dist. Supervisor; JC Sanders, AZ Peace Trail; Pat Barber, AZG&F Regional Supervisor; Ter- rence Murphy, Bureau of Reclamation; Jason West, BLM Lake Havasu Field Offi ce Manager.

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