Southwestern Region Legacy Roads and Trails

Legacy Roads and Trails

Supporting our mission by restoring, protecting, and maintaining crucial watersheds on our national forests and grasslands.

The Southwestern Region anticipates receiving approximately $3.4 million for Legacy Road and Trails remediation projects from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) in Fiscal Year 2025 and 2026. Some projects are accomplished through the work of our employees while many more projects are made possible with partners or contracts.

The tentative regional list below was developed from projects submitted by Forests in the Southwest. Information from local communities, partners, stakeholders, local natural resource specialists, and other interested parties formed the basis of the project proposals. The submitted projects have been further evaluated on how well they meet the goals/outcomes of the Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Program and protect and restore water quality and habitat of threatened and endangered fish and wildlife species in the Southwest.

Fiscal Year 2025 and 2026 Proposed Project List

Project Name	Forest	Project Description
Apache-Sitgreaves Forest Road 276 Stabilization	Apache-Sitgreaves	The project will stabilize the surfacing of Forest Road 276 between Forest Road 37 and Forest Road 24 through the East Fork Black River Recreation Area. It will improve drainage and provide treated aggregate surface to minimize runoff into the East Fork Black River. The project will also improve the road resilience to occasional flooding and the heavy traffic in the recreation corridor.
Forest Road 4759/Scotia Canyon Realignment and Box Culvert	Coronado	The project will involve realigning Forest Road 4759 to reduce number of road/creek crossings down to one. This road is located northeast of Forest Road 228 (Sunnyside Road) and runs up Scotia Canyon. Scotia Creek, running within Scotia Canyon, hosts Huachuca Water Umbel species and other aquatic species.
North Kaibab Nail Canyon Wash restoration (Snake Gulch)	Kaibab	The project will improve resiliency to weather events - including flooding or other natural disasters. It will remove fire runoff damage from surrounding land to restore drainage. The wash has been filled in with sedimentation from the Mangum Fire. The project will restore natural drainage currently draining onto Forest Road 642.
Apache Canyon	Cibola	The purpose of this project is to improve several existing roads to facilitate thinning contractor access to the project area.
Canjilon Lakes Campground Road Replacement	Carson	This project will reconstruct and repave Forest Road 129 to Canjilon Lake Campground, which provides access to trails within the campground, two day-use sites, and the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. The improvements will reduce sediment and improve access to camping around multiple high elevation lakes.
Apache-Sitgreaves Forest Road 249E Stabilization	Apache-Sitgreaves	This project will stabilize surface of Forest Road 249E located south of Big Lake. It will improve drainage and provide a stabilized aggregate surface to minimize runoff into Lower West Fork River watershed. It will also improve the roads resilience to the very heavy traffic in the Big Lake Recreation Area.
Forest Road 22 and 423 Road Reconstruction	Kaibab	This project would include road reconditioning, new aggregate surfacing, drainage improvements, and safety improvements over 12 miles of Forest Roads 22 and 423.
Forest Road 610 Reconstruction	Kaibab	The project will reconstruct the road with aggregate gravel to reduce dust and wash boarding in front of high recreation use areas such as hiking trails overlooking portions of Vermillion Cliffs, Grand Canyon National Park, and popular access to hiking trails to the Saddle Mountain Wilderness.

About Legacy Roads & Trails

The Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Program supports our mission by restoring, protecting, and maintaining crucial watersheds on our national forests and grasslands. This is accomplished by restoring fish and aquatic organism passage, improving road and trail resiliency, preserving access, and decommissioning unneeded roads as determined by transportation planning. Protecting threatened, endangered, and sensitive species, and community water sources are among the top priorities for projects that improve and maintain access. Emergency operations that rely upon evacuation routes during wildfires, floods or other natural disasters also benefit from this program. Learn more about Legacy Roads and Trails

While the most recent funding for the Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Program has been authorized through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Forest Service has been providing stewardship and oversight of these program priorities through prior year Legacy Road and Trail Programs, partnerships, regular annual appropriations, highway bill funding, and other legislation such as the Great American Outdoors Act.