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ADOT to fence Highway 186 to keep open range cattle off
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Carol Broeder/Range News Published:The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) plans to build more than 14 miles of fence on State Route 186, from Dos Cabezas to State Route 181.
The state agency is currently seeking public comment on its plans to construct fences, cattle guards, and gates, to keep cattle off the road. A public meeting was held outdoors near Casey Road last Friday, where ADOT officials met with Dos Cabezas residents in small groups to discuss the proposed fencing project. "The purpose of the fence project is to keep cattle off the road," said ADOT Project Manager Robin Raine. "They're finally going to get it done," said Chuck Brooks of the Hurtado Ranch. Brooks and his wife, Gloria, have lived for 15 years at the ranch founded by her great-grandparents. "There have been too many cattle killed on the highway. I've been trying to get them to do it for five years," he said. "And every year there's more and more traffic through here." Brooks said the state normally fences highways, and that 186 is "the only highway in Southern Arizona that's still open range. Everything else is fenced." "I think it's going to dress up the town," said Dos Cabezas resident Rey Martinez Jr. "Other fences are falling down." Calling it "sporadic replacement," Raine said, "where the fences are good, the state won't put up a fence. We won't take down fences unless they are falling down." "I think it's great and think it's long overdue," said Don Rayos. "It should have been done 30 years ago." Some residents, like Carol Brunner, would like to see a perimeter fence instead. "I don't see why we need a double fence down the middle of town," said Brunner. "It will split the community in half. Why don't they fence the perimeter of the townsite instead?" "We don't have much of a legal leg to stand on," Raine said about perimeter fencing. "We'd have easement issues, and it would take a lot longer. It's almost impossible to do legally. We have a lot of rules to follow about fencing." While Brooks agrees that perimeter fencing "would be just as adequate," he said, "I don't care which way they do it as long as they do it." "I think the meeting went pretty well," Raine said. "Some things we knew. And we learned some things we didn't know, which is why we have these meetings." "Most of the people are happy to see it," she added. Raine said that she doesn't see ADOT actually beginning the fencing until August or September. In the meantime, the agency plans to keep area residents updated via newsletters, she said. To receive a comment form, contact Robin Raine at (520) 388-4264, via e-mail at rraine@azdot.gov, or by fax at (520) 903-9969. An official form is not required. Please note the name of the project or the project manager on your comment. Comments are due by Friday, Feb. 23. "We want as many comments as possible," Raine told the Range News.
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