KJZZ (February 24, 2022) by Ron Dungan

The Arizona Trail runs about 800 miles from Mexico to the Utah border, and the Legislature may make the process of hiking it a little more pleasant.

The trail has an abundance of scenery, but it can be short on water and hard to reach in places.

The Legislature has helped with funding in the past but limited its support to trail construction.

House Bill 2789 would allow for the financing of things such as water sources, signs and better public access.

Matthew Nelson, executive director of the Arizona Trail Association, said that the Legislature has not contributed a lot of money to the trail over the years, but lawmakers on both sides of the isle have been supportive.

“My experience has always been that the Arizona Trail is a very nonpartisan, non-contentious issue. The trail is something that has always brought people together,” he said.

House Speaker Rusty Bowers is one of the sponsors of the bill, which passed the House Appropriations Committee last week.

Listen to the radio news story here.