Sedona-Oak Creek Interagency Study, 1976-1984

Oak Creek Canyon is a north-south canyon created by earthquake activity associated with the uplifting of the Colorado Plateau. Somewhere between one million and ten thousand years ago very large cracks, or faults, developed in the earth's underlying rock layers as they were being pushed up during the Plateau's formation. One of the larger of these faults formed Oak Creek Canyon. Since 1976, the area was studied extensively to examine existing land use and ownership patterns while identifying major environmental characteristics and potential land policies agreed upon by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.

This collection comprises documents related to developing a land use plan for the Sedona Oak Creek area. Five agencies: Coconino County, NACOG (Northern Arizona Council of Governments), Yavapai County, Coconino National Forest, and the State of Arizona, began meeting in 1976 to develop a comprehensive land use plan for the Sedona Oak Creek Unit culminating in a proposed guide for future development within Oak Creek Canyon in 1984. The study establishes policies regarding future development patterns for all private lands within the Canyon and policies designed to protect and enhance the unique environmental qualities of the Canyon. Open space and recreational zoning are given high priority while taking into concerns for increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The U.S. Forest Service and the Coconino County Board of Supervisors worked jointly in an effort toward land preservation while determining and managing public areas.