Two Sedona men pled guilty this week in Federal Magistrate Court to criminal violations connected to unauthorized trail construction on the Coconino National Forest. Arizona Public Radio's Gillian Ferris Kohl reports.
The cases are unrelated, but the charges are similar. 40 year old David Donohue and 39 year old Jeff Harris will both serve one year of probation and pay thousands of dollars in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for illegally digging trails and mountain bike jumps near Beaverhead Flats in Sedona. Donohue was also charged with disturbing an archeological site. The incidents occurred in 2011 and 2012. Both included unauthorized construction and removal of large native plants and soil. Forest Service officials say the sites consequently required extensive restoration to prevent further soil erosion and to replant vegetation. The total cost of restoration to both sites is close to $8,000. In the last year, the Forest Service has convicted three people for similar offenses near Sedona.