Being in Four Hills Ranch is a treat. We have a close-knit community of full-time and part-time residents and our community expands significantly during the summer when many property owners visit the ranch to enjoy the views, serenity and friends.
When you’re in the ranch, please be courteous to the community and sensitive to the land. The high desert flora is sensitive and takes a long time to recover from damage, and the fauna is shy and easily spooked.
Below are a few topics that might be important to you while you’re on the ranch. Please let us know (board@4hrpoa.org) if there are other topics you’d like us to include.
High Country Fire & Rescue (HCFR)
Four Hills Ranch POA contracts with High Country Fire Rescue for fire and EMS services. HCFR will respond on all fires, medical and traffic incidents in Four Hills Ranch. All residents of Four Hills Ranch are also covered in any of the 350 square miles HCFR responds to in the area.
If you have an emergency, CALL 911 and let them know your location. If you are in Four Hills Ranch, HCFR and an ambulance service will be dispatched to your location.
Life Line Ambulance is a ground ALS transport ambulance that works with HCFR but their transport fees are separate and not covered by our contract with HCFR. For an Air Ambulance transport, it is the discretion of the EMT or Paramedic on scene to call for a helicopter. If a situation occurs that an ambulance cannot get to your incident, HCFR has a 4-wheel drive vehicle and by law HCFR can transport if there is any delay of Life Line Ambulance or other transport agency. HCFR can start IV’s and provide Oxygen and other medical procedures for treatment on medical emergencies.
If you are staying on Four Hills you may want to keep the HCFR emergency number in your cell phone (928-635-9988). Calling HCFR direct will eliminate any delay response to your area, but always also call 911.
Non-member Visitors / Trespassers
Our association strongly recommends proof of WRITTEN permission from the property owner you might be visiting for you to access our ranch as a guest; the property owner should normally be at their lot when you are visiting. Also, if you are a prospective buyer for land for sale in our development, please be sure to be accompanied by a real estate agent.
Any unauthorized person entering our development without permission shall be considered as trespassing as per ARS 13-1502.
Additionally, as stated on the Arizona Game and Fish Department Hunting Regulations state:
“Access to Private Lands
You must have written or verbal permission from private property owners for use of their legally posted private lands for any purpose including crossing these lands by foot or vehicle to get to public and State Trust lands not accessible by public means…”
Open Range “Law” and Related Issues for Dogs and Property on Four Hills Ranch
In response to several inquiries regarding the open range laws that impact Four Hills Ranch property owners, please read the Arizona Open Range “Law” document authored by the University of Arizona.
Specifically regarding dogs in Four Hills Ranch, please read the letter from our attorney identifying legal issues with allowing dogs to roam free on Four Hills Ranch.
Additional Resources: Coconino County Animal Control Ordinances and State: Dog Laws, See Title 11, Article 6 and Article 6.1
Enjoy the Dark Skies
For those folks who do not live full time in Coconino County, it may not be known that Coconino County has ordinances that protect the dark skies. Just like Tucson, we have many astronomers and astronomical observatories. Most are located in the Flagstaff Area, with Lowell Observatory and the Naval Observatory complexes on Anderson Mesa, Mars Hill and Belmont, but there has also been some talk of Northern Arizona being considered for an astronomical array.
Flagstaff is the first international dark Sky city, and the Grand Canyon National Park is working on becoming an International Dark Sky Park. Last year, astronomers in the state of Arizona took the state to task for not enforcing laws that were already on the books concerning electronic billboards because they throw a lot of light up into the sky.
Coconino County describes the proper types of lighting fixtures to install in its Zoning Ordinance. They should be shielded so they only cast light downwards, and not sideways into the eyes of people, or upwards where the lights are scattered by the atmosphere and interfere with astronomical observations. Last year one of the folks living in Four Hills reported a bright light in the distance that hadn’t been there before. It turned out to be a Coleman lantern someone had set out in their yard to light the area. Light carries for many miles out here on the ranch. The wind turbines on Perrin Ranch are 50 miles from the north rim of the Grand Canyon but they are visible from there, as well as from many areas in Four Hills.
Hunting & Shooting in Four Hills
Hunting big game (elk, antelope, deer, etc) anywhere in Arizona requires a license from the AZ Game and Fish Department – even on your own land. AZ is a lottery state – you pay to have your name drawn for the limited big game licenses and if you are drawn, you can only hunt in the zone you are assigned to.
Land ownership does not allow property owners to kill big game without the proper licenses. In addition, AZ Game and Fish states it is against the law to kill a mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, or javalina unless it poses a direct threat to a “human” – pets don’t count! If an animal is killed for any reason other than a “life threat to a human” and the shooter is not licensed, there is a good chance the shooter will be prosecuted.
An important consideration is “how close are you to a residence when shooting” – the law requires a 1/4 mile. A travel trailer could be considered a residence (temporary)!
If you plan on target shooting on your property, be sure to shoot away from any occupied buildings or roadways to avoid the risk of injuring someone. You should have a backdrop such as a hill or dirt mound behind your targets to prevent a stray bullet from hitting something it shouldn’t. In addition, please be considerate of your neighbors when shooting – firearms are LOUD, especially to folks that don’t shoot firearms.
ATVs and UTV Use
Please be courteous when driving off-road vehicles, and drive only on the roads or your property; most property owners will not appreciate off-road vehicle use and tracks on their property. Please also be gentle on the ranch roads – doing donuts wreaks havoc on our roads which requires extra maintenance and associated costs.
Additional Resources: County: ATV Regulations (PDF document) , which can also be located via County Sheriff’s page, right column under “Citizen Services” section, and State Statutes – ATV Regulations
Four Hills Ranch POA 