Ranch along Verde River added to Prescott National Forest

PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — An 84-acre ranch along the Upper Verde River is being added to the Prescott National Forest to help protect the river’s natural state and eventually enhance public access. A spokeswoman for The Trust for Public Land says the conservation nonprofit bought the Rio Verde Ranch for just under $1.7 million and sold it for that amount to the federal government. The ranch includes six-tenths of a mile of the Verde, one of Arizona’s few free flowing rivers. Much