Sierra Vista - Sky Island Action

Sierra Vista RANGER DISTRICT

www.skyislandaction.org 12- 1 State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08

DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 12-2 www.skyislandaction.org

CHAPTER 12 Huachuca Ecosystem Management Areato Ramsey Canyon Preserve, managed by The NatureConservancy, renowned for its outstanding scenicbeauty and the diversity of its plant and animal life.Approximately twelve miles east of the Forestboundary lies the San Pedro Riparian NationalConservation Area managed by the Bureau of LandManagement. The San Pedro River, flowing norththrough the conservation area, is one of theoutstanding biological gems of Arizona. The southernslopes of the Huachuca Mountains drain south to theheadwaters of the San Pedro River (Figure 12.1).

The San Rafael Valley lies at the heart of theHuachuca Management Area. The valley, primarilyconsisting of privately-owned land, is a pocket ofrolling grasslands some of which still retain theirnatural composition of native grassland species.Patagonia Lake State Park, an impoundment onSonoita Creek along the western edge of the PatagoniaMountains, is a popular recreation destination. ParkerCanyon Lake, also a popular recreation spot, is animpoundment of Parker Canyon. Across the U.S.-Mexico border, lies Rancho Los Fresno in the state of

The Huachuca Ecosystem Management Area(EMA) encompasses the rugged southern portion ofthe Huachuca Mountains, and the rolling hills of thePatagonia Mountains and Canelo Hills. The sprawling277,607 acre management area spans elevationsranging from 3,800 feet in the grasslands to 9,455 feetat the summit of Miller peak.

The formerly rural area surrounding thismanagement area is experiencing rapid populationgrowth. Development from the outward growth ofnearby Sierra Vista is pushing up to the eastern base ofthe Huachuca Mountains. The northeast side of area isbordered by Fort Huachuca Military Reservation,which encompasses much of the northern portion ofthe Huachuca range. The southern EMA boundaryruns along the U.S.-Mexico international border.Coronado National Memorial, managed by theNational Park Service, is nestled at the southeastcorner of the EMA between the Forest land and theinternational boundary. The Huachuca EMA harborsa number of outstanding riparian habitats. RamseyCanyon on the eastern flank of the mountains is home



Sonora Mexico. Los Fresno is a 10,000 acre ranchjointly managed by The Nature Conservancy,Naturalia and Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Armónica.The Huachuca Ecosystem Management Area is animportant destination to Forest users seeking awilderness experience. A 1997 study found that over70% of people surveyed came to the Huachucasspecifically to hike and engage in hiking associatedactivities such as sightseeing, wildlife watching, birdwatching and wilderness exploration.1

Natural HistoryFor their size and elevational range, the Huachuca

Mountains are comparatively rich in species. Forestland here harbors nine listed Threatened orEndangered species including the colorful Sonorantiger salamander, and Huachuca water umbel. Besidessupporting much of the same biological diversityfound across the Sky Island region, the HuachucaManagement Area has its own unique and excitingspecies. The buff-breasted flycatcher, one of the

smallest flycatchers occurring in the United States, isknown to breed in the Santa Catalina, Huachuca andChiricahua Mountains. Canelo Hills ladies’ tresses,slender white orchids, are found in a handful ofCienega habitats in the Canelo Hills. EndangeredHuachuca water umbel is found only in the HuachucaMountains and along the San Pedro River in theUnited States, with a few scattered sites in Mexico.

The Huachuca Mountains harbor six perennialstreams where several species of fish native to Arizonastill survive in the well-watered canyons. Longfin daceinhabit the watershed complex of Bear Creek, LoneMountain Canyon, Cave Creek, Joaquin Canyon andSycamore Canyon that drains from the western side ofthe Huachuca Mountains south to the headwaters ofthe San Pedro River. Bear Creek and Cave Creekcurrently harbor populations believed to be free ofnonnative fish. Red Rock Canyon in the PatagoniaMountains provides habitat for Gila topminnow andother native fishes. These streams have exceptional

Figure 12.1 Overview of the Huachuca EMA

value for native fisheries and other riparian-dependent species. The western barking frog,dependent on deeply-fissured limestone or rhyoliteoutcrops, is known to breed in the southernHuachucas on the Coronado National Memorial.Mammal diversity and abundance of the area supportsa large population of mountain lions.

The Huachuca Mountains grassland valleycomplex harbors isolated populations of species suchas Endangered Sonoran tiger salamander andCandidate (for listing) mountain tree frog, that arefound nowhere else in the Sky Island region.

Twenty-six populations of avian “species ofconservation concern” can be found here. Some ofthese populations are only found in the United Statesin the borderland Sky Islands including ElegantTrogon, Whiskered Screech Owl, and Buff-BreastedFlycatcher. Also found in the Huachucas are rare neo-tropical species found only in the southern most skyislands of the Coronado. These include BeryllineHummingbird, Blue-Throated Hummingbird, Violet-Crowned Hummingbird, White-Eared Hummingbird,and Sulphur-Bellied Flycatcher. The HuachucaMountain range supports the largest number ofbreeding pairs of Elegant Trogon and likely the largestpopulation of Whiskered Screech Owl in the UnitedStates. The Huachuca Mountains along with theChiricahua Mountains host the greatest diversity ofSierra Madrean neo-tropical birds in the UnitedStates. The Huachucas support a great diversity ofhummingbirds with over fourteen species recorded inthe range. They are the site of ongoing hummingbirdresearch such as mapping nectar resources.Particularly of note is their diversity of oaks witheleven distinct oak species found on the ManagementArea.2

Human Prehistory and HistoryThe first solid archeological evidence of human

habitation in this area shows Clovis hunters spearingmammoths in the San Pedro Valley by 9,000 yearsB.C.3 Next came the long occupancy of the CochiseCulture of hunter-gatherers, eventual introduction ofdomesticated crop plants, and development of moredensely settled networks of farming peoples.

Written history of the area around the San RafaelValley began with Coronado’s 1540 journey fromMexico City to the Zuni area of New Mexico. Oneproposed route has this epic journey entering

southern Arizona by way of the upper Santa CruzRiver, passing north across the San Rafael Valley andover the Canelo Hills via Canelo Pass into the upperBabocomari River valley.4 The Canelo Hills were latertraversed by Father Eusebio Kino in the 1690s duringhis explorations of southern Arizona. Coronadoencountered ancestral Sobaipuris living in villagesalong the San Pedro River.

The Sobaipuris probably colonized the San RafaelValley area starting in the 15th century and lived inscattered rancherìas. They utilized the San RafaelValley and the surrounding Canelo Hills, and thePatagonia and Huachuca Mountains for hunting,gathering of agaves, yucca, acorns, walnuts, beargrassand other plants found in plains grasslands andevergreen woodlands. By the late 17th century whenKino and his companions first encountered them, theSobaipuris were already battling natives identified bySpaniards as Janos, Jocomes, and Apaches.5 ResidentApaches managed to largely hold their own firstagainst Spanish, then Mexican, and later U.S. armedforces and settlers for the next 300 plus years.6

Boundaries of the Sky Island region coincidealmost perfectly with the known range of theChiricahua Apaches, with Chokonen (or Chiricahua),Bedonkohe, Chihenne, and Nedhni groups occupyingvarious subdivisions of the region.7 Members of theChokonen band ranged across the Dragoons,Chiricahuas, Dos Cabezas, Peloncillo and probably theHuachuca mountains on both sides of the presentU.S.-Mexico border.8 The compressed latitudinal andelevational gradients that characterize the Sky Islandregion and the area’s high productivity provided year-round hunting and gathering opportunities, whichenabled the Chiricahua Apaches to remain the onlyentirely non-agricultural culture in the AmericanSouthwest during this era.

The name Huachuca is a Chiricahua-Apache wordmeaning thunder. Canelo comes from the Spanishword meaning cinnamon in reference to the color ofthe Canelo Hills from a distance.9

At the turn of the century, Sunnyside Canyon inthe southeastern portion of the management area wasfilled with the hustle and bustle of two copper minesand a sawmill. The community of Sunnyside onceboasted 80 residents. Today, this canyon’s intermittentstream supports a riparian community wheresongbirds and other wildlife are abundant.


The Huachuca Ecosystem Management Areaharbors a unique combination of vegetation types andspecies that contribute to the biological diversity ofthe Coronado National Forest. The Forest Servicerecognizes that building a framework for ecologicalsustainability will require management of entirebiological communities combined with specialmanagement for particular species. For revision of theForest Plan the Forest Service identified species thatwill be the focus of planning efforts. Species andvegetation types of management interest found acrossthe Coronado National Forest were described andlisted in the Forest Overview (Table 1.1, page 1-11).Described here are species and vegetation typesspecifically found on the Huachuca EcosystemManagement Area. The Forest Service identified 126

species of plants and animals including nineThreatened or Endangered species, along with otherspecies determined to be Species of Concern orSpecies of Interest (Table 12.1). These species will beused to guide management decisions.

Ecological systems and the processes that sustainthem are the foundations of native biological diversity.Vegetation communities and aquatic habitats that areespecially species rich, diverse, or threatened; or areendemic to the region or locality are of particularmanagement concern. To evaluate current conditionsand management prescriptions for ecological systemsthe Forest Service is using the framework of PotentialNatural Vegetation Types. Potential Natural VegetationTypes are defined as the vegetation that woulddominate a site under natural disturbance regimes


Elements of Biological Diversity and Cultural Heritage

Figure 12.2 Ecological Systems of the Huachuca EMA


AmphibiansAmbystoma tigrinim stebbinsiEleutherodactulus augusti

cactorumHyla wrightorumRana chiricahuensisRana subaquavocalis

BirdsAmmodramus savannarum

ammolegusCoccyzus americanus occidentalisEmpidonax fulvifrons pygmaeusGlaucidium brasilianum

cactorumMeleagris gallopavo mexicanaPachyramphus aglaiaePolioptilla nigricepsTrogon elegans

InsectsAdopaeoides prittwitziAeshna persephoneAgathymus evansiAstylis biedermaniAutomeris patagoniensisEumorsea balliNectopsyche dorsalisOligocentria delicataOphiogomphus arizonicus Piruna polingiiSpeyeria nokomis coerulescensSphingicampa raspaSphinx smithiStygobromus arizonensisSympetrum signiferum

FishAgosia chrysogasterPoeciliopsis o. occidentalisRhinichthys osculus

MammalsChoeronycteris mexicanaLasiurus blossevilliiPanthera oncaSciurus arizonensis Sorex arizonaeThomomys umbrinus

intermedius

Sonoran Tiger SalamanderWestern Barking Frog

Arizona Tree FrogChiricahua Leopard FrogRamsey Canyon Leopard Frog

Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow

Western Yellow-billed CuckooNorthern Buff-breasted FlycatcherCactus Ferruginous Pygmy-owl

Gould's TurkeyRose-throated BecardBlack-capped GnatcatcherElegant Trogon

Sunrise SkipperPersephone's DarnerHuachuca Giant-skipperA Notodontid MothPatagonia Eyed SilkmothBall's Monkey GrasshopperA CaddisflyA Notodontid MothArizona SnaketailFour-spotted SkipperlingBluish FritillaryA Royal MothA Sphinx MothArizona Cave AmphipodSpot-winged Meadowhawk

Longfin DaceGila TopminnowSpeckled Dace

Mexican Long-tongued BatWestern Red BatJaguarArizona Gray SquirrelArizona ShrewSouthern Pocket Gopher

MollusksGastrocopta prototypusHolospira ferrissiPyrgulopsis thompsoniVertigo hinkleyi

PlantsAgave parviflora ssp. parvifloraAllium rhizomatum

(=glandulosum)Amsonia grandifloraArabis tricornutaAsclepias lemmoniiAsclepias uncialis ssp. uncialisAstragalus allochrous var.

playanusAstragalus hypoxylusBrickellia simplexBrowallia eludensCarex ultraConioselinum mexicanumCoryphantha scheeri var.

robustispinaCoursetia glabellaCynanchum wigginsii

(=Metastelma mexicanum)Delphinium andesicolaDraba petrophila var. viridisDrymaria effusa var. effusaErigeron arisoliusErigeron lemmoniiEscobaria vivipara var. bisbeeanaFraxinus papillosaHeterotheca rutteriHexalectris spicata var. arizonicaHexalectris warnockiiHieracium rusbyiHymenoxys quinquesquamataIpomoea plummerae var.

cuneifoliaIpomoea tenuiloba var. lemmoniiIpomoea thurberiLaennecia eriophyllaLilaeopsis schaffneriana var.

recurvaLilium parryiLupinus huachucanusMacromeria viridiflora var.

thurberiMacromeria viridiflora var.

viridiflora

Sonoran SnaggletoothStocky HolospiraHuachuca SpringsnailHeart Vertigo

Redflower Onion

Arizona SlimpodRincon Mountain RockcressLemmon MilkweedGreene's MilkweedHalfmoon Milk-vetch

Huachuca Milk-vetchSonoran Brickell-bushElusive New Browallia SpeciesCochise SedgeMexican Hemlock-parsleyPima Pineapple Cactus

Smooth Baby-bonnetsNarrow-leaf (Wiggins) Swallow-

wortChiricahua Mountains LarkspurRock Whitlow-grassPinewood DrymaryArid Throne FleabaneLemmon's FleabaneBisbee's Pincushion CactusChihuahua AshRutter's Golden-asterCrested CoralrootPurple-spike CoralrootRusby's HawkweedRincon BitterweedHuachuca Mountain Morning-

gloryLemmon's Morning-gloryThurber's Morning-gloryCochise WoolwortHuachuca Water Umbel

Lemon LilyHuachuca Mountain LupineGiant-trumpets

Giant-trumpets

Table 12.1 Species Identified by the Forest Service to Guide Management Decisions

continued


Mammillaria grahamii var. oliviaeMammillaria wrightii var. wrightiiMargaranthus solanaceusMarina diffusaMatelea (=Pherotrichis) balbisii

Muhlenbergia palmeri (=M.dubioides)

Nissolia wislizeniNothoscordum texanumPectis imberbisPellaea ternifolia ssp. arizonicaPenstemon superbusPhaseolus supinusPhoradendron bolleanum ssp.

pauciflorumPinaropappus roseus var. foliosusPotentilla wheeleriPsilactis gentryiRanunculus hydrocharoides var.

stoloniferRoldana hartwegii (=Senecio

hartwegii, with syn = S.seemannii, S. carlomasonii, and R.carlomasonii)

Rumex orthoneurusSamolus vagans

Scutellaria tessellataSenecio huachucanusSisyrinchium arizonicumSpiranthes delitescensTalinum humile

Talinum marginatumViguiera dentata var. lancifoliaWoodsia cochisensisWoodsia phillipsii

ReptilesAspidoscelis burti stictogrammaCrotalus priceiCrotalus w. willardi

Sceloporus sleviniTantilla wilcoxi

Thamnophis eques megalops

Wright Fishhook CactusNetted GlobeberrySpreading MarinaBalbis (=Huachuca Milkweed

Vine)Southwestern Muhly

Arizona YellowhoodTexas False-garlicBeardless Chinch WeedThree-leaved CliffbrakeSuperb BeardtongueSupine BeanRough Mistletoe

Wheeler's CinquefoilGentry's Bare-ray-asterFrog's-bit Buttercup

Seemann (Hartweg's)Groundsel

Blumer's DockChiricahua Mountain

BrookweedHuachuca Mountains SkullcapHuachuca GroundselArizona Blue-eyed-grassCanelo Hills Ladies'-tressesPinos Altos Mountains

FlameflowerTepic FlameflowerSunflower Golden-eyeCochise WoodsiaPhillips' Cliff Fern

Canyon Spotted WhiptailTwin-spotted RattlesnakeArizona Ridge-nosed

RattlesnakeSlevin's Bunchgrass LizardChihuahuan Black-headed

SnakeNorthern Mexican Garternsake

Table 12.1 Species Identified by the ForestService to Guide Management Decisions continued

Table 12.2 Foundations of NativeBiological Diversity

“Potential Natural Vegetation Types” (bold) as theycorrespond with The Nature Conservancy’s “EcologicalSystems”_______________________________________

Cottonwood Willow Riparian ForestDesert Riparian Woodland and Shrubland

Desert CommunitiesChihuahuan Desert Scrub

Interior ChaparralInterior Chaparral

Madrean Encinal WoodlandMadrean Encinal

Madrean Pine-oak WoodlandMadrean pine-oak Woodland

Mixed Broadleaf Deciduous Riparian ForestMontane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland

Mixed Conifer ForestMontane Mixed Forest

Semi-desert GrasslandsApachean Grassland and SavannahApachean Shrubland

Wetland/CienegaCienega

Physiographic Features______________________________

Limestone and Rhyolite Outcroppings

Community______________________________

Sacaton Riparian Grassland


AmphibiansRana pipiensRana yavapaiensis

BirdsAimophila botteriiAimophila carpalisAmmodramus bairdii Asturina nitida maxima Athene cunicularia hypugaea Buteo albonotatus Buteogallus anthracinus Callipepla squamata Ceryle alcyon Chloroceryle americana Colaptes chrysoidesCyrtonyx montezumae

FishCatostomus clarki Catostomus insignis Catostomus wigginsii Cyprinodon macularius Cyprinodon macularius macularius Gila intermedia

InsectsAbedus herberti Ancyloxypha areneHeterelmis stephani

Northern Leopard FrogLowland Leopard Frog

Botteri's SparrowRufous-Winged SparrowBaird's Sparrow Northern Gray Hawk Burrowing Owl Zone-Tailed Hawk Common Black-Hawk Scaled Quail Belted Kingfisher Green Kingfisher Gilded Flicker Aplomado Falcon

Desert Sucker Sonora Sucker Matalote Opata Desert Pupfish Desert Pupfish Gila Chub

Giant Water Bug Tropical Least SkipperStephan's Heterelmis Riffle Beetle

MammalsCorynorhinus townsendii pallescens Cynomys ludovicianusMacrotus californicus Myotis ciliolabrumMyotis thysanodes Myotis veliferSigmodon ochrognathus

MollusksPyrgulopsis thompsoni

ReptilesCnemidophorus burti stictogrammusCnemidoporus opataeEumeces callicephalus

PlantsAmoreuxia gonzaleziiAster potosinusDryopteris patula var. rossii Echinomastus erectocentrus var.

erectocentrusErigeron pringleiEuphorbia macropusGraptopetalum bartramiiHexalectris revoluteHieracium pringleiMacroptilium supinumMatelea (=Pherotrichis) balbisiiMuhlenbergia dubioides

Pale Lump-nosed Bat Black-Tailed Prairie DogCalifornia Leaf-Nosed Bat Western Small-Footed Myotis BatFringed Myotis Bat Cave Myotis BatYellow-Nosed Cotton Rat

Huachuca Springsnail

Canyon Spotted WhiptailHuico de OputoMountain Skink

Santa Rita YellowshowLemmon’s AsterMexican Shield Fern Needle-spined Pineapple Cactus

Pringle's FleabaneWoodland SpurgePatagonia Mountain Leather-PetalChisos Coral-RootPringle's HawkweedSupine BeanBalbis (=Huachuca Milkweed Vine)Box Canyon Muhly

Table 12.3 Additional Species that Require Special Management Consideration

and biological processes. Using this classificationallows current vegetation to be compared effectively tovegetation under historic conditions. BecausePotential Natural Vegetation Types are relatively broadgroupings, and because the Forest contains a highdiversity of vegetation types, we present ecologicalsystems as a focus for management direction. Theseecological systems are cross-walked with the PotentialNatural Vegetation Types used by the Forest Service(Table 12.2). Although there are many fine variationsin plant communities on the Huachuca ManagementArea, ecological systems classify plant communitiesinto broader groups so as to be most useful formanagement actions such as mapping, landmanagement, and monitoring. Plant communitieswere grouped based on shared characteristics such asnatural processes (e.g. fire and flood), substrates (e.g.

shallow soils, limestone outcroppings), and localclimate.10 Figure 12.2 shows the distribution ofecological systems in the Huachuca EMA. Throughcontact with regional scientists and experts, and otherpeople familiar with the Huachuca EMA, we identifiedecological systems, physiographic features, additionalspecies and cultural resources that should also beconsidered in the Forest Plan revision.

Species that will need special managementattention include species that are endemic to theregion or locality, species that have a restricteddistribution within the region, and species dependenton specialized habitat. Other species that will needspecial consideration are species that area rare,vulnerable or declining throughout their ranges; arerare, imperiled or vulnerable in the U.S. portion oftheir ranges that overlap the Coronado National

� The Huachuca EMA remains situated in a landscapein which wide-ranging species (black bear, mountainlion, deer, pronghorn, Mexican gray wolf, jaguar, coati,and others) are able to move between the HuachucaEMA and the following: Santa Rita EMA, WhetstoneEMA, Tumacacori EMA, lands in northern Mexicoand other surrounding wildlands.

� Development around the Huachuca EMA does notprevent the continued use of prescribed fire andwildland fire as management tools.

� Ecological systems on the Huachuca EMAexperience the natural pre-fire suppression burncycles. Burn cycles restore a broad mosaic pattern ofhabitat types that maintain the biological diversityexpected for each vegetation type. High-intensitystand-replacing fires occur at pre-fire suppressionintervals due to the composition of fire-adaptedvegetation types.

� The Huachuca EMA contributes to the health andrecharge of the San Pedro Watershed, DavidsonCanyon and the Cienega Creek watershed.

� Scenic resources, including geological features andviewsheds, do not lose value from their currentclassifications.

� Native species persist over large scales of time andspace. Viable populations of all native species arerestored to natural patterns of abundance. Extirpatedand imperiled native species return to their historicalranges.

� Human uses on the Huachuca EMA are in bothshort-term and long-term harmony with theecological health of the land.

� The Huachuca Ecosystem Management Areacontinues to be a high quality location for primitiverecreation with opportunities to experience quiet andsolitude. Wildlife and human visitors are free fromdirect disturbance and noise.


Desired Conditions

Opportunities for quiet and solitudeOpportunities for primitive recreation

Table 12.4 Elements of Cultural Heritage

Forest; or are harvested for economic interests. Thesespecies may not be adequately protected by managingfor ecological systems and may require specificmanagement actions or monitoring. Table 3 listsadditional species whose needs should be assessedduring plan revision.

The Huachuca Mountains contain a wealth ofprehistoric and historic influences. Visible andphysical remnants of previous human habitation ofthe area include built structures, physical sites, or

objects or assemblages of material culture. Humanuses of the land compatible with the protection ofbiological diversity are an important part of theCultural Heritage of the area (Table 12.4).


Conservation Assets

Conservation assets work on behalf of Foresthealth on the Huachuca Ecosystem Management Area.They will contribute to the Forest Service’s ability tomaintain ecological and social sustainability. Thefollowing emerged as strengths and opportunities forconservation on the Huachuca EcosystemManagement Area.

Audubon Appleton-Whittell Research RanchThe Research Ranch is a cooperative partnership

among the National Audubon Society, U.S. ForestService, Bureau of Land Management, the NatureConservancy, Swift Current Land and CattleCompany and The Research Ranch Foundation. TheResearch Ranch provides ecosystem conservationthrough restoration of natural processes, erosioncontrol, eradication of exotic species, replanting ofnative grasses and reestablishment of fire. The Ranchis the location research on protecting the remaininggrassland ecosystems in the southwest, and is a leaderin regional education and outreach.

Canelo Hills CoalitionThe Coalition is a group of ranches in Santa Cruz

County working to improve water quality in Red RockCanyon, a tributary to Sonoita Creek and the UpperSanta Cruz watershed. The Coalition is working withthe Coronado Resource Conservation andDevelopment Area, Inc. on this project to addresssediment delivery by improving watershed healththrough the implementation of best managementpractices that facilitate a rest-rotation grazing systemto maximize vegetation on the watershed.

Canelo Hills PreserveThis preserve is owned and managed by the

Arizona chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Itprotects one of the best remaining cienegas insouthern Arizona. Cienegas are dominated by sedgesand other herbaceous woody wetland plants.O’Donnell Creek is a small perennial stream that runsthrough the Cienega and supports a population ofGila Chub. The cienega also harbors a population ofthe imperiled Canelo Hills ladies’ tresses. The preservecontributes to the protection of rare species and native

fisheries and the health and recharge of the CienegaCreek and Davidson Canyon watersheds.

Huachuca Area Fire PartnersThe Huachuca Area Fire Partners are an alliance of

public and private groups that came together torestore and manage fire on 500,000 acres of land thatspan from the San Pedro River on the east to thePatagonia Mountains on the west. The group workedtogether to produce a Fire Management Plan based onecological rather than jurisdictional boundaries.Managing fire in this way will help to return ecologicalsystems to their pre-fire suppression composition andresiliency. The group continues to work on landscapelevel compliance and implementation.

Huachuca Important Bird AreaThe Huachuca Important Bird Area encompasses

an area of the Huachuca Mountains surroundingRamsey Canyon on the eastern side. Vegetativecommunities consist primarily of Madrean montaneconiferous forest supporting Chihuahua and Apachepine, and evergreen forest and woodland. This sitesupports 26 populations of avian “species ofconservation concern” whose range in the U.S. islimited to the Sky Islands of southern Arizona such asthe Buff-Breasted Flycatcher, Whiskered Screech Owland Elegant Trogon). Also found in this area are rareneo-tropical bird species (the BeryllineHummingbird, Blue-Throated, Violet-Crowned, andWhite-Eared Hummingbirds, and Sulphur-BelliedFlycatcher.

Ramsey Canyon PreserveThis preserve encompasses the spring-fed riparian

environment of Ramsey Canyon on the eastern slopesof the Huachuca Mountains. Owned and managed byThe Nature Conservancy the preserve protectsexcellent riparian habitat that supports theEndangered Chiricahua leopard frog. Over 170 speciesof birds are found on the preserve along withmountain lion, canyon tree frog, lemon lily, ridge-nosed rattlesnake and dozens of species of butterfly.The reserve protects habitat for a number of sensitiveand imperiled species.

The Coronado National Forest and surroundinglands have experienced a variety of changes in thetwenty years since the current Forest Plan was written.Management concerns and threats exist in theHuachuca Ecosystem Management Area that are notaddressed in the Forest Plan, or have not beenadequately dealt through management. The planrevision will update existing management directionand add new management direction, both of whichshould address these concerns. The following issuespresent challenges to ecological sustainability on theHuachuca EMA.

ADJACENT LAND USESRapid growth of the city of Sierra Vista is creating a

suburban fringe along the eastern boundary of theForest. The Lone Mountain land exchange in thesoutheastern portion of the Ecosystem ManagementArea is on the market and could be at threat fordevelopment, which will almost certainly lead to moresubdivision of land. This type of developmentthreatens the integrity of wildlife corridors betweenmountain ranges, causes direct loss of wildlife habitat,and creates social resistance to grassland fires.Important wildlife linkages between the HuachucaMountains and the San Pedro River Valley to the eastwill suffer from continued development. This alsoleads to more areas of wildland/urban interface andincreases the threat of invasive species spreading fromsurrounding developments onto the Forest.

Resources likely affected by land developmentadjacent to the EMA include: geological features,springs, ephemeral watercourses, seeps, scenicresources, all ecological systems, all native vegetationtypes and their associated flora and fauna; speciesparticularly sensitive to direct human disturbance(e.g., bats, lizards, desert box turtle, jaguar, ocelot,Mexican Spotted Owl, Coues’ white-tailed deer);wide-ranging species of terrestrial animals: mountainlion, jaguar, ocelot, black bear, white-nosed coati,pronghorn, deer; prehistoric and historical sites,structures, and artifacts; Apachean grassland andsavanna, Madrean pine-oak woodland, Madreanencinal grasslands, and animal species dependent onfire-adapted vegetation communities (e.g., MexicanSpotted Owl).

ECOLOGICAL RESTORATIONPast fire suppression has lead to a build up of dense

fuels particularly in the pine-oak, ponderosa pine andDouglas fir habitats in mountainous areas. High fuelloads in these habitats create the potential for high-intensity stand replacing fires. These types of fires willhave impacts on water infiltration in upland areas,species composition, and watershed function and flowregimes. Drought exacerbated by human activity hascontributed to changes in watershed function andspecies composition.

Affected resources include: Apachean andgrassland savanna, Madrean pine-oak woodlands,Madrean encinal; riparian systems and associatedspecies, springs, ephemeral watercourses, seeps; allnative vegetation types and their associated flora andfauna; native amphibian and fish species.

EXTRACTIVE USESLivestock GrazingHeavy grazing by cattle on the northern and

western slopes of the Huachuca Mountains,particularly in riparian habitats within canyonspresents a major localized threat on the EMA.

MiningMining claims currently exist in the west area of

Canelo Hills. There are known copper-porphyry,beccia-pipe, manganese, alunite and base- andprecious-metal deposits at various locations in thePatagonia Mountains and Canelo Hills but the Bureauof Mines believes none are economically feasible forcommercial development.11

INVASIVE SPECIESCrayfish pose a real problem to native populations

of fish and amphibians and the riparian habitat thatsupports them. Stretches of Bear Creek, Cave Canyon,Parker Canyon, Sycamore Canyon and TemporalGulch were all found to contain crayfish. These waterssupport important populations of native fish andamphibians and are in close proximity to otherperennial stretches of water. Threats include predationon and competition with native species. Affectedspecies include Gila topminnow, longfish dace,speckled dace, Chiricahua leopard frog and Sonorantiger salamander.


Threats to the Forest: A Need for Change


ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMThe Huachuca EMA contains the most extensive

road network of any of the mountain ranges in theCoronado National Forest. Increases in volume ofmotorized users and user irresponsibility is creatingan expanding network of illegal user-created routes.The western portion of the Canelo Hills are heavilyroaded. Because of their topography they areparticularly susceptible to widespread motorizedabuses. Threats include existing illegal user-createdroutes and creation of new non-system unauthorizedroads, routes creating exclusive access, and lack ofenforcement of the legal authorized transportationsystem.11 The illegal and legal system of routes on theHuachuca EMA contribute to extensive habitatfragmentation, soil erosion, water, air and noisepollution, and degradation of riparian vegetation.

Affected resources include: springs; ephemeralwatercourses; seeps; scenic resources, all ecologicalsystems, all native vegetation types and theirassociated flora and fauna, riparian plant and animalspecies, species especially sensitive to directdisturbance, wide-ranging species of terrestrialanimals, game species; prehistoric and historical sites,structures, and artifacts.

SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREASBrushy Peak, Canelo, and Mount Hughes roadless

areas were not mentioned in the 2001 roadless rule. Ina Management Area with such an extensive road

network, the precious few remaining roadless areasmust be recognized and adequately protected. Coreareas of roadless habitat help to protect the ecologicalintegrity of the area and are an essential tool for theForest Service to maintain ecological sustainability.

U.S.-MEXICO BORDERThe Huachuca EMA is simultaneously threatened

by foot and vehicular traffic from immigrants,smugglers and border patrol interdiction efforts andby the proposed construction of a border wall.Although foot travel of migrating people often occursalong washes and ridges rather than on designatedhiking trails, there is heavy migrant foot traffic alongthe Arizona Trail where it traverses the ridgeline of theHuachuca Mountains. Checkpoints along StateHighway 90 to the east of the EMA affect the flow ofmigrant traffic as attempts are made to avoid thecheckpoint. Impacts from migrant foot travel includeerosion due to off-trail walking especially in steepterrain and near waterways, deposition of trash, andincreased danger of uncontrollable wildfire atunnatural times of the year.

Affected resources include: springs, all ecologicalsystems, all native vegetation types and theirassociated flora and fauna, grasslands and savannas,lowland flora and fauna, riparian vegetation andspecies, and vegetation and communities not adaptedto frequent fire.

The Huachuca Ecosystem Management Area(EMA) encompasses a broad diversity of habitat typesand an array of imperiled species found nowhere elsein the United States. The area contains outstandingriparian habitat that is essential to the health of nativefish in Arizona. These outstanding features of theHuachuca EMA should be a major focus and driverfor future management of this area. New managementdirection that shows foresight and proactively

addresses threats will create a long-term frameworkfor ecological health and sustainability in theHuachuca EMA. To confront threats and capitalize onconservation assets, we recommend the followingobjectives and management actions to beincorporated into the revision of the CoronadoNational Forest Plan and subsequent project levelactivities.

Recommended Objectives and Management Actions


Enforce existing regulations that prohibit cross-country travel and off-highwayvehicle use in restricted areas such as washes and special closure areas.

Enforce the restriction of motorized vehicles to current system routes. When thetravel map is made final, enforce the use of the revised legal transportationsystem.

Do not allow the construction of any new roads in the Huachuca EMA.

Close roads that are experiencing high levels of motorized recreation abuseincluding roads from which drivers are creating new illegal roads.

Reduce the transportation network to the minimum that is consistent withthe Travel Management Rule.

Restore roaded areas degraded by indiscriminate driving.

Prevent proliferation of wildcat roads.

Maintain opportunities for low-density, high-quality primitive outdoorexperiences.

Relieve pressure from off-road driving on National Forest law enforcementstaff.

Work closely with Tribes, nongovernmental organizations, and other experts toidentify and protect additional cultural resources.

Ban paintball activities on the EMA.

Designate sound sheds in which quiet recreation is the primary suitable use.

Maintain recreational opportunities for people seeking quiet and solitude onthe Forest.

Maintain a balance between motorized and muscle powered quiet recreationopportunities.

Promote visitor appreciation of historical and cultural resources.

Coordinate management on the EMA with that of private land adjacent to it.

Work collaboratively with Cochise County to influence land planning on landsadjacent to the eastern side of the EMA.

Maintain wildlife corridors between the Huachuca EMA and (1) the SantaRita EMA, (2) the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, (3) thenorthern Sierra Madre Occidental, (4) Las Cienegas NCA, and (5) othersurrounding natural areas.

Adjacent Land Uses

Objectives Actions

Ecological Restoration

Objectives Actions

Nonextractive Uses

Objectives Actions

Roads/Transportation System

Objectives Actions

Work to implement the Fire Management Plan written by the Huachuca AreaFire Partners.

In the remaining mixed conifer and Madrean pine-oak woodland utilizemechanical thinning and prescribed fire to return these ecological systems totheir pre-fire suppression structure.

Restore the pine-oak and mixed conifer ecological systems to a resilientforest that tolerates wildfire, flood, and insect infestation and contains amosaic of habitat.

Restore natural disturbance regimes to promote naturally functioningecosystem processes.

Restore and maintain pre-fire suppression fire patterns and frequencies.

Prevent catastrophic stand-replacing wildfires.

Maintain the health and function of all watersheds.


Properly map the Brushy Peak and Mount Hughes Roadless Areas anddesignate them as protected roadless areas. Do not allow any road incursion orconstruction of new roads in these areas.

Manage 88,093 acres with outstanding wilderness characteristics to maintaintheir wilderness suitability. (See Figure 12.3 for a map of the area to bemanaged for wilderness suitability.)

Maintain the intact nature, and unfragmented habitat, of the Huachuca EMA.

Maintain lands with wilderness characteristics.

Maintain and enhance opportunities for primitive backcountry recreation.

Figure 12.3 Area Suitable for Wilderness and to be Managed for Wilderness Characteristics

Special Management Areas

Objectives Actions


RESEARCH NATURAL AREASResearch Natural Areas are special management

areas established to protect land in perpetuity asliving, learning centers for ecological research andecosystem restoration. They should include broadrepresentation of the ecological diversity that occurson the Forest. Two Research Natural Areas (RNA)currently exist in the Huachucas, Canelo Hills RNAand Elgin RNA.

Canelo Hills Research Natural Area

Elgin Research Natural AreaElgin Research Natural Area encompasses 600

acres comprised of National Forest, state and privatelands. The land is in the transition zone betweensouthwestern grasslands and oak savanna. Commonoaks in the area include Mexican blue oak, and Emoryoak. A diversity of grasses are present and include bluegramma, sideoats gramma, plains lovegrass and kanebeardgrass. Topography varies from relatively flatridges to rolling slopes. Part of the area is located onthe National Audubon Society Research Ranch atElgin.

SPECIAL INTEREST AREASSpecial Interest Areas are designated to protect

unique values including botanical, zoological,geological, historical, or scenic values. They may alsobe designated to protect and manage sensitive orimperiled species or other elements of biologicaldiversity. Special Interest Areas help the Forest Servicepreserve important historic, cultural and naturalaspects of our national heritage. The extraordinarycharacteristics of the Huachuca EcosystemManagement Area warrant the designation of two newSpecial Interest Areas, Scotia Canyon Zoological and

Botanical Area and Red Rock Canyon SpecialManagement Area.

Proposed Scotia Canyon Zoological and Botanical AreaScotia Canyon harbors perennial stream flow that

supports a variety of sensitive and imperiled species.The area encompasses unique seep, creek and Cienegahabitat that has high restoration potential andcontributes to the biological diversity of nativeriparian dependent species.

NAME: Scotia Canyon, Huachuca Mountains.Cochise County, Arizona

SIZE: 2,589 Acres

BOUNDARIES: Scotia Canyon Watershed aboveFR48. (See Figure 12.5)

ELEVATION: Approximately 5700 to 6400 feet

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF AREA: Scotia Canyon lieson the southwestern slope of the HuachucaMountains in the upper San Pedro River subwatershedat approximately 6,000 feet (see Project LocationMap). Uplands and slopes are characterized by oakand pine-oak woodlands, while the riparian bottomsupports Arizona sycamore, walnut, and willows. Thestream flows through approximately 1.5 miles of thecanyon. Stream flow is perennial where the canyon isconstricted, and ephemeral where the canyon hasgreater width.

Scotia Canyon is currently undergoing restorationwork. In cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, theU.S. Fish and Wildlife, Arizona Game and FishDepartment, The Nature Conservancy, and FortHuachuca, Sky Island Alliance developed a restorationplan to restore a more natural hydrological regime tothe canyon and remove bullfrog breeding sites.

Special Management Areas

Wilderness

Miller Peak WildernessMiller Peak Wilderness was designated through the

passage of the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984.Consisting of 22,228 acres, it encompasses some of themost rugged country in southern Arizona. TheWilderness area takes it name from Miller Peak, the

highest peak in the Huachuca range topping out at anelevation of 9,455 feet. Characterized by sheer cliffs,this area is known for large, intensive fires. Anastounding diversity of wildlife has been identifiedhere including 170 species of birds, 60 species ofreptiles and 78 species of mammals.

CURRENT USES: Scotia Canyon is actively grazedduring the winter by cattle as part of the CoronadoNational Forest’s Lone Mountain Allotment. Thecanyon is also popular with campers, hikers,birdwatchers, hunters, and off-highway vehicleenthusiasts. In recent years the canyon has receivedmuch use from undocumented immigrants,smugglers, and associated law enforcement (primarilyU.S. Border Patrol). The canyon also adjoins the U.S.Army’s Fort Huachuca, which has unique security andother management needs.

JUSTIFICATION FOR DESIGNATION: Scotia Canyoncontains a unique mid-elevation perennial spring,seep, creek and ciénega system. These types of SkyIsland region systems have been highly modified bywater diversion for human and livestock use, andmany that still retain some function are not perennial.

The canyon is particularly rich in sensitive species,including the federal endangered Huachuca waterumbel (Lilaeopsis schaffneriana var. recurva) andcritical habitat for this species; Huachuca springsnail(Pyrgulopsis thompsoni) — a candidate for federallisting under the Endangered Species Act; andMexican garter snake (Thamnophis eques), which hasbeen petitioned to be listed as a federal endangeredspecies and is an Arizona Game and Fish Department(AGFD) Species of Special Concern. The HuachucaMountain population of the Mountain treefrog (Hylawrightorum, a candidate for federal listing) breeds inScotia Canyon, is only known from a few sites, and isdisjunct from other populations in the Sierra MadreOccidental and on the Mogollon Rim. The federalthreatened Chiricahua leopard frog (Ranachiricahuensis) and federal endangered Sonora tigersalamander (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi) (both are


Figure 12.4 Scotia Canyon Proposed Zoological and Botanical Area


Figure 12.5 Scotia Canyon Proposed Zoological and Botanical Area

AGFD draft Species of Special Concern) inhabited thecanyon until recently. Restoration of habitat andreestablishment of Sonora tiger salamanders in ScotiaCanyon was recommended in the recovery plan forthe salamander (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2002).Scotia Canyon was also recommended as areestablishment site for Gila chub (Gila intermedia), afederal threatened species that is also on AGFD’s draftSpecies of Special Concern, and longfin dace (Agosiachrysogaster, Stefferud and Stefferud 2004). We believeScotia Canyon is also appropriate as habitat for thefederal endangered Canelo Hills ladies’ tresses(Spiranthes delitescens).

The Huachuca Mountains are unique and species-rich due to their location in the transition between theRocky Mountain species to the north and thesubtropical thornscrub and Sierra Madrean species tothe south. It is likely that plant and animal species willbe discovered at this site that reach their northernmost distribution making them rare in Arizona.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE USE: A livestockand wildlife water will be constructed on the ridge justsouth and above the perennial reach of the stream toreduce livestock use in the canyon bottom. A waterright exists for a small portion of spring flow fromSylvania Spring before it enters Peterson Tank; thisproposed special designation will not effect this waterright nor the right of way established to allow access tothe spring and waterline. With careful monitoring ofthe flood and drought cycles of the canyon, livestockcould be allowed in to help maintain some open waterto add diversity to the spring, cienega and streamhabitat. This small and fragile stream habitat shouldremain relatively secluded from the public and thegrowing local population recreating in the canyonshould be managed intensively. To control public usethe closure of motorized routes that cross the streamshould be seriously considered. Continued support forthe restoration plan and for long-term monitoring,maintenance, and management must be a priority inannual workplans and in long-term Forest Serviceplanning.


7 Opler, M. E. 1941. An Apache Life-Way: The economic,social, and religious institutions of the Chiricahua Indians.University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, London.

8 USFS. 1995.

9 Barnes, W. C. 1988. Arizona Place Names. The Universityof Arizona Press. Tucson, Arizona.

10 Marshall, R.M., D. Turner, A. Gondor, D. Gori, C.Enquist, G. Luna, R. Paredes Aguilar, S. Anderson, S.Schwartz, C. Watts, E. Lopez, P.Comer. 2004. An EcologicalAnalysis of Conservation Priorities in the Apache HighlandsEcoregion. Prepared by The Nature Conservancy ofArizona, Instituto del Medio Ambiente y el DesarrolloSustentable del Estado de Sonora, agency and institutionalpartners. 152 pp.

11 United States Bureau of Mines. 1994. Mineral Appraisalof Coronado National Forest, Part 7: Patagonia Mountains-Canelo Hills Unit. Intermountain Field Operations,Denver, Colorado. 62 p + Appendices.

1 Gimblett, R and C. Kahlow. 1997. Huachuca MountainRecreation and Associated Benefits of Leisure and NeedsAssessment Study. Coronado National Forest, Sierra VistaRanger District, USDA Forest Service, Challenge Cost-Share Program Final Report.

2 S. Wilbor. 2004. Huachuca Mountains a chapter in TheArizona Important Bird Area Program Catalog ofImportant Bird Areas. Tucson Audubon Society.

3 Reid, J., and S. Whittlesey. 1997. The Archeology ofAncient Arizona. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.

4 Wilson, J. P. 1995. Islands in the Desert: A History of theUplands of Southeastern Arizona. University of NewMexico Press, Albuquerque.

5 United States Forest Service. 1995. Land Use History ofthe San Rafael Valley, Arizona (1540-1960). GeneralTechnical Report RM-GTR-269. USDA Forest Service,Washinton D.C.

6 Thrapp, D. L. 1967. The Conquest of Apacheria.University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.

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