AZ Section SRM meeting Ft Huachuca, 14 Jan 2009 Sheridan Stone Wildlife Biologist

Transcription

1 Historical Overview of Vegetation Management on Fort Huachuca AZ Section SRM meeting Ft Huachuca, 14 Jan 2009 Sheridan Stone Wildlife Biologist 1

2 Fort Huachuca Vegetation 2

3 Fort Huachuca Soils 3

4 Fort Huachuca Military Reservation 73,142 ac East Reservation 28,544 ac West Reservation 44,598 ac 5,720 ac in housing, offices, training & ops facilities, airfield Domain use: Agency is land owner & land user 4

5 Establishment & frontier period 1877~1883: Military Reservation withdrawal & boundary changing 1881 & 1883 Exec Orders Strategically located in area of basin & range topography, but Site selected for natural resources: grass, water, wood 5

6 Establishment & frontier period (cont) Sawmill in Huachuca Canyon 1879 Not much saw timber railroad brought it in cheaper Wood cutting for heating & cooking Grazing: Army horses & mules, likley some private cattle First plant list for Fort Huachuca MAJ Timothy Wilcox; published 6

7 Establishment & frontier period (cont) 1879 photo 7

8 1880 Huachuca Canyon 8

9 1893 Huachuca Canyon 9

10 Homesteading & ranching period Some timber cutting Firewood cutting for cooking & heating Grazing: Army horses & mules, some cattle for dairy & beef Apache scout patrols for fire detection, trespass for unauthorized use of natural resources 10

11 Cavalry era & World Wars 11

12 Cavalry era & World Wars (cont) 1924, June 5 EO 4246 (Calvin Coolidge) transferred administration of the mountainous portion of Fort Huachuca from the Army to the Coronado NF & named Huachuca Ranger District, with the provision that the lands remain subject to the unhampered use of the War Department for purposes of National defense. 12

13 Cavalry era & World Wars (cont) 1929, July 1 Executive Order 5147 (Herbert Hoover) revoked the Coronado NF administration of the mountainous portion of Fort Huachuca that had been established by E.O

14 Cavalry era & World Wars 14

15 Cavalry era & World Wars 15

16 Cavalry era & World Wars 16

17 Cavalry era & World Wars 17

18 Cavalry era & World Wars (cont) 1930 Fort determined cattle grazing on Post was no longer compatible with military activities, and fencing would be installed to keep cows out CCC & WPA conservation activities: rock check dams for gully erosion likely boundary fencing 18

19 AGFD Wildlife Area PL 537 5/19/1948 authorized transfer of real property for wildlife & other purposes 1/26/ Fed Reg 355 Wildlife Order 2 Transfer of Portion of Fort Huachuca to the State of AZ Game & Fish Comm 1 st Vegetation map developed Wallmo Plant surveys Goodding Bison introduction: inc to 400 in 2 yrs Army reclaimed in

20 Cold War era East Range acquisition & end of ranching Grazing history early 1900s-1950s Start of natural resource management by the Army Wildlife & habitat mgmt Shrub treatment: topping mountain mahogany to stimulate palatable regrowth within reach of browse deer 20

21 Modern era (cont) Mesquite clearing: (200 ac) ~1965 Wildlife food plots - millet Fire: wildfire & prescribed burning Some post-fire conifer replanting at higher elevations Pilot study effects of fire on density of agave flower stalks 1990 Survey for sensitive plant species potentially on the fort 21

22 Integrated natural resource management Vegetation management for: wildlife habitat fire risk and fuel reduction watershed and vegetation cover rehab, &/or military training land management 22

23 Fire Frequency Map 23

24 Integrated natural resource management, cont. East Range Land rehabilitation: contour rootplowing lanes & reseeding through 1989 Watershed rehab to decrease erosion and off-post sedimentation Prescribed burning to reduce woody plants (e.g. mesquite, desert broom) not effective: fire doesn t carry well & heat release/ fire intensity insufficient to kill shrubs 24

25 Burning in light fuels 25

26 Integrated natural resource management, cont. Vegetation/habitat protection Agave Management Areas in grasslands (for Lesser long-nosed bat) & Agave Mgmt Plan burning allowable once per decade no tactical vehicles off the dirt roads no pyrotechnics or firing blanks w/in 0.25 mi of AMA 26

27 Integrated natural resource management, cont. Mexican Spotted Owl Protected Activity Centers, > 600 Ac of suitable habitat 11 PAC, covering 6279 Ac No treatments during breeding season (including some helipad maintenance) Critical Habitat for Endangered Huachuca Water Umbel 3.8 miles along Garden Cr 27

28 Protected vegetation/habitat 28

29 Lilium parryi Lemon Lily 29

30 Erigeron lemmonii Lemmon fleabane 30

31 Burning for archeology survey 31

32 Masticating invasive woody plants 32

33 Mastication of invasive woody plants 33

34 Mastication of invasive woody plants 34

35 Mastication of invasive woody plants 35

36 Mastication of invasive woody plants 36

37 Non-indigenous Invasive Plant Grassland Survey 37

38 Integrated Training Area Management Range Training Land Assessment Monitoring soil, vegetation & other natural resources that might be affected by military missions 38

39 Land Rehabilitation & Management road closures in training areas, signage, ripping roadbed, reseeding road improvement for tactical and test operations identifying prescribed burns for: risk reduction for training activities clearance for unexploded ordinance or cultural resources 39

40 Land Rehabilitation & Management (cont d) Fire prevention: no pyrotechnic use or firing blanks w/in 0.25 agave areas 40