www.skyislandaction.org 3-1State of the Coronado Forest - PDF document

www.skyislandaction.org 3-1State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 Douglas ANGERISTRICT DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-2www.skyislandaction.org www.skyislandaction.org 3-3State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 Dragoon Ecosystem Management Areadevelopment. Crossing Highway 80, one passesthrough another narrow strip of private land andenters the BLM-managed San Pedro RiparianNational Conservation Area. On the west side of theSan Pedro River, the valley (mostly under private andstate land jurisdiction) slopes up to the WhetstoneMountains, another Ecosystem Management Area ofthe Coronado National Forest.Due to the pattern of ecological damage andunmanaged visitor use in the Dragoons, we proposethe area be divided into multiple management units (3.2) with a strong focus on changing management inthe Dragoon Westside Management Area (DWMA). In order to limit overall impacts on the Westside, avisitor permit system with a cap on daily visitornumbers is recommended. The permit system wouldonly apply to the Westside Management Area, andtherefore would contribute to the goal of “multiple usemanagement” by providing opportunities for uses andexperiences that are being displaced elsewhere on theCoronado. The proposed DWMA is referred tothroughout the document due to the extensivemanagement concerns and proposed actions affectingthe area. Natural HistoryGeology of the Dragoon mountain range isstrikingly beautiful. Huge granite domes, deepcanyons, and layers of weathered cliffs and boulderfields baffle the mind’s depth perception. Large,crystallized, granitic domes resulting from complexgeologic activity — including 78 million-year-old“Stronghold Granite”— sit atop a layer of limestoneThe Dragoon Mountains are located at the heart ofthe Coronado National Forest. The Forestencompasses 52,411 acres of the mountains in an areasome 15 miles long by 6 miles wide. The DragoonEcosystem Management Area (EMA) is the smalleston the Forest making it sensitive to activitieshappening both on the Forest and in landssurrounding the Forest. Elevations range fromapproximately 4,700 feet to 7,519 feet at the summit ofMount Glenn. (See Figure 3.1 for an overview map ofthe Dragoon Ecosystem Management Area.)The Dragoons are approximately sixty milessoutheast of Tucson and thirty-five miles northeast ofSierra Vista. Land adjacent to the western boundary ofthe Management Area is privately owned and remainsrelatively remote and sparsely roaded compared to theeastern side. Until recently, there were only two housesalong this edge, ranch headquarters for the HorseRanch in west Stronghold Canyon, and the ThreeSisters Ranch in Granite Springs Canyon. Lands alongthe western edge are now being developed for housesand a resort. Two major residential developments arein progress on 19,700 acres adjacent to the west side ofthe Dragoons. Moving west from the Dragoons along SlavinGulch and Stronghold Canyon toward the San PedroRiver, one crosses a patchwork of state and privateland. These state lands are currently leased for grazingto the owners of the intervening private land but inthe future could be available for sale to the highestbidder, at which point they are opened to DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-4www.skyislandaction.org Figure3.1OverviewoftheDragoonEMA www.skyislandaction.org 3-5State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 Figure3.2DragoonEMAProposedManagementDistricts sea bottom. This limestone layer reaches the surfacesouth of Middlemarch Pass. When the porous layersof limestone came into contact with the impermeablelayers of granite, year-round springs and streams wereproduced. These springs feed several streams andcienegas throughout the range. The hard rocks at themountains’ core rise abruptly above the alluvial SanPedro Valley, through which winds the renowned SanPedro River. The bulk of the mountain range consistsof steep slopes and boulder fields. GIS slope analysisshows only about 3,000 acres (one-tenth) of the rangeto be less than 10% grade. Most of this flat land is in anarrow band at the base of the western cliffs. Soils inthe range are primarily decomposed granite; organiclayers easily eroded, leaving them thin and in someareas, and concentrated in rich swales and pocketselsewhere.Vegetation climbs from desertscrub and semidesertgrassland into encinal savanna and mixed pine-oakwoodland.Slavin Gulch and Stronghold Canyoncontain examples of the region’s distinctive Arizonacypress riparian forests. These are among the bestremaining stands of this tree and its floral and faunalassociates in the nation. In past eras, mighty forests ofArizona cypress were widely distributed throughoutthe region.These trees are now globally-rare,restricted to relict patches in wet, shady canyons. Incontrast encinal savanna and woodland, arewidespread at middle elevations in the Sky Islandregion. In the Dragoons these woodlands form animportant foundation for species diversity. Thegranite sand limestone soils in the range alsocontribute to biological diversity. In the MuleMountains, floral surveys found that granite slopes(like those of the northern Dragoons) had particularlystrong Madrean affinities, while limestone slopes (likethose of the southern Dragoons) tended to have ahigher percentageof plant species with Chihuahuanaffinities.The Dragoons contain some of the most intact,species-rich grasslands on the Coronado NationalForest. Grasslands and grass-dominated woodlands(“savannas”) once clothed some 45% of the Sky Islandregion, but loss of topsoil, desertification, and shrubencroachment have relegated classical open grasslandand savanna to ever smaller and more isolatedpatches. These grasslands were once so productivethat harvesting wild hay was a major industrythroughout the — including the eastern and westernflanks of the Dragoons — until the 1890s.The extentand health of grasslands was drastically reduced fromintensive livestock grazing of the late 1800s, thedrought of 1891-1893, and from subsequentovergrazing, fire suppression, and climate change.The amount of grassland encroached, and/orcompletely displaced by shrubs appears to have madeits biggest increases between 1900 and 1935. Theprocess of encroachment continues today, albeit at aslower pace. The gently sloping grassland areas foundalong the west flank of the Dragoons are among thebest modern-day representatives of this habitat type inall of Arizona and New Mexico. Nevertheless, shrubsin these savannas are growing progressively denser(compare the photos in Figures 3.3), and the lowerbajada slopes are now heavily dominated by mesquitesand creosote bush. The diverse Sky Island vegetation communities ofthe Dragoons are home to fifteen species ofthreatened, endangered, and officially “specialconcern” animals and plants. These include animalssuch as the Peregrine falcon, Chiricahua leopard frog,and various endemic cacti. Jaguars have reportedlybeen seen in the Dragoon Mountains as recently as1986 (specimen reportedly chased from Dragoons andkilled in Dos Cabezas). One ocelot was trapped on thewest side of the range in 1927.Human Prehistory and HistoryThe first solid archeological evidence of humanhabitation in this area shows Clovis hunters spearingmammoths in the San Pedro Valley — and doubtlessthe Dragoons foothills — by 9,000 years B.C.Nextcame the long occupancy of the Cochise Culture ofhunter-gatherers, eventual introduction ofdomesticated crop plants, and development of moredensely settled networks of farming peoples. In theselater times, the Dragoon Mountains sat near theconfluence of ranges for the Mogollon, Salado, andHohokam peoples that populated the region, possiblyas early as 200 A.D. and lasting in some form throughthe arrival of the Apache.History of extant cultures in the DragoonMountains dates back at least to the 1500s whenEuropeans first made contact with the Apache in thisregion.Boundaries of the Sky Island region coincidealmost perfectly with the known range of theChiricahua Apaches, with Chokonen (or Chiricahua),Bedonkohe, Chihenne, and Nedhni bands occupyingvarious subdivisions of the region.The Chokonen DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-6www.skyislandaction.org www.skyislandaction.org 3-7State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 Figure3.3ViewsofDragoonsWestSlope,1883and2002. DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-8www.skyislandaction.orgCochise was the chief of the Chokonen band ofChiricahua Apaches. After decades of skirmishes withMexican soldiers and settlers, 1858 marked Cochise’sfirst (peaceable) interactions with newly arriving whitesettlers and their military protectors. The peace endedin 1861, when soldiers captured and executed severalof Cochise’s relatives. This set off eleven years ofmutual violence between Anglos and Cochise’sApaches.During this time, Cochise and otherChokonen Apaches split time between the Dragoon,Chiricahua, and Peloncillo Mountains, as well asvarious sites south of the U.S.-Mexico border, andkept this area relatively free of settlers. In 1872 Br igadier General O. O. Howard, alongwith First Lieutenant J.A. Sladen, set out to makepeace with Cochise. Guided by Thomas Jeffords (theonly white man to befriend and become “bloodbrother” to Cochise), and joined later by Chie(Cochise’s nephew), and Ponce (Chie’s brother-in-lawand leader of a Chihenne band of ChiricahuaApache), they traced Cochise to his “stronghold”camp in the Dragoons. Making the long journey fromFort Tularosa in New Mexico, they were met on thewest side of the Dragoons by members of Cochise’sband, and led up a stream-filled gorge that, by Lt.Sladen’s description, could only be Slavin Gulch.Several days of meetings in this basin and in westStronghold Canyon marked one of the greatestaccomplishments in the region’s history. On October12, 1872, a peace treaty emerged between the U.S.Government andCochise. This treatygave the ChiricahuaApache a reservationthat included muchof their originalhomeland, andcomprised much ofcurrent-day CochiseCounty (Figure 3.4).The U.S.Governmentrescinded theChiricahuaReservationdesignation in 1876,after the death ofCochise.Abolishment of therange in particular was centered in the Dragoon,Chiricahua, Dos Cabezas, and Peloncillo Mountainson both sides of the present U.S.-Mexico border.compressed latitudinal and elevational gradients thatcharacterize the Sky Island region and the area’s highproductivity provided year-round hunting andgathering opportunities, which enabled ChiricahuaApaches to remain the only entirely non-agriculturalculture in the American Southwest during this era. Written history of the area began with Coronado’s1540 journey from Mexico City to the Zuni area ofNew Mexico. One proposed route has this epicjourney passing up the San Pedro River and along thewest side of the Dragoons. Coronado was followed bya series of explorers from Spain and Spanish-ruledMexico.Nevertheless, the resident Apaches managedto largely hold their own against first Spanish, thenMexican, and later U.S. armed forces and settlers forthe next 300 plus years.During recorded history, names for this range havereflected the changing domination of cultural groupsin the region. The current name for this range comesfrom Dragoon Pass at its north end, so named for theU.S. Army’s Dragoon regiment that manned manymilitary posts in the late 1850s.With the GadsdenPurchase of 1854, the Dragoons and surrounding areabecame part of the United States. American-mademaps have labeled this range the Dragoon Mountainssince the late 1860s. The range was previously referre to as the “Sierra de laPeñascosa,” meaning avery rugged, rockyrange. Older Apachemountains are not inany of the majorpublished accounts ofthe area’s history, butethnographerGrenville Goodwin’snotes report ApachesTsidahólkaiCochise’s DragoonMountains stronghold.Well-known historyof Apaches in the DragoonMountains dates back tothe mid-1800s, when designated in 1872, rescinded in 1876 Figure3.4ChiricahuaApacheReservationas reservation seems to have been related to severalcomplex factors.Continued Apache raids in Sonora(some clearly based from the Chiricahua Reservation)strained U.S.-Mexico relations, and added fuel to theongoing arguments of Anglo Americans such asGeneral George Crook that the U.S. Army shouldconquer and subjugate the Chiricahua Apaches.Across the west, the government had begun a policy ofconcentrating Indians on as few reservations aspossible to increase control over the Indians, to reducecosts of managing reservations, and to free up landsfor white settlers. Previous attempts to force allChiricahua Apaches on reservations with eitherWestern Apaches (distant relatives) or MescaleroApaches (with whom they maintained closerrelations) had failed, but many government officialsstill wanted this type of consolidation. Cochise’sunusually strong leadership skills enabled him tonegotiate effectively for his tribe’s own reservation in traditional homeland, free from subjection toU.S. military control. His consolidation of power thenenabled him to maintain peaceful relations in the U.S.by largely controlling the raiding and warfare of otherApache bands on and around the reservation.When Cochise died, some U.S. leaders sawweakening of centralized power as an opportunity toforce relocation. They also found pretexts for thismove — no subsequent leader was able to control theactions of a few errant individuals, some who killed anearby shopkeeper and his associate (who bore someresponsibility for their own whisky-borne deaths) andtriggered Army action. U.S. Indian agent John PhilipClum, head of the White Mountain/San CarlosApache Reservation, spearheaded the push to dissolvethe Chiricahua Reservation, and forcibly removed theChiricahua Apaches in 1876. This eventually led to thebreakout of many Chiricahua warriors and to theArmy’s long, frustrating endeavor to captureGeronimo. For the next ten years Geronimo led manyraids in the region, occasionally camping in theDragoons. Geronimo surrendered on September 6,1886, in the nearby Peloncillo Mountains, endingseveral centuries of warfare between Apaches and theEuropeans and Americans that entered theirFrom the peace treaty of 1872 onwards, Anglo-American settlements expanded throughout theregion. This expansion has been attributed to theinterdependent forces of (1) successive subjugation ofthe Apaches, (2) the 1881 arrival of the railroad, (3)development of silver and copper mines in Tombstoneand Bisbee respectively, and (4) a boom in the cattleindustry.The Dragoons were no exception to thesetrends. In the early 1880s, this cattle boom broughthundreds of thousands of cattle into Cochise Countymost of these were in the San Pedro and SanSimon valleys, west and east of the Dragoons. After1876, several ranches were headquartered in theDragoons themselves (see examples below). The firstDragoon mine, the Silver Cloud, began operatingaround 1879, presumably in the area of BlackDiamond Peak. Over the decades that followed, anetwork of small-scale mines achieved modestproduction levels of base-metal ores, gold, silver, andlater marble.The Dragoons also shared in theregion-wide erosive downcutting, soil loss, andmassive livestock die-offs of the early 1890s. This crisiswas brought on by the combined influx of huge cattleherds into the area — estimated to include over amillion animals in Arizona — and crippling droughtfrom 1891-1893.The personal histories of two well-known DragoonMountain area residents, William Fourr and JonathanA. Rockfellow, reflect trends in Anglo settlement. Bothhave left visible legacies here. Billy Fourr was born onJuly 11, 1843, in Prairie Home, Missouri.He spentmost of his younger years working as a cattle herderand miner, heading gradually further towards thesouthwest. In 1878, Fourr and his family settled in thewest side of the Dragoon Mountains, where he starteda cattle ranch. Fourr also did a small amount ofprospecting, which in later years developed intoworking silver, copper, lead, and gold mines. Fourr’s1400-acre Fourr-F Ranch prospered until his death onJanuary 9, 1935, at which time he was known asArizona’s oldest pioneer. Fourr’s compatriot John Rockfellow followed asimilar trajectory. Born in 1858 in Mt. Morris, N.Y.,Rockfellow came to Arizona at the age of twenty,where he helped open the Tombstone Mine.Rockfellow worked as a prospector until he hadenough money in 1893 to establish his ranch inCochise Stronghold. During the seventy years he livedin southeastern Arizona, Rockfellow was Justice of thePeace and Cattle Inspector for the town of Willcox,headed the University of Arizona’s preparatorydepartment, and maintained an office in Tombstoneas a surveyor and civil engineer. He died on May 16,www.skyislandaction.org 3-9State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 1948 at the age of ninety.His name has remainedattached to one of the range’s most prominentfeatures, Rockfellow Dome, and his large collection ofpapers (deposited at the Arizona Historical Society)doubtless contain many unexcavated narrativetreasures. Rockfellow’s East Stronghold ranch houseremains a prominent structure in that canyon. Management of the bulk of the Dragoons soonbecame the province of the federal government. The1890s saw the creation of a nationwide system of“forest reserves,” partly in response to destruction ofwatersheds by free-for-all timber cutting in the easternUnited States. The Dragoons were incorporated intothis system in 1903, while some inholdings remainedprivate land. In 1907, the Dragoon Forest Reservemanagement merged with that of the Peloncillo andAnimas Forest Reserves. In 1910, the Dragoonsbecame part of the Chiri cahua National Forest andremained so until 1917, when the all of southeasternArizona’s federal forest parcels were merged in to theCoronado National Forest. Grazing practicescontinued on these now-public lands. The 1934 TaylorGrazing Act eventually attempted to regulate ongoingwatershed damage from overgrazing and to stabilizethat part of the livestock industry that depended onpublic land forage.Small-scale mining activitycontinued into the 1960s but has subsided since. 26 However, interest in mineral withdrawal has recentlyincreased and there is currently a proposed alpha-calcite mine threatening the northern slopes of therange. The west slope of the Dragoons retains visiblereminders of its complex historical and cultural legacy.Council Rocks, sometimes said to be where the 1872peace treaty was signed, has a road sign and trailerected by the Coronado. In fact, the treaty was signedto the north of here,but this could have been the siteof much of the negotiations that led to the treaty.Pictographs, ruins, and grinding stones are scatteredthroughout the rock outcroppings along this westslope. Abandoned mines are scattered throughout therange, including one visible in the high bluffs aboveSlavin Creek. The “Whitehouse Ruin,” which appearsto be remainders of an 1880s ranch house, can be seennear the mouth of west Stronghold Canyon, and hasattracted considerable interest due to a case ofmistaken identity. An article in Arizona Highwaysidentified this house as belonging to New York’sinfamous fraudulent politician William M. “Boss”Tweed In fact, Boss Tweed never lived in Arizona; healso died in 1878, thus apparently pre-dating thebuilding of the house. Ranchers Henry A. and HattieK. Tweed (no relation to Boss) did, however, live in thearea, and this house may well have belonged to them. ElementsofBiologicalDiversityandCulturalHeritage DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-10www.skyislandaction.orgThe Dragoon 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 Dragoon EcosystemManagement Area. The Forest Service identified 48species of plants and animals including 4 Threatenedor Endangered species, along with other speciesdetermined to be Species of Concern or Species ofInterest due to management issues (Table 3.1).Threeof the mollusks listed here are believed by the ForestService to be found no where else on the Forest. Theseinclude Teasing Holospira, Apache Talussnail andStronghold Canyon Talussnail.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 would www.skyislandaction.org 3-11State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 Figure3.5EcologicalSystemsoftheDragoonEMA DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-12www.skyislandaction.org Table 3.2 Foundations of Native BiologicalDiversity“Potential Natural Vegetation Types” (bold) as theycorrespond with The Nature Conservancy’s “EcologicalSystems”Desert CommunitiesChihuahuan Desert ScrubMadrean Encinal WoodlandMadrean EncinalMadrean Pine-oak WoodlandMadrean pine-oak WoodlandPiñon-Juniper WoodlandPiñon-Juniper WoodlandSemi-desert GrasslandsApachean Grassland and SavannahApachean Riparian GrasslandOther Vegetation TypesArizona cypress riparian forestGrasslands dominated by native grass speciesPhysiographic FeaturesGranitic domes Limestone outcroppings Rana chiricahuensisInsectsOligocentria delicataChoeronycteris mexicanaGastrocopta prototypusHolospira ferrissiHolospira tantalusSonorella apacheSonorella dragoonensisSceloporus sleviniAcacia millefoliaApacheria chiricahuensisBouteloua parryiCarex ultraErigeron arisoliusEriogonum arizonicumFraxinus papillosaHexalectris spicata var. arizonicaMammillaria heyderi varmacdougaliiMargaranthus solanaceusPellaea ternifolia . arizonicaPenstemon superbusPerityle dissectaPhoradendron bolleanum Plagiobothrys pringleiRhamnus crocea . pilosaScutellaria tessellataWoodsia cochisensisChiricahua Leopard FrogA Notodontid MothMexican Long-tongued BatSonoran SnaggletoothStocky HolospiraTeasing HolospiraApache TalussnailStronghold Canyon TalussnailSlevin's Bunchgrass LizardMilfoil AcaciaParry's GrammaCochise SedgeArid Throne FleabaneArizona Wild-buckwheatCrested CoralrootLittle Nipple CactusNetted GlobeberryThree-leaved CliffbrakeSuperb BeardtongueRough MistletoePringle's Popcorn-flowerRedberry BuckthornHuachuca Mountains SkullcapCochise WoodsiaTable 3.1 Species Identified by the ForestService to Guide Management Decisions Human PrehistoryPictographs and petroglyphsHuman HistoryCouncil RocksDragoon SpringsSmall, abandoned minesWhitehouse RuinSite of ambush of Mexican troops by Cochise and followersSocial ValuesOpportunities for solitude and primitive recreationOpportunities for quiet recreationTable 3.4 www.skyislandaction.org 3-13State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 dominate a site under natural disturbance regimesand biological processes. Using this classificationallows current vegetation to be compared effectively toits historical range of variation. Because PotentialNatural 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 3.2). Although there are many fine variations inplant communities on the Dragoon EcosystemManagement Areas, ecological systems classify plantcommunities into broader groups so as to be mostuseful for management 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.Figure 3.5 shows the distribution ofecological systems in the Dragoons. Through contactwith regional scientists and experts, and other peoplefamiliar with the Dragoons, we identified ecologicalsystems, physiographic features, additional species andcultural resources that should also be considered inthe 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 NationalForest; or are harvested for economic interests. Thesespecies may not be adequately protected by managingfor ecological systems and may require specificmanagement actions or monitoring. Table 3.3 listsadditional species whose needs should be assessedduring plan revision. The Dragoon Mountains contains a wealth ofprehistoric and historic influences. Visible andphysical remnants of previous human habitation ofthe area include built structures, physical sites, orobjects or assemblages of material culture. Humanuses of the land compatible with the protection ofbiological diversity, and traditional Western Apacheuses of the land are also an important part of theCultural Heritage of the area (Table 3.4). Callipepla squamataCorynorhinus townsendiipallescensMyotis thysanodesPanthera oncaCoryphantha scheeri var. validaEpithelantha micromerisGraptopetalum bartramiiLupinus lemmoniiPenstemon discolorSclerocactus erectocentrusPlains Leopard FrogPale Lump-nosed BatFringed MyotisScheer's Pincushion CactusPing-Pong-Ball Button CactusPatagonia Mountain Leather-PetalLemmon's LupineWright's Prickly-PearCatalina BeardtongueAcuna CactusTable 3.3 Additional Species that RequireSpecial Management Consideration Management VisionThe Dragoon EMA shall retain its long-termbiological, cultural, historical, recreational, andaesthetic values in the face of changing human useand dynamic ecological cycles. Within the range, theDragoon Westside Management Area (see Figure 3.2for map of proposed management area) will bemanaged for low-intensity use, to provide high-quality backcountry experience to users and to protectits unique natural and cultural resources. Suchmanagement will complement higher-use areaselsewhere in the range.Traditions of use become established that arecompatible with the health of the land and that reduceconflicts among users. Management of this area forlow-intensity helps the Forest Service fulfill itsmultiple use mandate. Impacts associated with roads are reduced andstabilized. Illegal, user-created roads and redundantroads are closed and revegetated, and all remainingroads have clear purposes that are balanced againsttheir associated impacts.  Hiking opportunities are enhanced in both extentand quality, with improved interpretive materials. Rock climbing impacts are reduced via educationaloutreach and active management of numbers andclimbing routes. Impacts of commercial and otherlarge group activities are acknowledged, and theseactivities are redirected to less sensitive areas in othermountain ranges. Equestrian impacts are reduced and opportunitiesfor equestrian day-use are enhanced and adequatelyThe Slavin grazing allotment in Stronghold andSlavin Canyons is voluntarily retired leading toimproved infiltration of water into the soil andpercolation into the San Pedro aquifer, and reductionof erosion of topsoil and sedimentation. Allotmentretirement provides opportunities for researchers andother users to compare grazed and ungrazed habitatsin the range. Increases in grass density improveshabitat for native grazer populations.The watershed of the Slavin Gulch drainage isestablished as a Research Natural Area. Designation ofthis RNA attracts attention of potential researchers,and helps fulfill the Forest Service’s mandate to haveall major ecosystem types present on the Coronadorepresented in RNAs. Wildlife monitoring transects provide feedback onmovement patterns of target species, and the factorsthat affect these movements.The area maintains its historical habitat structure,in part to benefit wildlife of the region and in part toaccurately reflect conditions during the area’shistorical heyday in the mid to late 1800s.The gently-sloping grassland areas found alongportions of the west flank of the Dragoons remainamong the best representatives of this habitat type inRegion 3 of the National Forest. This area thuscontinues to provide habitat for grassland-dependentspecies imperiled by loss of habitat elsewhere.Maintenance of open savanna structure also conveysto visitors an accurate sense of what the area was likeduring the mid to late 1800s, its most importanthistorical and cultural era. Maintenance of opensavannah structure also enables visitors an ecologicallyaccurate experience of what the area was like duringthe historical and cultural era of the mid to late 1800s. Spread of invasive species, both native and exotic, isreduced. Invasive exotics are eliminated wherepossible, and new invasions are actively deterred. DesiredConditions DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-14www.skyislandaction.org ConservationAssetsConservation assets work on behalf of desiredconditions and against the threats to the ecologicaland cultural elements of the Dragoons. They willcontribute to the Forest Service’s ability to maintainecological sustainability on the Management Area.The following emerged as strengths and opportunitiesfor conservation on the Dragoon EcosystemManagement Area.Dragoon Conservation AllianceThe Dragoon Conservation Alliance is a group ofconcerned citizens from northern Cochise Countyand interested persons around the world. TheAlliance is a member of the Arizona Mining ReformCoalition and works in cooperation with Earthworks,Westerners for Responsible Mining, Sky IslandAlliance, the Amerind Foundation, and the CoronadoPlanning Partnership. The Alliance is dedicated topreserving the Dragoon Mountains for present andfuture generations. The group has been active inaddressing potential threats from mineral explorationand reopening of mines in the area. It also participatesin landscape-level planning to encourage responsiblegrowth.Immediately adjacent to the proposed DragoonWestside Management Area is the Dragoon MountainRanch (DMR), which encompasses some 18,000 acresof private lands and controls grazing lease and accessto approximately 26,000 acres of state land. DMR iszoned for “rural development” at minimum lot size of36 acres per home; most lots are somewhat larger thanthis. The current build-out phase includes some 400lots; most of these are sold, but DMR estimates thatfull build-out will take 40 years (only a dozen or sohouses have been built to date). An adjacent CouncilRocks Land and Cattle Co. property of 15,000 acres isslated for either low-density housing (lots 36 acres)or retention as open space in the next phase ofdevelopment.DMR planners have been actively involved inmitigating impacts of their development in severalways. DMR has taken conservation easement on some1,000 acres, including 1,100-foot “conservationgreenbelt” buffers along Slavin and Strongholddrainages. To decrease impacts on wildlife movementand retain a sense of open space for residents, DMRcovenants prohibit fencing of more than 5 acres ofeach property; domestic animals are required to bekept within this fenced area. The Dragoon MountainHomeowners Association and the Drylands Institutehave also begun addressing the very real threats ofspreading exotic species, including educationaloutreach for homebuyers on the values of plantingnative flora. Most of these studies have dealt withsomewhat higher housing densities, but have shownthat some wildlife species are affected by developmentat much greater distances than others.DMR’s particular mitigation efforts remains to beMost of the interior of this range remainsunroaded, largely due to its extremely rugged nature.Federal RARE II (Roadless Area Review andEvaluation) analysis identified approximately 33,000acres, of roadless acreage north of MiddlemarchPass.Recent (2000-2002) SIA road inventoriesmapped the current edges of these roadless areas.These carefully mapped boundaries enclose 35,324roadless acres. Sky Island Alliance and Coronado National ForestCollaborative Road ClosuresSky Island Alliance and the Coronado NationalForest have worked to reduce the proliferation ofillegal roads, and to close and revegetate illegal andredundant roads in ecologically sensitive areas. Thefirst road closure and restoration in the DragoonMountains took place in Slavin Canyon in Novemberof 1999 and turned 1.5 miles of canyon-bottom roadinto hiking and equestrian trail. In March of 2001, anadditional six roads (2.1 miles) were closed andrestored. By 2002 the total number of closed, re-vegetated roads reached 9 (6.7 miles). March of 2002saw follow-up revegetation work and re-closure of oneroad segment (687g) at a better natural pinch-pointafter previous closures were breached. Since then, allrigorously closed sections have remained closedalthough informal closure and revegetation attemptson the tracks to China Peak have been repeatedlybreached. Roadbed revegetation success has beenstriking across the closed segments (Figures 3.6A andwww.skyislandaction.org 3-15State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 The Dragoon Ecosystem Management Area haschanged dramatically since the Coronado NationalForest Plan was enacted in 1986. Managementconcerns and threats exist in the Dragoons that arenot addressed in the Forest Plan, or have not beenadequately dealt through management. The planrevision will update existing management directionand add new management direction,both of which should address theseconcerns. For most of the last 100 years, theDragoon Ecosystem ManagementArea has experienced relatively littlehuman use. Historically far from anysizeable population centers, and offthe beaten path of all major usergroups, Forest managers have longbeen justified in paying little attentionto the area. Over the last twenty years,use has increased exponentially. Thearea has been discovered by rockclimbers and other recreationists, thelocal and regional populations havegrown rapidly, other nearbyrecreation areas have becomecongested with users or subject to newuse regulations, and the motorizedrecreation industry has proliferatedthroughout the country. The DragoonEMA is no longer a backcountry sitewith few management needs. Particularly in the proposedDragoon Westside Management Area,use has become a chaotic, unregulatedfree-for-all. In order to highlight theneed for creating the specialmanagement area, threats that affectthe westside area are treated separatelyin the site-specific threats section. As amultiple use area, the west side of theDragoon EMA is utilized by manypeople engaged in a variety ofactivities. These include driving ofoff-road vehicles, camping, hiking, bird watching, rockclimbing, livestock grazing, hunting, equestrian use,mountain biking, and cultural and historical tourism.Management implications of these activities arediscussed below. Unless management in the Dragoons,particularly on the west side, is changed, impacts will ThreatstotheForest:ANeedforChange DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-16www.skyislandaction.org Figure3.6BSlavinGulchRoadafterclosure,March2000(Right track shows areas with, versus without revegetation.) Figure3.6ASlavinGulchRoadimmediatelybeforeclosure, November 1999 continue to intensify until they reach a crisis state andcause extensive conflicts among users. Understandingthe current status and impacts of various activities is afirst step in this process of responsible updating ofADJACENT LAND USESLand is currently being developed along thewestern, northern, and eastern boundaries of theDragoon Ecosystem Management Area. Two majorresidential developments arebeing constructed alongthe west side of the mountains. Immediately adjacentto the proposed DWMA is the Dragoon MountainRanch, which encompasses 18,000 acres of privatelands and controls grazing lease and access toapproximately 26,000 acres of state land. This land iszoned for “rural development,” with a minimum lotsize of 36 acres per home. The current build-out phaseincludes some 400 lots; most of these are sold, but fullbuild-out is estimated at 30 years. An adjacent CouncilRocks Land and Cattle Company property of 15,000acres is slated for either low-densit�y housing (lots 36acres) or retention as open space in the next phase ofdevelopment.The 1,700-acre Bachmann Springs property, justsouth of Middlemarch Road and very close to the westside of the EMA, has been rezoned to allow fordevelopment of higher-density residences and a largeresort complex. Over 1,000 homes are slated, at morethan one home per acre, along with a 400-room resorthotel, an 18-hole golf course, and 700 acres planned asopen space. Construction on this develop just begun. The magnitude of this plan, along with astated intent to run tours on nearby National Forest, kes for substantial foreseeable impacts. In addition,plans to pave Middlemarch Road from Highway 80 towithin a mile of the EMA boundary is virtuallyguaranteed to increase visitation pressure on theproposed DWMA and areas south of MiddlemarchPass. Impacts from these developments include:Impactson wildlife composition and movement viaactivities of loose or feral domesticated animalsIncreases in unmanaged visitation from resort-sponsored tours, people entering the Forest fromadjacent development, a planned equestrian center,and paved roadsLoss of grazing practices that keep land open withless damage to wild ecosystems than housingdevelopmentsAffected resources include: geological features,springs, ephemeral watercourses, scenic resources,eastside and Westside drainages, all ecological systems,all native vegetation types and their associated floraand fauna, species particularly sensitive to directhuman disturbance, prehistoric and historical sites,structures, and artifacts.The rise in visitation to the west side of theDragoons reflects increased publicity and humanpopulation growth in surrounding towns and cities.Figures 3.7 and 3.8 show overall population growth inCochise County from year 1900 to 2000 at ten yearintervals. The subsequent table shows overallpopulation growth for seven specific towns or citiesfor 1990 and 2000. At the current growth rate(averaged over the past four decades), the populationof Cochise County would double in the next 25 years. Impacts from an increasing human population inthe area include increases in unmanaged visitationand will likely affect the entire Ecosystemwww.skyislandaction.org 3-17State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 Figure3.7OverallPopulationGrowth of Cochise County Figure 3.8 Overall population growth ofCochise County from 1990 to 2000PercentTown/City19902000 growthBenson3,8244,71123%Bisbee6,2886,090-03%Huachuca City1,7821,751-02%Sierra Vista City32,98337,77515%Sierra Vista Southeast9,23714,34855%St. David1,4681,74419%Tombstone1,2201,50423%Whole Cochise County97,624117,75521% Management Area, although there is currently aconcentration of impacts in the proposed DWMA.Affected resources include all those listed for LandDevelopment.EXTRACTIVE USESLivestock GrazingLivestock grazing has been present in the DragoonMountains for some 130 years, at varying levels ofintensity and under many different managementregimes. With the exception of occasional rangeconservationists’ cursory measurements of forageusage levels, impacts of grazing have never beenformally studied in this range.Particularly obvious cattle impacts have beenconcentrated in riparian areas and grasslands at thebase of the mountain. Negative impacts of poorlymanaged livestock grazing on arid ecosystems are, bynow, both well documented and contentious. INVASIVE SPECIESLehmann lovegrass(Eragrostis lehmannianawhich was introduced for erosion control and cattleforage is found on the EMA. It is known to form solidstands that displace native grass species, and continuesto spread.Lehmann lovegrass is also known toprovide lower quality habitat for some native bird andlizard species than do native grass species.diverse stands of native grass on the west side of theDragoons are threatened by potential establishment ofLehmann lovegrass which can be prevented or slowedby appropriate management. Bullfrog invasion via human-created water sourcesboth on and off the Forest will lead to competitionwith and predation on native species. Affected isChiricahua leopard frog.NONEXTRACTIVE USESCampsite ProliferationThe area along FR687 (including its various spurroads) is currently lined with rustic campsites that donot have toilets, piped water or other constructedfacilities. A developed campground on the east side ofthe mountains serves the users that prefer constructedamenities. Most campsites found on the west side ofthe EMA were established by visitors rather than byForest Service planners and few have any indicationsof defined boundaries.Threats in this area include theunmanaged creation of more and larger campsites.Surveys conducted by Sky Island Alliance in 1998found twenty-one recognizable campsites alongFR687. Since then, this number has more thandoubled, with a total of forty-eight as of surveysconducted in March of 2002 (Figures 3.9 and 3.10).Nineteen of these were created since a Forest Servicecampsite baseline survey was completed 2001. Severalof the sites created since 2000 are large pull-throughcampsites created by bus-sized recreational vehicles ortrucks pulling trailers with horses or ORVs. The overall size of many existing campsites hascontinued to grow over time as well. This expansion isparticularly evident in sites that have been used bygroup recreational programs such as NOLS (NationalOutdoor Leadership School), which have turnedsingle-tent sites into multi-acre networks of tent padsand trails.The user-created c ampsites vary in the amount andtype of use each represents (see CNF report 2001).Overall, however, they have clearly visible evidence ofimpacts on the landscape, which include:Nearby trees and slopes bare of dead and downedwoodLive branches, or entire trees cut for firewood Deposition of trash, including human wasteCreation of access trails to and from campsites Indiscriminate footpaths and off-road vehicle trackslead up steep hillsides and eroding gulliesTrampling of vegetation and soil compactionThin granitic soils visibly compacted DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-18www.skyislandaction.org Figure3.9CampsiteProliferation with YearsDivided into Quarters. www.skyislandaction.org 3-19State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 Figure3.10CampsiteProliferationontheDragoonEMA DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-20www.skyislandaction.orgConspicuous zones of bare ground due to repeattramplingVulnerability of bare, continually disturbed areas toinvasive speciesSubsequent use of bare areas as established parkingor camping areas (which prevents reestablishment ofvegetationHiking and Foot TravelAlthough remarkably few hiking trails exist in thisEMA, pedestrian use has been steadily increasing overthe past few decades. Most currently obvious off-trailhiking impacts are associated with rock climbing sites,campsites, and areas used by group programs; theseare discussed in their corresponding sections. Impactsfrom heavy foot traffic include:Widening and degradation of trailsContamination of soil and water by human wastesIntroduction of alien plant seedsClashes between wildlife and humans, and betweenwildlife and unleashed dogs Rock ClimbingThe Dragoon Mountains have become well knownfor their challenging and scenic rock climbing,particularly in the Rockfellow Dome and Sheepsheadareas. Climbers have taken part in the forming of newroads and campsites, as well as in the establishment ofclimber trails to access specific climbs. The terrainfound directly below some of these climbs shows highlevels of trampling and erosion. Climbing itself canhave significant effects on vegetation and wildlifehowever, no monitoring of such impacts has beendone in this range.Over the last decade, climbing in parts of theDragoons has been restricted during the nestingseason (February 15-June 30) of the cliff-nestingPeregrine falcon. With the recovery of peregrinepopulations and removal from the EndangeredSpecies list, lifting of these restrictions has beendiscussed, but management agencies have decided toerr on the side of caution and leave restrictions inplace for the time being. Impacts from unrestrictedrock climbing include:Creation of new roads, campsites, and “climbertrails”Soil compaction and erosionDamage to vegetation and wildlife on rock facesAffected resources include: granitic domes,limestone outcroppings, all ecological systemsadjacent to climbing cliffs, all native vegetation typesand their associated flora and fauna in vicinity ofclimbing activity, species especially sensitive to directhuman disturbance, and the Peregrine falcon.Cultural and Historical TourismVisitors come to the Dragoons from across the U.S.and from overseas to experience the sites where somuch important American history played out, and toput themselves into the stage of stories many haveheard and read since childhood. Many of these visitorsstay in the developed campground in East StrongholdCanyon, or in nearby towns, but some use campsitesin this management area. The trail that accesses thehistorical Council Rocks site obviously receivesconsiderable foot traffic, and yet is poorly delimitedand has little interpretive information. The influx oftourists to Karchner Caverns may also be overflowingacross the valley to the Dragoons. There is no systemin place to assess numbers of visitors or to record whatmotivations bring them to the area. Impacts of thesevisitors are likely much the same as for other users(e.g. increased road traffic, campsite proliferation).Equestrian UseSignificant equestrian use in the Dragoons is fairlynew to the area and has notably increased in recentyears. Some users are likely coming in from nearbyproperties along the west side, and at least one set ofequestrian users is brought by a commercial tourenterprise, WTE Travel. Plans for the BachmannSprings development include an equestrian centerwith opportunities for trail rides to historical sites inthe Dragoons. One major threat from equestrian useis the introduction of exotic, invasive species throughhorse feed and feces. Range fed horses entering theDragoons from adjacent properties may not be muchof a risk, but will still increase the likelihood thatexotics established off the Forest would be spread intothis management area. Presence of Lehmann lovegrassseeds in the horses’ feces could accelerate invasion ofnative grass stands. The spread of exotic invasiveweeds through horse feed and feces,which has beenso well documented in other parts of the country, hasoften been addressed by agencies requiring the use ofcertified weed-free feed before and during a horse’s presence in a given management areas (e.g. most ofUSFS Region 1). Establishment of alien seeds inriparian areas is particularly detrimental because theseareas are subject to less climatic extremes which tendto prevent exotic plants from establishing in otherarea. Such impacts need to be more activelymonitored in any area receiving significant equestrianuse. The proper place of equestrian use in thelandscape needs to be addressed directly. Impacts arising from horse trailers driving offroads include the conversion of relatively bare areas topermanent campsites which become denuded andcontinue to expand in size. Tethering of horses topicket lines and confining horses to small portablecorrals is creating areas where the ground has beentrampled to bare dust.Continued unmanaged equestrian use of the areawill contribute to increased erosion and soilcompaction on trailsand trampling problems offdesignated trails.Special Use PermitsSpecial use permits are required for all commercialgroups using the National Forest and for non-commercial groups over 50 people. The CoronadoForest has provided records of special use permitsonly as far back as 1997. There appear to be gaps inthis information; including the omission of at leastone commercial climbing group known to have aspecial use permit, and at least one actively-advertisingtour group that may or may not have the requiredpermits. Nevertheless, National Forest records show2,518 special use permit user-days approved for theDragoon Ecosystem Management Area in 1997, risingto 3,625 user-days approved in 2002. Rock climbing-focused groups (NOLS and Colorado OutwardBound) account for 2,068 of these user-days per yearsince 1997, and equestrian groups increased from 100user-days in 1997 to 235 user-days in 2002. number of equestrian users has certainly increasedsubstantially since. These numbers of commercialvisitors translates into heavy advertisement forrecreation in an area in which indiscriminant use isalready taking an unmistakable toll on the landscape.This is compounded by a lack of monitoring of groupnumbers and impacts.Impacts from the high number of special use user-days permitted include:  Direct impacts of repeat visits by large groups in thissmall area, e.g. campsite proliferation discussed above  Overall increase in visitor use resulting from theintroduction of so many people, and subsequentlytheir acquaintances, to the area Granting of special-use permits (e.g., forcommercial rock climbing, orienteering) beyondcarrying capacityAffected resources include those listed for campsiteproliferation.Wildcat TrailsWildcat, or user-created trails, are a major problemin the Dragoons, particularly in the proposed Westsideand Eastside Management Districts. The majority oftrails are created by equestrian users (Westside) androckclimbers (East and Westside). The numeroustrails created by rockclimbers are to access rock faceson the edges of the Forest, as well as remote interiorlocations. These have resulted from both commercialand non-commercial use.Equestrian use has become very heavy recently andhas resulted in many impacts, which have been listedabove. On the Westside, this use has resulted in a mazeof trails, with disastrous results. Miles of trails havebeen created, many on steep slopes. This combinedwith the highly erosive nature of the decomposedgranitic soils found here, is doing tremendousresource damage. Trails rapidly become trenches onsteep slopes, which leads to the creation of even moreparallel roads, which then become erosive trenches. Allcommercial equestrian use on this DragoonEcosystem Management Area should be banned. Non-commercial equestrian use on much of this rangeshould be restricted to existing roads, or designatedequestrian trails that are located in areas to minimizeimpact. Some roads that would be closed during theTravel Management process could be converted toequestrian trails. ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMJust west of Middlemarch Pass, FR687 heads off tothe north, skirting the western slopes. A few milesfurther east, FR697 climbs from Middlemarch Roadup into the high-elevation basin of Gordon Camp,and FR345A climbs from Middlemarch Pass intoChina Camp. Several small spurs from 687 and 697,which access campsites, trails, and grazing-relatedstructures, are also designated and signed. Chinawww.skyislandaction.org 3-21State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-22www.skyislandaction.org Figure3.11MapofDragoonWestsidewildcatroadsandtrails Camp road FR345a lies mostly within the East sidemanagement area, but ends within the Slavin Canyonwatershed in the proposed DWMA. Upper reaches ofthis road are addressed here. Gordon Camp and China Camp roads FR697 and354a penetrate the heart of this small range anddespite apparent low usage, threaten to compromisethe integrity of the EMAs central roadless area if off-road abuses increase.Despite Forest Service signsstating off-road driving is prohibited, many spur roadshave been illegally created or extended byindiscriminant drivers. As of May 2002, roadinventories by Sky Island Alliance found 18 illegal,user-created roads (totaling some nine miles) withinthe proposed westside management area. These roadsappear to have been created by recreational users.Wildcat ORV tracks tend to form dead-end spursfrom campsites and roads; several have carved gashesin steep slopes and wash sides. One wildcat road hasturned a spur-road designed to access a singlecampsite (FR687e) into a high-use loop road linedwith ever-expanding camping areas (see also CampsiteProliferation).Affected resources include: springs, ephemeralwatercourses, scenic resources, eastside and westsidedrainages, all ecological systems, all native vegetationtypes and their associated flora and fauna, vegetationtypes and communities not adapted to frequent fire,riparian vegetation and species, and species especiallysensitive to human disturbance.Currently mapped roadless areas that encompass35,324 acres are being infringed upon by one illegal,user-created road that runs to the top of China Peakfrom an abandoned mine north of Gordon Camp;such infringement shows the need for formalprotection of this roadless area and for continuedmonitoring of off-road driving impacts. Gordon Camp and nearby China Camp have notexperience much campsite proliferation along roadsalthough considerable accumulation of trash hasoccurred at some campsites in Gordon Camp. to China Camp also has small, informal campsitesalong its margins. The closure of the road to China Camp from theGordon Camp area has been breached and closuresigns on a road leading to an abandoned mine havebeen vandalized. From this mine site ORV tracks nowlead some 1.1 miles up steep, shallow-soiled slopes ofthe Dragoon Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA) to thetop of China Peak. Gordon Camp and China Camp roads 697 and354a are channeling off road impact into the core ofthe Dragoon range.U.S.-MEXICO BORDERImmigrant and Smuggling TrafficFoot travel of migrant individuals occurs on theDragoon Ecosystem Management Area. Many vehicleshave been abandoned in the Dragoons in recent years.Recreational users occasionally come in contact withmigrant travelers in the range, but to our knowledgeno aggressive encounters have been reported by eitherside. The impact on the Dragoon Management Area isclose to non-existent when the temporary BorderPatrol Checkpoint on Highway 80 (just north ofMiddlemarch Road) is not open. When thisCheckpoint is open, the resulting impact istremendous.Foot travel of migrating people often occurs alongwashes and ridges rather than on designated hikingtrails. Impacts of this type of foot travel should begenerally similar to those of recreational hikers, butsteps to mitigate these impacts will necessarily be quitedifferent. In most cases, foot travel within this area is tied todriving and camping activity, but assessment ofimpacts of all foot traffic is necessary.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.Border Patrol Interdiction EffortsThis EMA receives noticeable traffic related to theU.S.-Mexico border some 30 miles south. The BorderPatrol occasionally patrols FR687 and routinelypatrols Middlemarch Road, apparently focusingefforts between Highway 80 and the CNF boundary.Unlike other borderland areas on the Coronado, thereis no evidence that off-road driving by the BorderPatrol has yet contributed significantly to proliferationof illegal roads in the EMA. This is likely due to thefact that the range is not right on the border, and thatFR687 provides adequate law enforcement access tothe area.www.skyislandaction.org 3-23State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 The Border Patrol agency engages in and affectsactivities on National Forest Land, and therefore needsto be considered in management planning. Strongfluxes in immigrant traffic have been associated withchanges in the placement of the Highway 80 BorderPatrol checkpoint from Davis Road south ofTombstone to just north of Middlemarch Road. Thenorthern placement has made Middlemarch Road andFR687 part of routes that bypass the checkpoint. Dueto the relatively mild topography of the area aroundFR687, it is unlikely that all possible vehicular bypassroutes stemming from FR687 could ever be sealed off.FR687 would therefore be a poor focus for attempts torestrict motorized migrant travel through the area.Management success in this area will require a high-level of coordination with the Border Patrol on thesighting of checkpoints close to the National Forest, aswell as integration into a larger managementframework for the whole Coronado National Forest.PROPOSED DRAGOON WESTSIDE MANAGEMENT AREA Within the Dragoon EMA, the proposed DWMAhas traditionally been relatively remote and notheavily used. Exits from I-10 leads visitors to the northand east slopes of the range, where they pass theAmerind Foundation museum, the town of Dragoon,scattered tourist shops, and parcels of private landbefore reaching a developed campground in EastStronghold Canyon. Just east of the campground, thegrowing community of Sunsites abuts the NationalForest boundary, and brings a high density of roadsalong with increasing density of houses. Road access to the west side of the Dragoons is viathe well-graded dirt Middlemarch Road, which runsbetween the towns of Tombstone and Pierce.Middlemarch Road crosses the Dragoon EMA,running between the northern and southern stands ofthe Dragoons. Off the EMA, Middlemarch Road willsoon be paved from Highway 80 near Tombstone towithin one mile of the National Forest boundary.Three main dirt roads, designated and signed by theForest Service, split off Middlemarch Pass and enterthe west side of the EMA.Campsite ProliferationThis problem is most seriously affecting areas inthe proposed DWMA most notably along FR687. Seethe Nonextractive Uses section for furtherinformation.SITE-SPECIFIC THREATSThe invasive exotic “Tree of Heaven”hasestablished a small but expanding population alongSlavin Gulch just off of FR687. This stand appears tohave been cut at least once, but will require re-treatment and consistent follow-up to prevent a moreserious infestation. The tree was planted as anornamental in nearby communities (abundant inBisbee, most likely present also in Saint David and/orTombstone) and escaped from cultivation. Its locationalong FR687 is no surprise, given the well-documented role that roads play in dispersing alienShrub and tree encroachment into grasslands oflower slopes is an example of one of the mostregionally common patterns of invasion by nativeplant species.Repeat photography in the area showsthe extent of this conversion in some parts of therange (Figure 3.3). Forces and management activitiesthat contribute to shrub encroachment need to beevaluated with an eye towards maintenance andrestoration of grassland habitats.Forest Service grazing allotments on this westsideregion are the Slavin Allotment, which includes bothStronghold and Slavin Canyons, and the GraniteSprings allotment at the southern end of thismanagement area. The permittee of the Slavinallotment took voluntary non-use in Slavin Canyonfrom 1995to 2000. During this time, recovery ofriparian vegetation was striking. Sky Island Alliancedocumented the return of a spring that haddisappeared so completely as to have had a fire ringbuilt in the center of what is now a cienega. C have since been returned to the Slavin Allotment.Potential impacts of livestock grazing include: damageto riparian vegetation, water diversion and drawdown.Council RocksHeavy visitation in the Council Rocks area,without a clearly marked foot trail, is leading totrampling of vegetation and the spread of a broadnetwork of mini-trails.Threats include intensive rock-climbing activity inCochise Stronghold, creation of new roads, campsites,and “climber trails. DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-24www.skyislandaction.org Proposed Dragoon Springs and Blacktail Hill The major threat in these areas, are from aproposed Alpha-calcite mine in the north end of thearea. Approval of this mine would lead to intensedirect human disturbance of the area through thecreation of new roads, greatly increased traffic, dust,and groundwater impacts.www.skyislandaction.org 3-25State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 Use of the Dragoon Ecosystem Management Area(EMA), particularly in the western portion of the areahas grown to a point which demands activemanagement to protect the natural and culturalheritage of this outstanding area. The followingproposed actions are a means to transform use of thisarea from its current free-for-all state into asustainable pattern that enhances natural and culturalresources of the area while enabling visitors a high-quality wildland experience. Immediate redirecting ofdestructive uses will avert much future conflict thatwill continues to develop as a fast-growing populationbecomes accustomed to unregulated use and quicklycomes to view all these uses as inalienable rights. Theredirection of use now will establish traditions of usecompatible with the health of the land, and that willcome to be viewed as inevitable, natural uses of theland.We recommend objectives and managementactions that will address these threats if they areincorporated into the revision of the CoronadoNational Forest’s Land and Resource ManagementPlan, as well as subsequent project-level activities.Central to the management proposals for theDragoon EMA is the division of the EMA intomanagement units with a focus on actively managingDragoon Westside Management Area (see Figure 3.2).The management strategy for this area will be to limitoverall impacts by establishing a permit system thatprovides a cap on daily visitor numbers and provides alow-cost means to monitor use. The proposed permitsystem would affect only this part of the DragoonEMA, and would therefore contribute to the goal of“multiple use management” by providingopportunities here for uses and experiences that arebeing displaced elsewhere on the Coronado. A second corner post of this plan is closure ofillegal and redundant roads, and enhancement ofopportunities for non-motorized recreation. Thisconversion will contribute to the establishment of aprogressive balance between high-impact and low-impact uses, and a better mosaic of opportunitiesaccording to the National Forest’s “recreationalopportunities spectrum.” The proposed managementactions also provide a proactive plan for integratingmanagement of this area into the dynamics of theentire region. By highlighting ways in whichmanagement of this area affects (and is affected by)wildlife movement corridors between Sky Islandmountain ranges, watershed protection for the SanPedro River and the communities that depend uponit, and actions of nearby private landowners and otherfederal and state agencies, the actions pave the way forcollaboration with other land managers on sharedgoals. Managers of public land, for example, often seeprivate land development as a “wild-card” that affectstheir sphere of duty, but over which they have noinfluence. Actions are proposed for working withprivate landowners and with other agencies tominimize impacts of nearby developments on thisThe following proposed Objectives and Actionsapply to the entire Dragoon EMA. Objectives andactions specific to the proposed Dragoon WestsideManagement Area (DWMA) are found in the nextsection. RecommendedObjectivesandManagementActions Advocate for and negotiate conservation easements on private lands, focusingon areas deemed particularly important as wildlife habitat and movementcorridors.Advocate for and negotiate protection of key state trust lands from future salefor development, including parcel surrounded by Dragoon Mountain Ranch andparcel that would form a continuous protected corridor from the Dragoons tothe San Pedro River.Minimize negative impacts of nearby private-landdevelopment on the ecological and cultural attributes.Maintain integrity of wildlife corridors within the DragoonEcosystem Management Area, and between the area andthe following: San Pedro River, Whetstone Mountains,other key mountain ranges. DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-26www.skyislandaction.orgReduce shrub encroachment via fire and manual mechanical thinning. Adaptprotocols used successfully at Fort Bowie Historical Site, including deploymentof volunteer workforce.Tip competitive balance in favor of grasses over shrubs by removing cattle-grazing pressures in some areas (see Extractive Uses).Monitor shrub encroachment via repeat photography using points originallyphotographed as early as 1883. Shrub encroachment is actively managed witha combination of fire and manual thinning. Grassland restoration workconducted at the Fort Bowie National Historic Site (Larry Ludwig, pers. com)provides precedence and experience-based recommendations for safe, effective,small-scale grassland restoration in historically important sites. FireWork with private landowners to build support for prescribed burns. Educatelandowners about home fireproofing strategies in construction andlandscaping.Wildlife MovementUse information gained from wildlife tracking transects between the Dragoonsand the San Pedro River (including Slavin and Stronghold drainages) to informmanagement decisions.On these surveillance transects, gather data on movement patterns of targetspecies and the variables that affect these movements. Use these data to takesite-specific management action.Maintain and restore healthy grasslands.Maintenance of open savanna structure conveys to visitors an accurate senseof what the area was like during the mid to late 1800s, its most importanthistorical and cultural era. This also enables visitors an ecologically accurateexperience of what the area looked like.FireMaintain natural disturbance regimes, especially fire.Wildlife MovementMaintain integrity of wildlife corridors within the Dragoons, between theDragoons and the San Pedro River, and between the Dragoons and other keymountain ranges.Facilitate voluntary retirement of the Slavin grazing allotment in Strongholdand Slavin Canyons.Manage grazing on current allotments so that loss of grass cover, soil, andsensitive habitats (e.g., riparian areas) is minimized. AdjacentLandUses ObjectivesActions EcologicalRestoration ObjectivesActions ExtractiveUses ObjectivesActions www.skyislandaction.org 3-27State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 InvasiveSpecies ObjectivesActions Require use of certified weed-free feed before and during presence on theCoronado National Forest.Eradicate the “tree of heaven” population in Slavin Canyon through immediateremoval and continued monitoring.Engage in cooperative planning with nearby communities and with otheragencies to reduce exotic species introductions by promoting native-specieslandscaping and highlighting the dangers of exotic species introductions.Engage in cooperative planning to prevent human-made water sources fromacting as conduits for bullfrog colonization of waters in the Dragoons that arehome to endangered Chiricahua leopard frogs. Include an immediate focus onwater traps in the Bachmann Springs golf course.Involve nearby housing development residents preventing and monitoringalien invasions.Reduce the spread of invasive species, both native and exotic. Eliminateinvasive exotics. Actively deter new invasions. Non-extractiveUses ObjectivesActions Regulate use of hiking trails to minimize degradation of the trails themselvesand the ecosystems through which they pass.Convert sections of illegal and redundant road into hiking and equestrian trailShift the balance between motorized and nonmotorized recreationalopportunities across the range so that the overall level of impact onecological and cultural attributes of the landscape is reduced.Promote visitor appreciation of historical, cultural, and ecological resources.Establish a Research Natural Area that encompasses the watershed of SlavinGulch, to the Forest boundary. Include Madrean Encinal and Arizona cypressriparian forest in the RNA. (See Figure 3.2 for a map of the proposed specialmanagement area.)Encourage initiation of new research projects within this RNA by informingresearch centers of this designation, promoting these research opportunities atscientific meetings, and providing documents of support for researchers’funding proposals.Secure formal protection for the 35,324-acre roadless area north ofMiddlemarch Pass. Close and revegetate the illegal, user-created road that runsfrom an abandoned mine north of Gordon Camp to China Peak.Manage 35,562 acres to maintain their wilderness characteristics. (See Figure3.13 for a map of the area to be managed to maintain wildernesscharacteristics.)Highlight the outstanding natural values of the watersheds for westStronghold and Slavin drainages. Ensure that protection of these valuesremains a high priority in management decisions that affect the area, andstimulate research in the processes.Fulfill the National Forest’s mandate to have all major ecosystem typespresent on the Coronado represented in RNAs.Maintain ecological values (including wilderness characteristics and researchpotential) of the wildest areas in the Dragoon Mountains. SpecialInterestAreas ObjectivesActions DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-28www.skyislandaction.org Figure3.12TravelManagementPlanandRouteRecommendationsfortheDragoonEMA Roads/TransportationSystem ObjectivesActions Close and revegetate all remaining illegal roads. See Figure 3.12 for theproposed Transportation System.Reduce the road/trail ratio below 5:1 through the conversion of appropriateroads to trails, addition of new trails and closure of wildcat spur roads. (See alsoroad conversions in DWMA)Restore closed roadbeds through erosion control and vertical mulching.Restore roaded areas degraded by indiscriminate driving.Improve balance between motorized and non-motorized recreationalopportunities.Reduce additional proliferation of wildcat roads.Relieve pressure of off-road driving on National Forest law enforcement staff.Improve overall primitive quality of visitor experiences. www.skyislandaction.org 3-29State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 ProposedDragoonWestsideManagementArea In order to transform the current chaotic free-for-all use on the westside of the Dragoon EMA into a setof user traditions that are sustainable, we recommenda cap on daily visitor numbers in the proposedDWMA through a permit system. There is ampleprecedence for this user permit framework; sitesthroughout the country use similar permit systems insome or all of their management areas, including inArizona: Grand Canyon National Park, AravaipaCreek, Rincon Wilderness, Chiricahua NationalMonument, Cabeza Prieta NWR, San BernardinoNWR, recreation areas on Indian reservations, andothers. Unlike most remote sites that use permit systems,the DWMA site is easily accessible from majorpopulation centers, entrance does not require highclearance vehicles, and much of the site can beappreciated from designated roads. A backcountry-style permit system here would make a primitive,wildland experience accessible to visitors withrestricted mobility and/or limited economic meansalong with traditional backcountry enthusiasts.The daily visitor cap in the DWMA would ensurethat the Dragoon EMA retains opportunities for highquality,low-density outdoor experiences (towards the“primitive” end of the USFS “recreationalopportunities spectrum”).Because this area has suchoutstanding historical, ecological, and scenic valuesand yet is so fragile,reinforces the area is a particularly good candidate for low-densityprimitive-area management. Limiting impacts of all recreational user groupsalong FR687 without regulating entry would requirefull-time enforcement personnel and a significantinvestment in infrastructure which is beyond theForest’s operating budget. Such funds would be betterspent in areas in which high visitor use is moreappropriate and more easily managed. Other parts ofthe Coronado National Forest, including EastStronghold in the Dragoons, are already betterequipped to support large numbers of visitors withoutexcessive degradation resources. These other areasalready provide opportunities for recreation that canbe accommodated in higher-density, more intensivelymanaged areas. The following proposed objectives and actions arespecific to the proposed DWMA. Camping in the DWMA should remain primitive and dispersed.Reduce proliferation of wildcat campsites and continual expansion ofexisting sites.Cultural and Historical TourismImprove visual aids for visitors; promote visitor appreciation of historical,cultural, and ecological resources.Equestrian UseHold equestrian impacts to a level at which equestrian use can be sustainedwithout damage to the base resource or conflict with other users.Close wildcat campsites created since 1998; determine which remainingcampsites would best provide for visitors’ use and enjoyment while minimizingnegative impact of visitor activities on the landscape.Close pre-1998 campsites with unacceptably high impacts.Clearly define designated campsites with small numbered posts and, wherenecessary, vehicle barriers. Clearly mark boundaries of designated campsites,focusing on unobtrusive means such as low barriers of rock, railroad ties, ornative vegetation.Assign campsites on a first-come first-served basis when issuing campingpermits.Install formal fire pits in sites with multiple fire rings. Restrict fires to formalfire pits at these sites.Monitor placement and extent of campsites at least once per year, using theCNF’s 2001 campsite study as a baseline and template. Bar equestrian camping in this area; redirect equestrian camping and horsetethering into other, less sensitive management areas (e.g. certain designatedcampsites in the Black Diamond management area just south of Middlemarchroad). Non-extractiveUses ObjectivesActions continued DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-30www.skyislandaction.orgEstablish a (no-fee) permit system in the DWMA with overall cap on dailyvisitor numbers. Visitor cap will be based on number of designated campsitesand parking spots.Enforce use of permit system by installing a locked gate at the south end ofFR687, with key or combination granted upon procurement of permit.Eliminate special-use permits for commercial groups in this management area.Redirect and manage overall human impacts; reduce current and futureconflicts among user groups; provide opportunities for low-density, high-quality outdoor experiences.Exclude all ATV use in the DWMA.Ban ATV use of FR687.Convert sections of illegal and redundant road into hiking and equestrian trailincluding the terminal sections of China Camp Road FR354a and Gordon CampClose and revegetate the illegal, user-created road from abandoned mine up toChina Peak (Gordon Camp area, off of FR697). Use natural pinch-point alongFR697 just north of Gordon Camp to close vehicle access to abandoned minesite from which this track is being entered. Convert the remainder of this dead-end but scenic road section into hiking and equestrian trail.Improve balance between motorized and non-motorized recreationalopportunities in the DWMA.Provide incentives for users to respect closures in the remote area of GordonCamp.Allow foot, bicycle, and equestrian access to the Gordon Camp basin. OverallUsageofArea ObjectivesActions Roads/TransportationSystem ObjectivesActions Convert some illegal and/or redundant roads into trails, e.g. end of China Camproad.Cultural and Historical TourismProvide interpretive trail maps that inform users about the area’s natural andcultural history while guiding their travel across the landscape.Establish well-marked and defined trails to historic and cultural sites.Collaborate with Tribal stakeholders to develop outreach materials for signsand brochures.Use ecological restoration work to enhance authenticity of the cultural andhistoric experience.Equestrian UseSpecify which trails are open to equestrian use. Monitor width, condition, andpresence of non-native plant species along these trails. Suspend equestrian use(for whatever time period necessary) if impacts are deemed excessive.Special-use PermitsEliminate special-use permits for commercial groups in the DWMA.Redirect activities of commercial and other large recreational groups to lesssensitive areas in other mountain ranges. Non-extractiveUsescontinued Actions continued www.skyislandaction.org 3-31State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 Monitor closure of illegal China Peak track and other road closures in theGordon Camp basin. If closure is violated in this remote area, automaticallytrigger closure of road to Gordon Camp and install a locked gate at a naturalpinch-point near the beginning of this road at FR697.Advocate against permanent Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 80 atMiddlemarch Road, to reduce creation of wildcat roads and violations of roadclosures off of FR687. Roads/TransportationSystemcontinued Actions Wilderness is a cornerstone for protectingbiological diversity and ecological sustainability on theForest. Whether designated, or proposed, these areasprovide a refuge for many species from largecarnivores to small invertebrates. They also provideopportunities for the highest quality primitiverecreation including activities such as hiking,backpacking, horsepacking and hunting. As roadlessareas become increasingly scarce in the United States,remaining roadless areas on the National Forest thatmeet wilderness criteria deserve protection. The Coronado National Forest is required toanalyze potential Wilderness Areas during Forest PlanRevision. It is mandated by both statute andregulation that the Forest Plan revisions includewilderness suitability analyses. In this document, areassuitable for wilderness are mapped and described foreach Ecosystem Management Area. Lands withwilderness characteristics must be considered forrecommendation as potential wilderness areas duringplan revision. These areas should be designated asWilderness Study Areas in recognition of theiroutstanding qualities and managed to protect theirwilderness characteristics. Identification of areassuitable for wilderness should not be influenced bynonwilderness activities or uses that can be seen orheard from areas within the potential wilderness.Protection of wilderness-quality roadless areasthrough designation as Wilderness Study Areas is keyto ensuring the ecological integrity of the CoronadoNational Forest. Remaining roadless areas withwilderness characteristics are essential tools for theCoronado National Forest to be able to maintainecological sustainability on each EcosystemManagement Area and across the Forest. WILDERNESS SUITABILITYThe Dragoon Mountain Roadless Ares is situatedin the center of the Coronado National Forest ofsoutheastern Arizona, 20 miles northeast ofTombstone in Cochise County. One of the mostvisually striking and inspirational mountain ranges inthe Sky Island region, the Dragoon Mountains aresteeped in rich history and prehistory. The sharpgranite spires, hoodoos, and deep boulder-filledcanyons of the central Dragoons are of the highestscenic quality to be found in the country. The lowerelevations, which begin around 4700 feet, containMadrean Encinal grasslands dotted with evergreenoaks near drainages and outcroppings. From there,vegetation is primarily oak woodlands with piñon-juniper woodlands in higher elevations. Relictpopulations of Arizona Cypress ( Cupressus arizonicaare found in larger drainages on both the east and westsides of the mountain and in the Rockfellow Domearea — a rare vegetation association found inrelatively few locals. Mount Glenn, at 7,519 feet,towers 2,800 feet above the surrounding valleys. Thewest slopes feed the San Pedro River while the easternslopes drain into either the Sulphur Springs Valley orSan Bernardino watersheds to the south. Geologically speaking, the Sky Island landscapebegan to take form between 70 and 40 million yearsago. This was a period of intense folding and faulting.The activity was of volcanic and igneous intrusiveorigin, and of greatest importance in the placement ofmajor ore bodies. Most of the present ranges wereuplifted during the Basin and Range disturbancebetween 30 and 25 million years ago. Volcanism andsedimentation have led to a complex structural historyof the basin range. What resulted from this geologic Wilderness DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 3-32www.skyislandaction.org Figure3.13AreaSuitableforWildernessandtobeManagedforWildernessCharacteristics www.skyislandaction.org 3-33State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08 activity in the Dragoon Mountains are large,crystallized, granitic domes atop a layer of limestonesea bottom. The hard rocks at the mountain’s core riseabruptly above the surrounding valley leveled at agreat plain by the San Pedro River. When the porouslayers of limestone were brought into contact with theimpermeable layers of granite, year-round springs andstreams were produced. The resulting geologic historyof the Dragoon Mountains makes for dramatic rosygranite rock faces with striking visual characteristics.Throughout this roadless area, outstandingopportunities for solitude and primitive recreationexist. The entirety of this area meets the criteriaidentified in the 1964 Wilderness Act, which follows:(1) generally appears to have been affected primarilyby the forces of nature, with the imprint of man’swork substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstandingopportunities for solitude or a primitive andunconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least fivethousand acres of land or is of sufficient size as tomake practicable its preservation and use in anunimpaired condition; and (4) may also containecological, geological, or other features of scientific,educational, scenic, or historical value.As such, the area described below is suitable foraddition to the existing National Forest Wildernesssystem. Inventoried Roadless AreaThe existing Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA) asidentified by the Coronado National Forest, via acomputer model (Recreation Opportunity Spectrum)not designed to identify roadless areas, and using anoutdated transportation system map, identified 14,232acres in the Dragoon IRA. On-the-ground fieldchecking by Sky Island Alliance has determined thatthe roadless acreage in the Dragoon EMA is 35,562acres. Recreational/Scenic ValuesThe Dragoons hold a certain air of mysticismwithin their steep rock ledges and deep canyons.Visitors are awed by the sun-drenched cliffs, walls ofupright granite, and surreal landscapes this rangeoffers. Opportunities for solitude and adventureabound. Many small valleys, hidden canyons, andsheer escarpments offer the visitor ample opportunityfor wilderness experiences. The west side of theMiddle Dragoon Unit is accessible from only one dirtroad that leads north from Middlemarch Road. There,waves of grasses and large oaks stop abruptly at therock faces of Sheepshead and other steep prominentridges that soar upward. The east side of the unit is noless striking. Only one primary hiking trail crosses therange, leading from the West Stronghold over a highsaddle into East Stronghold Canyon. The Slavin Gulchtrail heads east from FR687 towards China Camp. The rock faces of Cochise Stronghold, Sheepshead,Rockfellow Dome, and others in the middleDragoons, are a popular rock climbing destination.Climbers from across the world visit the Dragoonseach year to climb various routes and relish theincredible views of the Sky Island region from atopmany of the spires. The Rockfellow Dome area isclosed to climbers during Peregrine Falcon breedingseason, March 1 through June 30. The west side of theUnit, on FR687, is a popular deer-hunting destination. Bird-watching and photography are also popular.Because of the outstanding scenic qualities ofDragoons, professional and amateur photographersflock to the area. Cultural/Archaeological ValuesDuring the mid-1800s, the Dragoons were theprimary residence of the Apache leader Cochise andhis band of Chiricahua Apache Indians. During the1860s, this mountain range was the theater fromwhich many skirmishes and battles took place. OnOctober 12, 1872, a peace treaty was consummatedbetween the U.S. Government and Cochise. Cochisekept the peace until his death in 1874, at which timeTaza, Cochise’s oldest son, became chief.Today, one can visit Council Rocks, a reportedlocation of the 1872 peacemaking treaty, and visitorsmay still explore and discover many artifacts,including grinding mortars, pictographs, and potteryshards. The mountains almost breathe the spirit of anearlier time and offer an outstanding scenic andcultural experience. The remainders of a 1880s eraranch house, belonging to Henry A. and Hattie K.Tweed, can be seen just south of West StrongholdCanyon. Many archeologists and historians visit theDragoons to search for and experience the numerousplaces of historical significance.WatershedsThe north-south orientation of the Dragoonsdistributes water to watersheds to the east and west ofthe complex. Stronghold Canyon East andMiddlemarch Canyon East both drain into the Lower Sulphur Springs Valley, providing essential waters tothe Willcox Playa, a prime destination for tens ofthousands sandhill cranes each winter making theirmigration south from Canada and Siberia. Across theridgeline, Stronghold Canyon West, Slavin Gulch,Middlemarch Pass, and Smith Wash provide themeans for water transport and serve as importantwildlife migration corridors to the middle stretches ofthe San Pedro River, while also contributing water tomeet the demands of the valley’s ever-increasingresidential population.VegetationPlant communities found here inclu de excellentexamples of the region’s distinctive Arizona cypressriparian forests and encinal oak savanna. The west sideof the unit contains some of the few remaining standsof native grasslands that once reached to the SanPedro River, supporting populations of mule deer,coati, and javelina. Slavin Gulch retains water most ofthe year with a healthy, grass-laden channel, andsycamore, ash, and cottonwood trees, as well as standsof the rare Arizona cypress. The headwaters of SlavinGulch contain one of the largest stands of Arizonacypress in southeastern Arizona amidst its rockycanyon walls. WildlifeThe area as a whole provides a wide variety ofhabitat for game and non-game species. Animals suchas black bear and mountain lion, which favor largeareas of relative isolation, have a preference to suchareas without roads, within their home ranges. Manyother wildlife and game species can be found here,including javelina, mule and white-tail deer, gray fox,and coati. Peregrine falcons soar overhead, hunting forprey.Wildlife—Common and Sensitive SpeciesThe Dragoon Mountains are home to 15 species ofplants and animals that are threatened, endangered, orofficially designated as “of special concern” by federaland state agencies. They also harbor large mammalssuch as mountain lion, black bear, javelina, and coati.A jaguar was reported in the Dragoons as recently as1986 (an individual killed in the Dos CabezasMountains to the east was said to have been chasedfrom the Dragoons). Mexican jays, several species ofhummingbirds, and large raptors are among thewildlife easily seen in this mountain range. The Peregrine falcon occurs here and is listed as aSpecies of Concern under the Endangered Species Act,as a Sensitive Species by the U.S. Forest Service(USFS), and as Wildlife of Special Concern by theArizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). Itinhabits steep, sheer cliffs that overlook woodlands,riparian areas, or other habitats that provide avianprey species. The Chiricahua Leopard Frog is listed Threatenedunder the Endangered Species Act, as a SensitiveSpecies by the USFS, and as Wildlife of SpecialConcern by the AZGFD. It inhabits aquatic areas inwoodlands, grasslands, and deserts in rocky streamswith deep pools east and south of the Mogollon Rim.The Chiricahua Leopard Frog has been extirpatedfrom this site. 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