HTC 11-17-16 Threats to the Grand Canyon Handout
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
HOT TOPICS CAFÉ THREATS TO THE GRAND CANYON Thursday, November 17, 2016 6 - 7:30 p.m. Museum of Northern Arizona Facilitated by Jona Vance, Director, Philosophy in the Public Interest 2 PROGRAM 6:00 p.m. Welcome and Introduction Jona Vance, Director, Philosophy in the Public Interest 6:05 p.m. Presentation of Information NAU Grand Canyon Semester, student presentations 1) The Troublesome Trout 2) One a Scale of 1 - 10 How Invasive is it? 3) Deer Creek and the Intersection of Recreation and Traditional Cultural Properties 4) Native Culture in the Grand Canyon: Are We Losing It? 5) The Impacts of Water Extraction for Development in Tusayan, AZ 6:30 p.m. Round Table Discussions NAU Grand Canyon Semester Full Circle Questions: What values are at stake? Who shares these values? Where should we go from here? 7:05 p.m. Open Dialogue and Recap of Discussion SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS, SUPPORTERS AND VENUE HOSTS! 3 The Troublesome Trout Researched by Eric Blair and Victoria Hess ecosystem for the endangered species, like the humpback chub, to respawn and come back to the ecosystem (NPS 2016) The program uses either weirs THESIS: (fish traps) or electro-fishing in order to remove the Within Grand Canyon National Park, it is essential for presence of trout within the main spawning creek. all of the trout to be eradicated from the Colorado River in order to recover the aquatic ecosystem through innovative species management and through The trout have provided huge economic boom for cooperation with surrounding native cultures. nearby cities to the National Park like Page and Tusayan. It also has created a strong fishermen culture around the River as multiple blogs across the internet are devoted to the trout fishing in the Grand KEY TERMS Canyon. Invasive Species A species that is: 1) non-native (or alien) to the Although it is estimated by the Park Service that the ecosystem under consideration and. 2) whose trout living in the river have actually decreased in introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or size, programs have been put in place in order to environmental harm or harm to human health determine how Glen Canyon Dam is affecting the (Executive Order 13112). fishery and are giving suggestions towards how the dam can be better managed towards the benefit of Ecosystem the trout. A complex set of relationships among the living resources, habitats, and residents of an area. It In a study done by Yard et. al., groups of trout includes plants, trees, animals, fish, birds, populations were tested for stomach content and the microorganisms, water, soil, and people data was sorted for analysis. According to the study, (forest.mtu.edu). the proportion of fish eaten in the category of vertebrate prey was about 90.3 percent. Out of that 90.3 percent, only 22 percent was actually BACKGROUND identifiable and that could be given a species label. Out of that 22 percent, humpback chub was actually 27.3 percent of the content. Although that is only a INFORMATION third, it is the largest percentage of preyed-on fish that was identifiable within the trout stomachs (Yard, In 2016 the budget to deal with the invasive species 477). On emphasis, that means nonnative trout have of trout in the Colorado River was just over a million been consuming - around the time of this study - an dollars and by 2017, it will increase to just over one average of 85 percent more native and possibly and half million dollars (USBR 2016). endangered fish than nonnative fish. The Bright Angel Creek Trout Reduction Project was designed to reduce the number of non-native brown and rainbow trout in the creek to provide a stable What is your opinion about killing all of the trout DISCUSSION that is now in the Colorado River? QUESTIONS What are the unforeseen cultural/economical/physical/social costs from removing all these trout? Who should be responsible for the negative impacts caused by the trout introduction? How can we better manage the balance of native and non-native species in this habitat? 4 STOMACH CONTENTS of: 5 On a Scale of 1 - 10 How Invasive is it? Researched by Paige Lighthipe, Andrea Smith Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and LeAnn Zuniga A songbird native to Southwestern states that was officially listed as endangered in 1995 due to INTRO INFORMATION: extreme habitat loss along riparian zones. Tamarisk was listed as an invasive species after its introduction in the late 1800s. BACKGROUND Triggered an aggressive social reaction and management regime by the mid-20th Century. INFORMATION Tamarisks are very adaptable to different habitats, The southwestern willow flycatcher is an endangered meaning they can grow in diverse and widespread bird that has adopted tamarisk as its new habitat, after areas. The tamarisk has a similar physical structure having more than 80% of its native habitats destroyed. to native plants providing adequate, or sometimes preferred habitats for the southwestern willow The negative stigma surrounding the tamarisk is flycatcher. leading to undue harm to the environment because of the vigorous reaction it has caused. There is often an initial negative social and management reaction to invasive species. Invasive We make the argument that due to the Tamarisks’ species such as the tamarisk lead to aggressive social integration into riparian areas it should be further action and opinion. It has been found that language studied and selectively removed. and terms regarding invasive species and immigration often parallel each other. Executive Order 13112 gives a legal definition to KEY TERMS invasive species, under which tamarisk falls. The southwestern willow flycatcher, which often nests in Non-native Species tamarisk, is protected under the Endangered Species A species introduced into a habitat outside of its Act, which allows for ecosystem protection. natural range. Non-native species could have been introduced intentionally or unintentionally, and may result in beneficial or negative impacts on the Tamarisk beetle and other management strategies environment in which it was introduced. (fire, chemical) were management decisions made with little prior research. This poses a management Riparian Ecosystem conundrum when tamarisk removal begins to cause habitat loss for species like the endangered Vegetation or habitat associated with bodies of water southwestern willow flycatcher. or the existence of intermittent surface or groundwater drainage. Hawks Aloft, Inc. Photo: Tim Carlson, Tiff Over Tamarisk Tamarisk (saltcedar) General term for several species of shrubs native to Eurasia and Africa, and considered invasive to the Southwestern United States. It was introduced in the early Twentieth Century as a method of erosion control. Tamarisk Beetle (saltcedar beetle) Biocontrol introduced by the Department of Agriculture in 2001 and defoliates the tamarisk. The beetle is considered one of the better management alternatives to tamarisk removal. 6 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Are tamarisks invasive? If you had to rate tamarisk as an invasive species on a scale of 1-10 how would you rate it? What can we learn from the tamarisk and southwestern willow flycatcher that can be applied to other relationships between invasive and endangered species? How can we redefine how we view invasive species, officially and/or socially? What do you propose is a better way to manage tamarisk? 7 “It is a spot of reverence. .Tribal youth are taught that when you die, your spirit goes to Deer Creek. You don’t fully understand it ‘til you see it” Charlie Bullets, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians Deer Creek and the Intersection of Recreation and Traditional Cultural Properties Researched by Molly Carney and Dan Cameron with landscapes putting cultural and natural values before recreation. THESIS: Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) The narrative of recreating in the Grand Canyon A Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) is a must change; an ideological shift to place based property/landscape that is eligible for inclusion in recreating must occur, alongside respecting the National Register of Historic Places based on its mandation, resulting in a behavioral change, associations with the cultural practices, traditions, allowing for cultural healing and preservation to beliefs, ways of life, arts, crafts, or social institutions occur within sensitive areas, such as Deer Creek. of a living community. Hopi Tribe A TCP is eligible by 1) rooted in that community’s ASSOCIATED Zuni Tribe history, and 2) important in maintaining the Hualapai Tribe continuing cultural identity of a community. Southern Paiute Tribe TRIBES Southern Paiute Consortium (SPC) A group created by the Kaibab area tribes that integrates cultural and tribal values into federal monitoring efforts. In addition to ecological KEY TERMS responses to Glen Canyon Dam this group monitors Sacred Landscape impacts from recreationists in the Grand Canyon. An area where spiritual power is separated throughout the environment in general, although Backcountry Management Plan there are interconnected special places that form an A current policy made by Grand Canyon National intersection between physical and spiritual worlds. Park in the final stages of decision periods. This plan outlines several different directions that the park Place Based Recreation could take management goals in the future with A new understanding of how we recreate and engage varying use restrictions for the backcountry. 8 BACKGROUND CURRENT STATUS of INFORMATION DEER CREEK Deer Creek is a culturally significant space in Grand “Climbing and/or rappelling in the creek narrows, Canyon National Park. Until a recent policy shift with or without the use of ropes or other technical canyoneers were recreating in the narrows of the equipment is prohibited. This restriction extends canyon. The narrows are now closed but hikers and within the creek beginning at the southeast end of river runners are still able to access the patio area of the rock ledges, known as the “Patio” to the base of the canyon.