Fort Huachuca Sentinel Landscape
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G A Muleshoe Ranch S A L N I Prescribed Fire Conservation Ranching: This term describes most modern T A U C R Organizations working on operations because long-term productivity depends on keeping Map Key A O T W A I N soil in place, maintaining grass cover, and retaining water in the system. Private Lands: Non-urban parcels L Muleshoe Ranch C H Sentinel Landscape restoration I M E N S This map shows a few examples, among the many in the Sentinel area, vary from small-acreage residential holdings A O Preserve T E who welcome volunteers U R of places that are being actively improved through water retention to large ranches, including some with land Map Area M N O M structures, grassland restoration, wildlife accommodations, and regular T Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch under permanent conservation status. U O monitoring of resource conditions, frequently with the help of partners. N Hot Springs A U researchranch.audubon.org T I Gould’s Turkey N Wildlife Corridor N T Many properties have permanent protection as ranch land through Public Lands: USDA Forest Service A A I S N I N Arizona Antelope Foundation azantelope.org conservation easements. and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) S S S a Teran Watershed D balance resource protection and activities n Cienega Watershed Partnership cienega.org Enhancement O P Fire: For centuries, sky island grasslands, woodlands, and forests such as recreation, grazing, mining, and e S d Coronado National Memorial nps.gov/coro r C burned every 5 to 20 years. Frequent fire kept areas open and o A energy development on lands that belong R B i Borderlands Restoration borderlandsrestoration.orgE grassy. This arrangement tamed fire behavior—understory burned to the citizens of the U.S. v Z e A r Willcox S but trees survived or resprouted. A century of very little fire led to Allen Flat Sky Island Alliance skyislandalliance.org M TUCSON O over-dense woods, and managers now work to reverse that trend via State Trust Lands: These lands R Habitat Restoration U I N N The Nature Conservancy nature.org thinning and prescribed fire projects. are held in trust for beneficiaries, chiefly TA C I N S K-12 education. The Arizona State Land O 10 Grasslands: Southeastern Arizona’s grasslands are productive N Department serves as agent and fiduciary. Other partners and rich ecosystems. Drought, lack of fire, invasive species, and Trust land is not public land; it is sold and M overgrazing have degraded some grasslands, but modern management leased under principles of highest and O Arizona Game and Fish Department U helps these areas heal. Erosion control holds soil, shrub removal and N best use. Undeveloped10 State Lands serve ArizonaWillcox Department Playa of Environmental Quality fire reduce woody species, creative grazing prevents over-utilization, T as open space and wildlife habitat. A ArizonaWildlife Department Area of Forestry and Fire Management and attention to weeds slows their spread. I N Urban S Wilcox Playa Arizona State Parks Research: The Sentinel Landscape hosts three research sites S N Arizona Land and Water Trust that dedicate 50,000 acres to learning about the area’s natural Wildlife Corridors: Projects T M 191 resources. Researchers from all over the world work at these sites, Bureau of Land Management protect wildlife travel routes between which also have value as climate monitoring stations and open space. mountain ranges. N O Cascabel Conservation Association Scientists also study grasslands, wildlife, water, fire, and livestock O Arizona Trail: The first 115 miles of G Cochise County production practices (and much more) on other Sentinel private and A 19 R public lands, including Fort Huachuca. the magnificent trail that crosses the entire D Vail Coronado National Forest Gould’s Turkey state illustrates the Sentinel Landscape’s E L Fort Huachuca Water: Keeping precious water available for people, natural recreational riches. There are hundreds more T T ecosystems, and livestock is key to the health of the Sentinel I miles of hiking trails plus places for hunting, L Fry Fire District Landscape. People are conserving water in developed areas, and many biking, birdwatching and other activities. partnerships monitor and maintain water in streams, springs, and Hereford Natural Resource Conservation District the aquifer. Ranchers are providing water for wildlife as they ensure Buffalo Soldier Electronic Huachuca Gould’s Chapter/NWTF supplies for livestock. Other projects improve watersheds to slow runoff Testing Range Boundary Natural Resources Conservation Service and allow local infiltration of storm water. Davidson Canyon Major Streams Wildlife Corridor Dragoon Fuels Project Cochise 10 Stronghold Santa Cruz Natural Resource Conservation District Wildlife: Loss of habitat has reduced wildlife numbers all over Benson Sahuarita Corona De Tucson the world. The Sentinel Landscape contains large patches of Santa Rita Experimental Range Restricted Air Space: Maintained D 83 habitat for important species. Keeping the patches connected helps by Fort Huachuca in support of R UA-Cochise County Cooperative Extension A Stronghold Firewise all kinds of animals, including pollinators, have enough space to feed manned and unmanned aviation G S US Fish & Wildlife Service O N 90 and breed. Preserving wetlands and removing invasive species have operations. St David O T 191 N US Geological Survey increased numbers of rare aquatic species. Agreements between M Miles M wildlife groups and landowners aid coexistence of wildlife, humans, E Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed R O Green Valley I U and livestock. P 0 5 10 N M T E St. David Upland A r Little Joe I e S Restoration N v Restoration N i S k I R e A e T z r N 80 u C Kartchner r Las Simpson Spring U C Prairie Dog a Caverns O g Restoration a Santa Rita Reintroductione M State Park t n Cienegas Experimental Range n McGrew Spring e San Pedro E a i Stewardship S N C National Fort Huachuca O Riparian Las Cienegas T S S Grassland Restoration Conservation T National Walnut Gulch 19 N E I Greaterville Frogs Area H Experimental Watershed A W Conservation Sentinel T N FROG Project U Area Antelope-friendly Sands Grassland Madera O Fencing 82 M Restoration Tombstone Canyon Rose Tree Landscape A 83 Ranch T M U I S TA N 82 Brookline Ranch R Vera Earl Ranch G M T N A Elgin S Restoration Partnership T Sonoita N Babacomari San Pedro A 82 Ranch Babacomari Beaver Reintroduction 80 S S B a a b Erosion Control 90 o n c o v e r m a r i R i Antelope-friendly P e 191 Gould’s Turkey Fencing Babacomari-Research d Sierra Vista r Ranch Firewise o EOP Patagonia Wildlife R i Corridor v e r Whitewater Draw Fort Huachuca Appleton-Whittell Wildlife Area Research Ranch Backyard Patagonia-Sonoita Tamarisk Removal Erosion Control 47 Ranch Whitewater Creek Preserve Native Plant Nursery Draw Patagonia 90 Sierra Vista San Pedro Coalmine Spring M 19 k House e U r e C L a i t E o H Patagonia Lake n o Fort Huachuca S Patagonia Firewise U M State Park A Prescribed Fire C O A C 92 N E H U L O N Rio Rico H U Brown Canyon 80 I C T P L L San Pedro A S Scotia Canyon A Wetlands A I T Restoration Prescribed Fire N A Ramsey Canyon S 82 G M Banning Creek O O Preserve The Sentinel Landscape Restoration Partnership exists to facilitate N Firewise Bisbee Parker Lake U I A cooperative projects that improve water quality and quantity, range N M T O A Ramsey Canyon and forest conditions, wildlife habitat, the status of rare species, U I Firewise N N T S and other vital features of the working and natural lands within A I the Landscape and nearby ecologically connected areas. This map N S Gould’s Turkey highlights efforts that meet these goals as well as help preserve open 80 Palominas Recharge 92 spaces for the testing and training missions of Fort Huachuca. The Coronado Nogales Riparian Pasture San Jose Ranch descriptions below outline restoration challenges that these projects Restoration National Memorial San Rafael Border Savanna Horseshoe Draw are meeting. Mapped projects are just a sampling among many State Natural Area Project Agaves and Bats others taking place. UNITED STATES / MEXICO BORDER Conserving grasslands and forests Fort Huachuca Sentinel Landscape Restoration Partnership that provide habitat, water, Fort Huachuca Prescribed Fire: Fort Huachuca works with the Patagonia Wildlife Corridor: Borderlands livelihoods, and recreation in Conservation Ranching Coronado National Forest to conduct prescribed fires that reduce Research Wildlife Restoration of Patagonia and partners are protecting 47 Ranch: On the 47 Ranch in the Mule Mountains, attention to ranch- woody vegetation and make ecosystems more fire-tolerant. Thou- Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch: On the Research Ranch, Agaves and Bats: Agaves are in decline at Coronado National lands that link the Santa Rita Mountains with the Cochise, Pima, and Santa Cruz ing is inseparable from a long view towards sustaining livestock and sands of acres of grassland and oak savanna have been treated at the National Audubon Society and partners maintain a native grass- Memorial due to past grazing practices and present dominance of Patagonias and Canelo Hills. Preserving travel routes wildlife. Conservation easements guarantee long-term status as ranch regular intervals since the 1980s. The burn program also allows for land ecosystem on private and public lands. Chief methods are invasive Lehmann lovegrass. The National Park Service and local middle for large mammals such as black bear and mountain counties, Arizona land, and 2500 retention structures improve water capture and infil- safe execution of Army training activities and protects developments.