Prescott National Forest
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Prescott National Forest United States Department of Agriculture Forest Plan Monitoring and Forest Service Evaluation Report Southwestern Region Fiscal Year 2014 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. FY2014 Monitoring and Evaluation Report Page ii Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction .............................................................................................. 5 Section 2: Monitoring Summary ............................................................................... 7 Fire Management .................................................................................................................................... 7 Heritage Resources ............................................................................................................................... 11 Insects and Disease ............................................................................................................................... 13 Lands .................................................................................................................................................... 13 Noxious Weeds ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Range Management .............................................................................................................................. 14 Recreation ............................................................................................................................................. 17 Roads and Facilities .............................................................................................................................. 18 Soil and Water ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Timber .................................................................................................................................................. 22 Section 3: Progress toward Desired Condition .................................................... 27 Fire Management .................................................................................................................................. 27 Law Enforcement ................................................................................................................................. 27 Heritage Resources ............................................................................................................................... 27 Lands .................................................................................................................................................... 28 Noxious Weeds ..................................................................................................................................... 28 Range .................................................................................................................................................... 29 Recreation ............................................................................................................................................. 31 Roads and Facilities .............................................................................................................................. 32 Soil and Water ...................................................................................................................................... 32 Timber .................................................................................................................................................. 33 Wildlife ................................................................................................................................................. 34 Section 4: Barriers to Effective Monitoring ........................................................... 37 Heritage Resources ............................................................................................................................... 37 Noxious Weeds ..................................................................................................................................... 37 Range Management .............................................................................................................................. 37 Recreation ............................................................................................................................................. 37 Wildlife ................................................................................................................................................. 38 Section 5: Emerging Issues .................................................................................... 39 Fire Management .................................................................................................................................. 39 Heritage Resources ............................................................................................................................... 40 Noxious Weeds ..................................................................................................................................... 41 Range .................................................................................................................................................... 41 Recreation ............................................................................................................................................. 41 Roads and Facilities .............................................................................................................................. 41 Timber .................................................................................................................................................. 42 Wildlife ................................................................................................................................................. 42 Section 6: Recommendations ................................................................................ 45 Five “Needs for Change” Topics .......................................................................................................... 45 Alternative Methods for Monitoring .................................................................................................... 45 Section 7: Certification of Forest Plan Sufficiency ............................................... 46 FY2014 Monitoring and Evaluation Report Page iii List of Figures Figure 1. Fire Season 2014 Energy Release Component for the Prescott NF 10 Figure 2. Monitoring on the Williamson Valley Allotment, Chino Valley RD, Sept. 2014 14 Figure 3. Monitoring Hog Springs in the Upper Ash Watershed. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4. In stream flow monitoring site on perennial reach of Cherry Creek 33 Figure 5. Ponderosa pine stand after an intermediate timber harvest treatment. Untreated on the top and treated on the bottom 34 Figure 6. Ponderosa pine stand treated with an intermediate harvest and a prescribed burn. 42 List of Tables Table 1. Average moisture levels for the Prescott NF weather stations .................................................. 9 Table 2. Moisture levels recorded at the Prescott NF weather stations during FY2014 ......................... 9 Table 3. Moisture levels recorded at the Prescott NF weather stations during FY2013 ......................... 9 Table 4. Wildfires on the Prescott NF during 2013 and 2014 .............................................................. 10 Table 5. Wildfires greater than 100 acres on the Prescott NF during 2013 and 2014 .......................... 10 Table 6. Annual acres treated by vegetation type 1989 - 2001 ............................................................. 11 Table 7. Annual acres treated by vegetation type 2002 - 2014 ............................................................. 11 Table 8. Allotments monitored for effectiveness of allotment management plan in meeting desired conditions ............................................................................................................................... 16 Table 9. Allotments with information collection for allotment management plan revision ................. 16 Table 10. 2014 Campground Occupancy ............................................................................................. 17 Table 11. 2014 Watershed Restoration Action Plan Monitoring .......................................................... 20 Table 12. Harvest history in pine vegetation types FY1987 - FY2000 ................................................ 22 Table 13. Harvest history in pine vegetation types FY2001 - FY2014 ................................................ 23 Table 14. Harvest history in