NEWSLETTER OF THE ARIZONA WILDERNESS COALITION ARIZONA WILDWILD Protecting the Wild Mogollon Rim Biological Soil Crusts Congratulations Fossil Creek! Warm Springs Wilderness Saving the Chiricahua Leopard Frog SPRING–SUMMER 2009 Arizona Wilderness Coalition Main Office THOUGHTS FROM THE KGB 520-326-4300 P.O. Box 40340 Tucson, AZ 85717 Success at last…but there’s more to do Phoenix Office 602-252-5530 by Kevin Gaither-Banchoff P.O. Box 13524 Phoenix, AZ 85002 n March 9, 2009, President Obama signed Central Arizona Field Office the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act 928-717-6076 of 2009. With one stroke of a pen, the work P.O. Box 2741 Oof hundreds of organizations and thousands Prescott, AZ 86302 of volunteers, activists, and supportive businesses came to fruition. Across our great country, from West Virginia to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, from Idaho AWC Staff and Oregon south to California, and from Utah to New Kevin Gaither-Banchoff, Executive Director, Mexico, over 2 million acres of new Wilderness was [email protected] designated, ensuring its protection forever. At the same Katurah Mackay, Communications Director, time, three new units were added to the National Park [email protected] System, a new national monument and three new Sam Frank, Central Arizona Director, national conservation areas were created, and over [email protected] 1000 miles of river were added to the national wild Danica Norris, Community Organizer, and scenic river system. [email protected] With passage of the Omnibus bill, the Arizona Wilderness Coalition was instrumental in securing . designation for Fossil Creek as our state’s second Wild AWC Board of Directors & Scenic River (see page 8)! This completed many President: Matt Skroch, Tucson years of work that all started when Matt Duperrault, a Prescott College student, worked with AWC to com- AWC staff works hard but always makes time for experi- Vice-President: Brian Segee, Washington, D.C. encing Arizona’s special wild places. Photo: AWC Secretary: Don Hoffman, Alpine plete the Fossil Creek Wild & Scenic River study/pro- Treasurer: Kelly Burke, Flagstaff posal. This proposal formed the basis of years of work Curt Bradley, Tucson by former AWC employee Jason Williams, his succes- 4,560,432 wild acres of public lands. It is our job to Kim Crumbo, Flagstaff sor Sam Frank, the Yavapai-Apache Nation, Arizona continue to work and protect these existing Trica Oshant Hawkins, Tucson Public Service, Northern Arizona University, our many Wilderness areas (see page3) while continuing to build Douglas Hulmes, Prescott organizational, municipal, and individual partners, support for protecting additional wild places – gems Bart Koehler, Durango and of course, the members of the Arizona like the Tumacacori Highlands in southern Arizona, Michael Quinlan, Tempe Congressional delegation that helped make protection the Blue Range Primitive Area in eastern Arizona, the of Fossil Creek a reality. upper Verde River in Central Arizona, the Grand Mission Statement In addition, the National Landscape Conservation Canyon, and millions of additional acres we have iden- The Arizona Wilderness Coalition’s mission is to System (NLCS) was made permanent, adding power tified as worthy of and needing of wilderness protec- permanently protect and restore Wilderness and and authority to its mission to preserve wild, rugged tion. other wild lands and waters in Arizona for the enjoy- Bureau of Land Management lands so visitors can We will not wait another 19 years to see Arizona’s ment of all citizens and to ensure that Arizona’s native enjoy a remote experience symbolic of the American next Wilderness or Wild & Scenic River protected. We plants and animals have a lasting home in wild West. In Arizona, the NLCS includes the Agua Fria, have been laying the ground work, educating and nature. We do this by coordinating and conducting Grand Canyon-Parashant, Ironwood Forest, Sonoran engaging a wide range of stakeholders, and believe that inventories, educating citizens about these lands, Desert, and Vermilion Cliffs National Monuments as as we move forward we will continue to preserve the enlisting community support, and advocating for well as the Gila Box Riparian, Las Cienegas, and San special places our future generations deserve. We are their lasting protection. Pedro Riparian National Conservation Areas. proud to have protected Fossil Creek this year, The passage of the Omnibus legislation was a although our work is not done: we must ensure this momentous day for not only Arizona, but those of us special place doesn’t get “loved to death.” The Fossil that believe in the importance of preserving our Creek legislation directs that a comprehensive river nation’s lands and history for future generations. management plan be developed within three years; we Protecting our wild lands and waters is hard work. will remain fully engaged in this critical process, along And none of it would be possible without all of you – with other local community stakeholders, to ensure our members and supporters. You help by educating the Wild & Scenic River designation adequately pro- and engaging your friends, getting out on the land and tects the creeks incredible values and history. We are helping with inventory, trash clean ups, and restora- proud to have you as a critical part of our team, our tion work. You write letters to newspapers, call your Coalition. Thank you for all your support. We look members of Congress, and even join us on trips to forward to partnering with you in the coming months D.C. or to meet with Arizona based congressional staff. and years as we continue to fight for Arizona’s wild You also attend events and generously open your places. pocket books (see page 15). Thank you. We couldn’t do our work without you. Until Fossil Creek, it had been 19 years (the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 1990) since Arizona last successfully passed new Wild & Scenic or Wilderness designations. Given this long break, some Cover Photo: Fossil Creek by Elias Butler people forget that we have a long and rich wilderness www.eliasbutler.com history and legacy in Arizona that includes early wilderness champion Congressman Mo Udall and Design by Mary Williams/marywilliamsdesign.com then-Congressman John McCain. Before this year, we’d passed legislative wilderness protections six times, protecting 90 distinct wilderness areas covering 2 ARIZONAWILD www.azwild.org A Place for All Things Great and Small: Protecting the Wild Mogollon Rim by Kim Crumbo, Wildlands Conservation Director for the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council ince pre-settlement times, Arizona and New Arizona’s Mogollon Plateau watershed contains Mexican spotted owl, Mexican wolf, Chiricahua and Mexico have experienced a 90% loss of ripar- remnant old growth mixed conifer and ponderosa for- northern leopard frogs and other important native ian ecosystems. Along with old growth pon- est. These values are significant, given that more than wildlife such as mountain lion, black bear, elk, mule Sderosa pine forests, Arizona’s riparian forests 200 years are required to develop old growth structure deer, American pronghorn, Gunnison prairie dog and are considered one of America’s most endangered in southwestern ponderosa pine forests. Ecologists goshawk. The forests also provide critical linkages for ecosystems. The entire forested Mogollon Plateau and conservationists have determined that old growth wildlife populations of the Blue Range and Gila wilder- watershed (i.e. East Clear Creek, West Clear Creek, ponderosa pine forests constitute one of America’s ness complex of eastern Arizona and western New West Oak Creek, Wet Beaver Creek, Willow Creek and most endangered ecosystems. They report that old- Mexico across the Mogollon and Coconino plateaus to Walnut, Sycamore, and Chevelon canyons) provides growth ponderosa pine has suffered an estimated 85- the Grand Canyon and Arizona’s Central Mountains. relatively intact, biologically significant core and wildlife 98% area loss due to destruction, conversion to other The southern Coconino and Apache-Sitgreaves movement corridors through a landscape otherwise uses, and significant degradation in structure, func- national forests’ riparian regions including the Black, fragmented by roads and logging impacts. T h e s e tion, and composition. Logging is one of the principal San Francisco, Verde and upper Little Colorado rivers spectacular canyons are anchors for biodiversity. Rivers causes of this decline. and their tributaries offer some of the finest, most and streams, especially in the semi-arid southwest, are In addition, old-growth forests play a critical role diverse, and threatened natural and cultural resources often considered the epitome of connectivity, critical to in reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a major in the United States. This area remains an incredibly a landscape’s overall health. Their long, linear shapes contributor to global climate warming. These forests rich, biologically diverse forest and grassland refuge and arterial patterns make them unique landscape fea- provide one of the most secure forms of carbon stor- for imperiled and important species. tures and the highest diversity of plant and animal age. For this and other reasons, the Union of species often falls within riparian zones. By physically Concerned Scientists (UCS) recommends that mature The Vision and ecologically connecting habitats, riparian areas can forests and other forest areas with recognized high The Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, with assis- significantly influence ecological processes and func- conservation value should be fully protected and not tance from the Arizona Wilderness Coalition and the tions on a landscape level. Rivers and streams provide managed for timber or biomass production. Center for Biological Diversity, has prepared a propos- natural attributes that guide animal movements and The Mogollon Plateau forests (Coconino, Kaibab al for the Mogollon Wildlife Conservation Area to pro- sufficiently wide, protected corridors can facilitate and Apache-Sitgreaves national forests) remain tect this imperiled ecosystem. In order to assure long- movement of many native species.