Draft Revised Forest Plan Gila National Forest Catron, Grant, Hidalgo, and Sierra Counties, New Mexico
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United States Department of Agriculture Draft Revised Forest Plan Gila National Forest Catron, Grant, Hidalgo, and Sierra Counties, New Mexico Forest Service Southwestern Region December 2019 MB-R3-06-11 Cover photo: Woodland Park In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family or parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. Accessibility: We make every effort to create documents that are accessible to individuals of all abilities; however, limitations with our word processing programs may prevent some parts of this document from being readable by computer-assisted reading devices. If you need assistance with any part of this document, please contact the Gila National Forest at 575-388-8280. Draft Revised Forest Plan Draft Revised Forest Plan for the Gila National Forest Responsible Official: Adam Mendonca, Forest Supervisor Gila National Forest 3005 E. Camino del Bosque, Silver City, NM 88061 For more information: Gila National Forest Plan Revision Team 3005 E. Camino del Bosque, Silver City, NM 88061 Phone: 575-388-8280 Email: [email protected] Website: http://go.usa.gov/h88k Gila National Forest i This page intentionally left blank Draft Revised Forest Plan Table of Contents Commonly Used Acronyms ...................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1 – Introduction .................................................................................................................. 11 Purpose of this Document ...................................................................................................................... 11 Forest Plans and the 2012 Planning Rule ................................................................................................ 11 Collaboration and Public Involvement .................................................................................................... 11 A Description of the Gila National Forest ............................................................................................... 12 The Vision ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Assessment Summary ......................................................................................................................... 17 Needs for Change Summary................................................................................................................ 18 Plan Components, Management/Geographic Areas, Suitability of Lands and Other Content ............... 21 Plan Components ................................................................................................................................ 21 Organization of Plan Components ...................................................................................................... 22 Other Required Plan Content .............................................................................................................. 23 Optional Plan Content ......................................................................................................................... 23 Key Plan Concepts ................................................................................................................................... 23 Plan Consistency ..................................................................................................................................... 25 Transition in the Implementation of the Forest Plan .............................................................................. 25 Plan Implementation ............................................................................................................................... 25 An Integrated Approach .......................................................................................................................... 26 Monitoring and Evaluation...................................................................................................................... 26 Chapter 2 – Forest-wide Plan Direction ............................................................................................. 27 Plan Management Approaches ............................................................................................................... 27 Management Approach to Change and Uncertainty .......................................................................... 27 Management Approach to Restoration .............................................................................................. 33 Ecosystems and Watersheds ................................................................................................................... 35 Background and Description ............................................................................................................... 35 All Upland Ecological Response Units ..................................................................................................... 42 Background Information ..................................................................................................................... 42 Landscape-scale Desired Conditions (1,000 to 10,000+ acres) ........................................................... 42 Standards ............................................................................................................................................ 43 Guidelines ........................................................................................................................................... 44 Management Approaches ................................................................................................................... 44 Gila National Forest iii Draft Revised Forest Plan Forested Ecological Response Units .................................................................................................... 48 Woodland Ecological Response Units ................................................................................................. 70 Shrubland Ecological Response Units ................................................................................................. 80 Grassland Ecological Response Units .................................................................................................. 82 Soils ..................................................................................................................................................... 86 Water Quality ...................................................................................................................................... 91 Watersheds ......................................................................................................................................... 93 Riparian and Aquatic Ecosystems ........................................................................................................ 98 Cliffs and Rocky Features .................................................................................................................. 107 Caves and Abandoned Mine Lands ................................................................................................... 109 Wildlife, Fish, and Plants ................................................................................................................... 112 Rare and Endemic Plant and Animal Species and Habitats ............................................................... 118 Non-native Invasive Species .............................................................................................................. 120 Air Quality ......................................................................................................................................... 127 Social, Cultural, and Economic Sustainability