Coronado National United States Forest Department of Agriculture Forest Draft Land and Service Resource Management August 2011 Plan The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Printed on recycled paper – Month and Year Draft Land and Resource Management Plan Coronado National Forest Cochise, Graham, Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz Counties, Arizona Hidalgo County, New Mexico Responsible Official: Regional Forester Southwestern Region 333 Broadway Boulevard SE Albuquerque, NM 87102 (505) 842-3292 For more information contact: Forest Planner Coronado National Forest 300 West Congress, FB 42 Tucson, AZ 85701 (520) 388-8300 TTY 711 [email protected] ii Draft Land and Management Resource Plan Coronado National Forest Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................... 1 Purpose of Land and Resource Management Plan ......................................... 1 Overview of the Coronado National Forest ...................................................... 2 Summary of the Analysis of the Management Situation .................................. 5 Forest Plan Content ......................................................................................... 6 Forest Plan Decisions ................................................................................ 6 Other Plan Content .................................................................................... 7 Implementation of the Forest Plan ................................................................... 7 Changes to the Forest Plan ............................................................................. 8 Forest Plan Maps ............................................................................................ 9 Commonly Used Acronyms ............................................................................. 9 Forest Plan Organization ............................................................................... 10 Chapter 2: Forestwide Management ............................................................... 13 Introduction .................................................................................................... 13 Climate .......................................................................................................... 13 Vegetation ..................................................................................................... 17 Vegetation Communities .......................................................................... 17 Desert Communities ................................................................................. 19 Grassland Communities ........................................................................... 22 Interior Chaparral ..................................................................................... 28 Madrean Encinal Woodland ..................................................................... 30 Madrean Pine-Oak Woodland .................................................................. 33 Management Approaches ........................................................................ 36 Ponderosa Pine-Evergreen Shrub ........................................................... 36 Desired Conditions ................................................................................... 37 Management Approaches ........................................................................ 39 Dry Mixed Conifer .................................................................................... 39 Management Approaches ........................................................................ 42 Wet Mixed Conifer .................................................................................... 42 Spruce-Fir ................................................................................................ 45 Wildland–Urban Interface ......................................................................... 48 Montane Meadows ................................................................................... 49 Wetlands .................................................................................................. 50 Riparian Areas ......................................................................................... 51 Biophysical Features ..................................................................................... 53 Natural Water Sources .................................................................................. 55 Constructed Waters ....................................................................................... 57 Soil ................................................................................................................ 58 Air .................................................................................................................. 59 Animals and Rare Plants ............................................................................... 60 iii Draft Land and Management Resource Plan Coronado National Forest Invasive Species ............................................................................................ 64 Forest Products ............................................................................................. 65 Minerals ......................................................................................................... 65 Public Access ................................................................................................ 66 Motorized Transportation System .................................................................. 68 Recreation ..................................................................................................... 71 Scenic Quality ................................................................................................ 75 Special Uses.................................................................................................. 77 Heritage Resources ....................................................................................... 79 Tribal Relations .............................................................................................. 82 Range Management ...................................................................................... 83 Land Ownership Adjustments and Boundary Management ........................... 86 Chapter 3: Management Areas ........................................................................ 91 Introduction .................................................................................................... 91 Designated Wilderness Areas ....................................................................... 91 Plan Components for Designated Wilderness Areas ............................... 91 Wildlife in Wilderness ............................................................................... 93 Fire in Wilderness .................................................................................... 95 Research in Wilderness ........................................................................... 96 Chiricahua Wilderness ............................................................................. 96 Galiuro Wilderness ................................................................................... 97 Miller Peak Wilderness ............................................................................. 98 Mt. Wrightson Wilderness ...................................................................... 100 Pajarita Wilderness ................................................................................ 101 Pusch Ridge Wilderness ........................................................................ 102 Rincon Mountain Wilderness .................................................................. 104 Santa Teresa Wilderness ....................................................................... 105 Recommended Wilderness Areas ............................................................... 106 Wilderness Study Areas .............................................................................. 107 Eligible Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers ............................................ 107 Arizona National Scenic Trail....................................................................... 110 Land Use Zones .......................................................................................... 111 Wild Backcountry ................................................................................... 111 Roaded Backcountry .............................................................................. 112 Developed Recreation ............................................................................ 113 Motorized