ROGERS LAKE COUNTY NATURAL AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN 2014-2024 Prepared by Coconino County Parks & Recreation Department and the Arizona Game & Fish Department under a Memorandum of Understanding (dated October 16, 2012) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Rogers Lake Stakeholders Group Partners Arizona Game & Fish Department Arizona State Forestry Division Camp Navajo-US Army/Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs Coconino County Community Development Department Coconino County District 3 Supervisor Matt Ryan, Ex-Officio Coconino County Natural Resources Conservation District Coconino County Parks and Recreation Department Manterola Sheep Company Miller Brothers, LLC and Family Northern Arizona University: Centennial Forest The Arboretum at Flagstaff U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service U.S. Forest Service: Coconino National Forest U.S. Naval Observatory: Flagstaff Station Willow Bend Environmental Education Center Coconino County Board of Supervisors Art Babbott, District 1 Liz Archuleta, District 2 Matt Ryan, District 3 Mandy Metzger, District 4 Lena Fowler, District 5 Cynthia Seelhammer, County Manager Coconino County Parks and Recreation Commission Heather Ainardi Brian Blue Pam Foti Carol Glassburn Mary Hendricks Diane Lenz Shannon Shoots Beth Tucker Judy Weiss, CPRE, Parks and Recreation Director Coconino County Parks and Recreation Department Arizona Game & Fish Department, Region II 2446 Fort Tuthill Loop 3500 S. Lake Mary Road Graphic Design Flagstaff, Arizona 86005 Flagstaff, AZ 86005 We Are William, LLC. (928) 679-8000 (928) 774-5045 www.wearewilliam.com www.coconino.az.gov/parks www.azgfd.gov 2 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS FRONT MATTER SECTION 3 / PUBLIC USE & FACILITIES 6 30 8 SECTION I / NATURAL & CULTURAL RESOURCES List of Figures and Photographs DEVELOPMENT Figure 1 Coconino County and Rogers Lake County Acronyms and Key Terms Public Use of the Natural Area Natural Area Vision Rules for Public Use Photo 1 Rogers Lake Executive Summary Proposed Facilities Development Figure 2 Local land ownership Long-range Facilities Development and Maintenance Figure 3 Natural Area hydrologic features and surrounding Recreation Element topographic relief 8 SECTION I / NATURAL & CULTURAL Hunting Photo 2 Rogers Lake with view of the Peaks RESOURCES Low-Impact Recreation Introduction Natural Area Operations Land Acquisition History 24 SECTION 2 / RANGELAND AND WILDLIFE Access and Travel Management Adjacent Lands MANAGEMENT Priority Action Plan for Project Implementation Planning Context and Evaluation Photo 3 bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Natural Resource Element Priorities for Long-Range Facilities Management Photo 4 Rocky Mountain iris (Iris missouriensis) Overview of Natural Resources Priorities for Long-Range Forest and Wetland Systems Photo 5 Baltic rush (Juncus balticus) Water Resources Management Figure 4 Grazing allotments on the Natural Area Vegetation Resources Priorities for Long-Range Wildlife Habitat Enhancements Photo 6 Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria dalamtica) Wildlife Resources Directives for CCPR and RLSG Photo 7 northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) Geology, Soils, and Hydrology Photo 8 Rogers Lake Figure 9 Rogers Lake Visual Resources 38 REFERENCES Cultural Resources Element Overview of Traditional Uses 30 SECTION 3 / PUBLIC USE & FACILITIES Archaeological Resources and Historical Sites 39 APPENDIX A / ROGERS LAKE NATURAL AREA DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Figure 5 Access for Rogers Lake County Natural Area 24 SECTION 2 / RANGELAND AND WILDLIFE Table 1 Chart of projects in-progress and proposed for MANAGEMENT 42 APPENDIX B / LIST OF PLANT SPECIES IDENTIFIED implementation Figure 6 Existing and planned conservation improvements Rangeland Management Element AT ROGERS LAKE NATURAL AREA and visitor amenities Rangeland Assessment Figure 7 2012-2013 Inventory and monitoring sites Current and Future Grazing Management APPENDIX C / Wildlife Management Element 44 LIST OF BIRD SPECIES IDENTIFIED Arizona Game & Fish Department AT ROGERS LAKE NATURAL AREA US Fish & Wildlife Service Species Management APPENDIX D / 46 ROGERS LAKE CULTURAL RESOURCE POLICY 4 5 ACRONYMS VISION FOR ROGERS LAKE COUNTY NATURAL AREA AGFD Arizona Game & Fish Department ASLD Arizona State Land Department To maintain open space and provide incomparable watchable AZDEMA Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs CCCD Coconino County Community Development Department wildlife, educational, and research opportunities by conserving CCPR Coconino County Parks & Recreation Department CNF Coconino National Forest the natural and cultural resources while respecting private CPOS Coconino Parks & Open Space Program ERI Ecological Restoration Institute property rights and continuing traditional land uses including NRCD Natural Resources Conservation District RLSG Rogers Lake Stakeholders’ Group hunting and permitted agriculture USFS United States Forest Service USFWS United States Fish & Wildlife Service Executive Summary Goals, Objectives, and Strategies This Management Plan (hereafter the Plan) was developed to The Goals, Objectives, and Strategies set forth in this plan were KEY TERMS guide Coconino County Parks & Recreation (CCPR) in its man- developed cooperatively with the RLSG, beginning in 2009 with agement of Rogers Lake County Natural Area for a ten-year the first Stakeholders’ meeting. Subsequently, goals were expand- period. The Plan summarizes the unique values for which the ed and refined, reflecting improved understanding of the Natural adaptive management “Adaptive management is a decision process that promotes flexible decision making that can be adjusted Natural Area was acquired, establishes a Vision, Goals, Objec- Area and the opportunities it provides for public enjoyment, sci- in the face of uncertainties as outcomes from management actions and other events become better under tives, and Strategies for long-term management of the property, entific research, and other uses. stood. Careful monitoring of these outcomes both advances scientific understanding and helps adjust and identifies future policy needs. From early in the acquisition policies or operations as part of an iterative learning process. Adaptive management also recognizes the process, CCPR and the Rogers Lake Stakeholders Group (RLSG) This Plan is organized so that Goals are described within the text, importance of natural variability in contributing to ecological resilience and productivity. It is not a ‘trial have worked to define management goals for maintaining and en- following relevant content. Natural Resources Goals (NRG-1 – and error’ process, but rather emphasizes learning while doing. Adaptive management does not represent hancing the Natural Area while providing for public enjoyment NRG-8), Cultural Resources Goals (CRG-1 – CRG-3), Recreation an end in itself, but rather a means to more effective decisions and enhanced benefits...” of its Natural, Cultural, Recreational, and Educational Resources. Goal (RG-1), Education Goals (EG-1 – EG-2), and a General Goal (Williams et al. 2007, based on National Research Council definition) These partnership efforts have been crucial for acquisition and provide overarching direction for management action, consistent management to date, and will be central in future planning, proj- with the conservation values for which the property was acquired. federally listed a designation by USFWS identifying a species for protection under the Endangered Species Act as ect implementation, stewardship, and addressing concerns that A complete list of the Goals, Objectives and Strategies can be threatened or endangered landscape permeability degree to which wildlife are able to move freely through may arise. This Management Plan is not prescriptive, but rather found in Appendix A. the landscape, unimpeded by barriers including human development, roads, railroads, and fences. provides a framework within which CCPR and the Stakeholders will continue development of specific management actions for the Throughout the text, keywords are highlighted in green. These movement corridor an area of habitat used by individual animals to move among habitat patches. Critical corridors are next ten years. words and phrases are described in the glossary of terms on page 6. necessary for viable wildlife populations. This Management Plan was developed by CCPR and the Arizo- neotropical migrant a bird species that spends the summer in its breeding range in North America and migrates to Central or na Game & Fish Department (AGFD) under a Memorandum of South America in non-breeding winter months. Neo refers to the New World, or western hemisphere. Understanding between the two agencies supporting cooperative management of Rogers Lake County Natural Area. noxious weed “Noxious weed” is a legal term applied to plants regulated by state and federal laws. A noxious weed is “any species of plant that is detrimental or destructive and difficult to control or eradicate and includes plant organisms found injurious to any domesticated, cultivated, native or wild plant.” (Plant Services Division. Prohibited, regulated and restricted noxious weeds (1 May 2006). Arizona Department of Agriculture.) proper functioning a methodology for assessing the physical functioning of riparian and wetland systems. condition (PFC) The term PFC is used to describe both the assessment process, and a defined, on-the-ground condition of a riparian-wetland area. In either case, PFC defines a minimum or starting point. rangeland health degree to which