United States Department of Agriculture Apache-Sitgreaves Forest Service National Forests Plan Southwestern Region July 2016 Monitoring and Evaluation Report Fiscal Year 2015 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 for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY). 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Printed on recycled paper – July 2016 Table of Contents Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Plan ..................................................................................................... 1 Monitoring and Evaluation Report Fiscal Year 2015 .................................................................................... 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Integrated Resource Restoration .................................................................................................................. 1 Soil, Water, Riparian, and Air Quality Management ..................................................................................... 1 Fire and Fuels Management ......................................................................................................................... 3 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Projects ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 ARPA Investigations .................................................................................................................................. 8 Rangeland Management ............................................................................................................................... 8 Terrestrial Wildlife ........................................................................................................................................ 9 Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, and Sensitive Species ......................................................................... 9 Mexican Spotted Owls ............................................................................................................................ 10 Northern Goshawks ................................................................................................................................ 10 Bald Eagles .............................................................................................................................................. 11 Southwestern Willow Flycatchers ........................................................................................................... 11 New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mice ...................................................................................................... 12 Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Program .................................................................................................. 13 Threatened, Endangered, Proposed and Sensitive Aquatic Species ...................................................... 14 Aquatics Monitoring ............................................................................................................................... 15 Project Highlight: WMAT Tribal Youth Crew .......................................................................................... 16 Transportation ............................................................................................................................................ 19 Administrative Facilities .......................................................................................................................... 21 Lands and Minerals ..................................................................................................................................... 22 Land Ownership Adjustment .................................................................................................................. 22 Non-recreation Special Uses ................................................................................................................... 23 Boundary and Title Management ........................................................................................................... 23 Minerals .................................................................................................................................................. 23 Forest Products / Resource Management .................................................................................................. 23 Biomass/Hazardous Fuels Utilization ...................................................................................................... 24 Reforestation and Timber Stand Improvement ...................................................................................... 24 Insects and Diseases ................................................................................................................................... 24 Table of Contents i Insects ..................................................................................................................................................... 25 Diseases................................................................................................................................................... 26 Recreation ................................................................................................................................................... 26 .................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Plan Revision ............................................................................................................................................... 27 List of Tables Table 1. Number and causes of wildfires during 2015. ................................................................................ 3 Table 2. Acres surveyed and numbers of sites recorded or re-recorded under sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act in fiscal year 2015. ................................................................................. 5 Table 3. Projects completed under Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act in fiscal year 2015. ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Table 4. Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) investigations in fiscal year 2015. ..................... 8 Table 5. Permitted and authorized head months of occupancy in 2015. ..................................................... 8 Table 6. Wildlife program project accomplishments and funding for fiscal year 2015. ............................... 9 Table 7. Examples of projects benefitting wildlife during fiscal year 2015. ................................................. 9 Table 8. Summary of TEPS monitoring completed in 2015 .......................................................................... 9 Table 9. Aquatic program project accomplishments and funding for fiscal year 2015. ............................. 15 Table 10. Road maintenance and improvement in fiscal year 2015. ......................................................... 19 Table 11. Commercial timber and personal use and commercial permits sold in fiscal year 2015. .......... 24 List of Figures Figure 1. Minor rutting within Burro Salvage harvest area monitored in 2015. Soil disturbance for this unit was below the level of management concern....................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Black River. The Forests have applied for an in-stream flow water right to protect forest and other water right owners. ............................................................................................................................. 3 Figure 3. Buckelew prescribed burn project, prior to implementation (top), during implementation (center), and post-implementation (bottom). .............................................................................................. 4 Figure 4. Early-Middle Archaic Bajada point found during a site monitoring project on the Alpine Ranger District. .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Figure 5. Completed patio roof at the Double Circle Lodge. ........................................................................ 5 Figure 6. Petroglyph panel on ASNFs. ..........................................................................................................