Montezuma Castle National Monument National Park Service Tuzigoot National Monument U.S. Department of the Interior Arizona MONTEZUMA CASTLE MONTEZUMAWELL TUZIGOOT GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN /ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT General Management Plan / Environmental Assessment MONTEZUMA CASTLE NATIONAL MONUMENT AND TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENT Yavapai County, Arizona January 2010 As the responsible agency, the National Park Service prepared this general management plan to establish the direction of management of Montezuma Castle National Monument and Tu- zigoot National Monument for the next 15 to 20 years. The general management plan pro- vides comprehensive, integrated guidance for preserving cultural resources, perpetuating natural systems, providing opportunities for visitor enjoyment and understanding, and estab- lishing the organizational mechanism to accomplish the plan. The previous general management plan for Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national mo- numents was completed in 1975. Since then, much has changed, including visitor use pat- terns, land uses in the Verde Valley outside the monuments, and area populations. These changes affect how visitors access and use the national monuments, the facilities needed to support those uses, management of resources, and how the National Park Service manages its operations. Therefore, a new plan is needed to allow the monuments to achieve desired conditions that implement goals of the National Park Service and the public for management and preservation of cultural and natural resources. The environmental assessment that was prepared to determine the impacts of the general management plan considered three alternatives: • Alternative A, the no-action alternative; • Alternative B, which is the National Park Service preferred alternative and emphasizes opportunities to connect the monuments, including Montezuma Well (a detached unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument), with improved regional orientation to the Verde Valley; and • Alternative C, which emphasizes self-discovery of the monuments’ resources. The environmental assessment was prepared in compliance with the National Environmen- tal Policy Act to provide the decision-making framework that 1) analyzes a reasonable range of alternatives to meet objectives of the proposal, 2) evaluates potential issues and impacts to the monuments’ resources and values, and 3) identifies mitigation measures to lessen the de- gree or extent of these impacts. Resource topics included in this document because impacts may be greater than minor include cultural resources, natural resources, visitor use and expe- rience, socioeconomics, and monument operations. Other resource topics were dismissed because the plan would result in negligible or minor effects. No major effects are anticipated as a result of this plan. Public scoping was conducted to assist with the development of this document, and comments received during scoping are to a great extent reflected in the con- tent of this document and were considered in the development of the action alternatives. U.S. Department of the Interior ● National Park Service i HOW TO COMMENT ON THIS PLAN If you wish to comment on the environmental assessment, you may post comments online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/moca. You may mail comments to Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments General Management Plan National Park Service Denver Service Center Attn: Cynthia Nelson P.O. Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225 You may also hand deliver comments to Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monu- ment Headquarters, 527 South Main Street, Camp Verde, Arizona. This environmental assessment will be on public review for 30 days. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identify- ing information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. ii SUMMARY PURPOSE AND NEED FOR A changes affect how visitors access and use GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN the national monuments, the facilities needed to support those uses, manage- The purpose of this general management ment of resources, and how the National plan is to establish a clear vision for the Park Service (NPS) manages its opera- direction of management of Montezuma tions. Therefore, a new plan is needed to: Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments for the next 15 to 20 years. The general • Set forth the basic management phi- management plan will provide compre- losophy or vision for Montezuma Cas- hensive and integrated guidance for pre- tle and Tuzigoot national monuments serving cultural resources, perpetuating and provide strategies for achieving natural systems, providing opportunities identified management objectives for visitor enjoyment and understanding, (“desired future conditions”). and establishing the organizational me- • Clearly define resource conditions chanism to accomplish the plan. and visitor use and experience to be Montezuma Castle National Monument achieved in the monuments. was established in 1906 under the authori- • Identify the kinds of resource protec- ty of the Antiquities Act. Since then, Con- tion, management, use, and develop- gress passed legislation in 1937, 1959, ment that will be appropriate in 1978, and 2003 expanding the boundary of achieving and maintaining those con- the monument to better protect the natu- ditions. ral and cultural resources adjacent to the cliff dwellings. • Identify future partnerships and colla- borative planning efforts that would Montezuma Well was added as a detached facilitate the realization of the monu- unit of Montezuma Castle National Mo- ments’ goals. nument by an Act of Congress in 1943. Congress expanded the boundary of the • Provide a framework for the monu- well site in 1959 to protect resources adja- ments’ managers to use to make deci- cent to the well and for administrative sions about protecting Montezuma purposes. Castle and Tuzigoot national monu- ments’ resources, provide quality visi- Tuzigoot National Monument was estab- tor use and experience, manage visitor lished by presidential proclamation on use, and determine the kinds of facili- July 25, 1939, to protect the prehistoric ties, if any, to develop in and near the structures. The boundary was expanded monuments. by an Act of Congress in 1965 and again in 1978. Additional lands were conveyed through a land exchange in 2005. The last comprehensive planning effort (general management plan) for Montezu- ma Castle and Tuzigoot national monu- ments was completed in 1975. Since then, much has changed, including patterns and types of visitor use, land uses in the Verde Valley outside the monu- ments, and area populations. These iii • Ensure that the basic foundation for tions and visitor facilities would remain in decision-making has been developed place. Opportunities for close contact be- in consultation with interested stake- tween visitors and the natural and cultural holders and adopted by the NPS lea- resources at the sites would continue to be dership after an adequate analysis of limited. The interpretive emphasis would the benefits, impacts, and economic continue to focus on the three primary costs of alternative courses of action. sites within the monuments, with little connection among the sites in terms of • Investigate the potential for boundary interpretation. modifications. At Montezuma Castle, resource activities ALTERNATIVES AND would continue to focus on stabilizing the THEIR IMPACTS primary site, with intensive preservation treatment and regular cyclic maintenance. This General Management Plan and Envi- Visitor opportunities would continue to ronmental Assessment presents three alter- focus on viewing the Castle and visiting natives for management of Montezuma the visitor center. Existing administration Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments. facilities would remain the same. They include: At Montezuma Well, resource activities • Alternative A, the no-action alterna- would continue to focus on monitoring tive (continue current management); water quantity. Visitor opportunities • Alternative B, the National Park Ser- would continue to focus on viewing Mon- vice preferred alternative, which em- tezuma Well and visiting the well outlet. phasizes opportunities to connect the The picnic area would continue to be a three sites with improved regional major draw for local visitation. orientation to the Verde Valley; and At Tuzigoot, resource activities would • Alternative C, which emphasizes self- continue to focus on stabilizing the prima- discovery of the monuments’ re- ry site, with intensive preservation treat- sources. ment and regular cyclic maintenance. Visi- tor opportunities would continue to focus The alternatives, which are based on the on exploring the pueblo and visiting the monuments’ mission, purpose, and signi- visitor center/museum. ficance, present different ways to manage resources and visitor use and improve fa- Although the no-action alternative may cilities and infrastructure. Additional ac- not meet all goals set forth for this general tions and alternatives were considered but management plan, it serves as the baseline were dismissed for the reasons described against which the action alternatives are in chapter 2. evaluated. The important impacts of con- tinuing existing management conditions Alternative A: The