Natural and Cultural Resources Management Plan Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks December 1999 Recommended By: William L. Bancroft 12/29/99 Chief of Science and Natural Resources Management, Date Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Tom Burge 12/30/99 Cultural Resources Specialist, Sequoia and Kings Date Canyon National Parks Dave Graber 12/30/99 Science Advisor Date Jon Keeley 12/30/99 Station Director, Western Ecological Research Center, Date Biological Resources Division, USGS Approved By: /s/ Michael J. Tollefson 12/30/99 Superintendent, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Date Parks TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 2 PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PARKS.............................................................................. 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PARKS............................................................................................................ 3 DESCRIPTION OF RESOURCE VALUES............................................................................................ 4 Ecosystem Model ................................................................................................................................. 5 ECOSYSTEM STRESSORS.................................................................................................................. 10 Loss of Pre-Euroamerican Fire Regimes............................................................................................ 10 Exotic Species .................................................................................................................................... 11 Air Pollution ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Habitat Fragmentation ........................................................................................................................ 13 Rapid Anthropogenic Climatic Change.............................................................................................. 14 LEGISLATION ...................................................................................................................................... 15 RESOURCE GOALS ............................................................................................................................. 17 WHAT RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IS ALL ABOUT .................................................................. 20 PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN ................................................................................................................... 21 RELATIONSHIP OF THIS PLAN TO OTHER PLANS ...................................................................... 22 NEPA COMPLIANCE AND CONSULTATION.................................................................................. 23 RESOURCE CONDITIONS AND STRATEGIES ......................................................................................... 24 NATURAL RESOURCE BASELINE INFORMATION ...................................................................... 24 Status of Natural Resource Information Based on NPS-75 Inventory and Monitoring Guidelines ... 25 Historical Database and Automated Bibliography ............................................................................. 25 Species Information............................................................................................................................ 26 Digital Maps of Vegetation Associations........................................................................................... 29 Cartographic Maps ............................................................................................................................. 30 Soils Maps .......................................................................................................................................... 30 Geology Maps .................................................................................................................................... 30 Water Resources Inventory ................................................................................................................ 31 Water Quality Data............................................................................................................................. 31 Air Quality Stations............................................................................................................................ 32 Air Quality Data ................................................................................................................................. 32 Precipitation and Meteorological Data ............................................................................................... 32 NATURAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................... 33 ii Vegetative Resources ......................................................................................................................... 33 Water Resources................................................................................................................................. 71 Wildlife Resources ............................................................................................................................. 79 Atmosphere and Meteorology ............................................................................................................ 93 Geological, Soils, and Paleontological Resources............................................................................ 104 Wilderness and Backcountry Resources........................................................................................... 114 CULTURAL RESOURCES................................................................................................................. 118 Cultural Resource Baseline Information .......................................................................................... 118 Prehistoric and Historic Archeological Sites.................................................................................... 120 Historic Structures ............................................................................................................................ 123 Objects and Archival Manuscripts Collections ................................................................................ 126 Cultural Landscapes ......................................................................................................................... 128 Ethnographic Resources ................................................................................................................... 131 NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PROGRAM .........................................135 OVERVIEW OF CURRENT PROGRAM AND NEEDS ................................................................... 135 NATURAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................................... 135 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 135 STATUS OF SCIENCE AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, RESOURCE PROTECTION, NATURAL RESOURCES INTERPRETATION/EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS................................................................................................................... 137 Division of Science and Natural Resources Management................................................................ 137 Divisions of Interpretation and Cultural Resources, Maintenance, Fire and Visitor Management, and the Environmental Management Committee ............................................................................. 138 Research Program............................................................................................................................. 138 Natural Resources Management Assessment Program (NR-MAP) Analysis for the Science and Natural Resources Management, Resource Protection, Natural Resource Interpretation/Education and Research Programs .................................................................................................................... 142 Natural Resources Budget Summary by Funding Source and Long-Term Goal.............................. 146 SCIENCE AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ..................................... 147 Division of Science and Natural Resources Management................................................................ 147 RESOURCE PROTECTION PROGRAM........................................................................................... 184 Division of Fire and Visitor Management........................................................................................ 184 Division of Maintenance .................................................................................................................. 187 Environmental Compliance .............................................................................................................. 187 iii NATURAL RESOURCES INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION PROGRAM.......................... 189 Division of Interpretation and Cultural Resources Management ..................................................... 189 WESTERN ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH