Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Visual Resource Inventory San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA) Prepared for: Gila District Tucson Field Office 3201 East Universal Way Tucson, Arizona 85765 Prepared by: Logan Simpson Design Inc. 51 West Third Street, Suite 450 Tempe, Arizona 85281 August 2013 This Page Intentionally Left Blank CONTENTS List of Figures and Tables ................................................................................................................... v List of Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................. vii 1.0 Introduction of Inventory Area ............................................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Context of the Inventory Area ......................................................................................... 1-1 1.1.1 Administrative Boundaries .................................................................................. 1-3 1.1.2 Settlement and Land Use Patterns ..................................................................... 1-3 2.0 Visual Resource Management System ................................................................................ 2-1 2.1 Background and Purpose ............................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Visual Resource Inventory Overview .............................................................................. 2-2 2.3 Visual Resource Management Overview ........................................................................ 2-2 2.4 Visual Resource Contrast Rating Overview .................................................................... 2-3 3.0 Visual Resource Inventory ................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 3-1 3.2 Agency and Community Coordination ............................................................................. 3-1 4.0 Inventory Factor 1: Scenic Quality ....................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 4-1 4.2 Inventory and Evaluation Methodology ........................................................................... 4-1 4.3 Scenic Quality Factors .................................................................................................. 4-11 4.3.1 Landform .......................................................................................................... 4-11 4.3.2 Vegetation ........................................................................................................ 4-11 4.3.3 Water ................................................................................................................ 4-11 4.3.4 Color ................................................................................................................. 4-12 4.3.5 Influence of Adjacent Scenery .......................................................................... 4-12 4.3.6 Scarcity............................................................................................................. 4-12 4.3.7 Cultural Modifications ....................................................................................... 4-12 4.4 Scenic Quality Summary .............................................................................................. 4-12 4.4.1 Key Factor Analysis .......................................................................................... 4-13 4.4.2 Scenic Quality Ratings ...................................................................................... 4-17 5.0 Inventory Factor 2: Sensitivity Levels ................................................................................. 5-1 5.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 5-1 Bureau of Land Management, Arizona August 2013 Gila District, Tucson Field Office/SPRNCA iii Visual Resource Inventory 5.2 Inventory and Evaluation Methodology ........................................................................... 5-2 5.3 Local Agency and Community Coordination ................................................................... 5-4 5.4 Rating Criteria and Scoring Method ................................................................................ 5-4 5.5 Sensitivity Level Rating Summary................................................................................... 5-4 6.0 Inventory Factor 3: Visual Distance Zones .......................................................................... 6-1 6.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 6-1 6.2 Mapping Methodology .................................................................................................... 6-1 6.3 Distance Zone Summary ................................................................................................ 6-2 7.0 Visual Resource Inventory Classes ..................................................................................... 7-1 7.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 7-1 7.2 Visual Resource Inventory Classes ................................................................................ 7-1 8.0 References ............................................................................................................................. 8-1 Appendix A Scenic Quality Rating Unit Evaluations Appendix B Sensitivity Level Rating Unit Evaluations Appendix C Distance Zone Input Appendix D Photo Log Appendix E Physiographic Province Inventory Area Appendix F Agency and Community Coordination Appendix G Process Record August 2013 Bureau of Land Management, Arizona iv Gila District, Tucson Field Office/SPRNCA Visual Resource Inventory LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figures Figure 1. Project Area ......................................................................................................................... 1-2 Figure 2. Modified SQRU Rating Form (Page 1) ................................................................................. 4-4 Figure 3. Modified SQRU Rating Form (Page 2) ................................................................................. 4-5 Figure 4. Scenic Quality Inventory and Evaluation Chart .................................................................... 4-6 Figure 5. Scenic Quality Rating Units .................................................................................................. 4-7 Figure 6. IOP Location Map ................................................................................................................ 4-9 Figure 7. Scenic Quality Rating: Landform ........................................................................................ 4-23 Figure 8. Scenic Quality Rating: Vegetation ...................................................................................... 4-25 Figure 9. Scenic Quality Rating: Water ............................................................................................. 4-27 Figure 10. Scenic Quality Rating: Color ............................................................................................ 4-29 Figure 11. Scenic Quality Rating: Adjacent Scenery ......................................................................... 4-31 Figure 12. Scenic Quality Rating: Scarcity ........................................................................................ 4-33 Figure 13. Scenic Quality Rating: Cultural Modifications ................................................................... 4-35 Figure 14. Scenic Quality Classifications .......................................................................................... 4-37 Figure 15. Sensitivity Level Ratings .................................................................................................... 5-7 Figure 16. Visual Distance Zone Ratings ............................................................................................ 6-3 Figure 17. Visual Resource Inventory Class Matrix ............................................................................. 7-1 Figure 18. VRI Classifications ............................................................................................................. 7-3 Tables Table 1. Scenic Quality Rating—Listed in Order of Score ................................................................. 4-18 Table 2. Scenic Quality Rating—Listed by Unit Number ................................................................... 4-20 Table 3. Total Acres by Sensitivity Level Rating.................................................................................. 5-5 Bureau of Land Management, Arizona August 2013 Gila District, Tucson Field Office/SPRNCA v Visual Resource Inventory LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ACEC Area of Critical Environmental Concern BLM Bureau of Land Management B2H Boardman to Hemingway GIS Geographic Information System GPS Global Positioning System IOP