Volume 57 Issue 3 www.azwildlife.org G^^a[aYdhmZda[Ylagfg^l`]9jargfYOad\da^]>]\]jYlagf%;gfk]jnaf_9jargfYkoad\da^]Yf\oad\da^]`YZalYl ARIZONA WILDLIFE NEWS EDITOR Linda Dightmon COPY EDITOR Kimberlee Kreuzer DESIGN & LAYOUT Linda Dightmon PRINTING Lang Printing & Mailing In This Issue CONTRIBUTORS Brad Powell Glen Dickens Page 3 President’s Corner Bob Vahle Loyd Barnett Page 4 Regional Roundup Tom Mackin Lew Carpenter Linda Dightmon Valerie Morrill Page 9 International Conservation Ideas Mike Matthiesen Loren Chase Page 10 Feral, Wild or Exotic? Ryna Rock Page 12 Citizen Science Research ARIZONA WILDLIFE FEDERATION Page 15 Clean Power Plan 2015/16 OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS Page 16 BOW Happenings EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Page 19 Camp Cook Page 20 Historical Tales Board President Brad Powell VP of Operations Brad Powell Page 22 Members VP of Conservation Glen Dickens Secretary Ryna Rock Treasurer Jerry Thorson NWF Representative Bob Vahle Immediate Past President Tom Mackin Director Kellie Tharp AWF MISSION STATEMENT Director Ben Alteneder AWF is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating, REGIONAL DIRECTORS inspiring and assisting individuals to value, conserve, enhance, manage and protect wildlife and wildlife habitat. Mike Matthieson Loyd Barnett Glen Dickens Bob Vahle Valerie Morrill Tom Mackin The front cover photo was taken by Curt Fonger. It is a curious DIRECTORS AT LARGE spotted whip tail lizard atop a 200 million year old Lava rock at Usery Regional Park, Mesa, AZ. A special thanks to Ryan Kreuzer for the Duane Nelson Jody Latimer design & layout of the cover. Maggie Sacher Sarah Luna Loren Chase Kellie Tharp Photo by Linda Dightmon taken in Mark Hullinger's hand. Triops Trica Oshant Hawkins Thom Hulen longicaudatus also called longtail tadpole shrimp and looks like a miniature horseshoe crab. We found them in a stock tank near Heber. OTHER OFFICERS This little guy is considered a living fossil because they have been around unchanged for about 70 million years. A new species for us! Legislative Liaison Ben Alteneder Federal Agency Liaison Maggie Sacher If you have a photo you would like to submit for our cover, please contact Kimberlee at [email protected] ARIZONA WILDLIFE NEWS * VOLUME 57 * FALL 2015 published by the ARIZONA WILDLIFE FEDERATION An Affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation PO Box 51510, Mesa, AZ 85208 * 480-644-0077 The official publication of the Arizona Wildlife Federation, the state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, Arizona Wildlife News (ISSN) is published quarterly as a service to affiliate members and Federation members. AWF is Arizona’s oldest conservation organization. The editorials and commentaries in this publication do not necessarily reflect the mission or position of the Arizona Wildlife Federation. AWF is an equal opportunity provider. The Arizona Wildlife Federation welcomes stories, art and photographic contributions. We will consider, but assume no responsibility for unsolicited proposals, manuscripts, art, photographs and transparencies. Contact the Federation office at 480-644-0077 for details. Advertising inquiries should be directed to the Arizona Wildlife Federation at the above address or phone number or by emailing [email protected] . AWF does not assume any financial responsibility for errors in advertisements that appear in this publication. If notified promptly of an error, we will reprint the corrected ad. 2 ARIZONA WILDLIFE NEWS VOLUME 57 * ISSUE 3 FALL 2015 President’s Corner By Brad Powell n June of this year, Tom Mackin officer, District Ranger, National AWF’s relevance in the state and immediate past president handed Monument Manager, Forest Supervisor revitalized the Board. My thanks go out I the gavel to me as the president and Regional Forester. I have worked to them, to the Board of Directors and all oIf the AWF. The transition occurred with Trout Unlimited for the last 9 years the members that have worked to protect on the Sipe Wildlife area in the and currently I am the Southwest Region Arizona’s wildlife heritage. shadow of Escudilla Mountain, Director. Arizona’s fish and wildlife surrounded by lush green meadows, From the time I was a kid, I have populations are sure to face many sounds from Rudd Creek filling the been fascinated by the outdoors. I have challenges in the future. Our Board of air, elk meandering through the spent a career working on natural Directors and members can be counted meadows and songbirds serenading resource issues. I am convinced that the on to face those challenges head on. us. I couldn’t help but reflect on the experiences I had as a child, and then We will ensure our children have the AWF, the integral role that it has as a young man are at risk for future opportunity to create their own outdoor played in the states wildlife manage - generations. The risks come from legacy. ment history and the importance that multiple sources, urbanization, popula - fish and wildlife plays in our ever tion growth, public land divesture, more urbanized State. technology, climate issues and maybe Letters to the Editor As a beginning, let me introduce most of all apathy. myself. I have been involved with the That’s why I am so excited to be a Keep your communications short AWF for nearly 10 years. I have served part of the AWF. For nearly 90 years the and to the point. All must be signed. as a Board member, Chair of the AWF has played a key role in the man - If you send us questions, we will seek Conservation Committee, Vice President agement of Arizona’s wildlife resources. answers and print them here. There of Conservation and Operations. My The Board and our membership are may be times mail volume may wife Ana and I live in Scottsdale. We composed of a diverse set of people that have kids scattered from Arizona to represent differing perspectives on prevent us from publishing every Aguas Caliente, Mexico and are now wildlife management issues in the letter we receive, but we will do our reaping the benefits of grand kids. I first State. The AWF, unlike many other best to print as many as possible. came to Arizona in 1969, living in Young, organizations, is driven by science not Arizona where I worked as a helicopter by politics. Now more than ever, the Send your ‘snail mail’ to: fire fighter for the US Forest Service. AWF must step up and ensure that AWF Mail Pouch After graduating from college with a Arizona’s wildlife treasures are well Arizona Wildlife Federation Forestry degree I went to work in Young, managed for future generations. PO Box 51510, Mesa, AZ 85208 Az. for the Forest Service. Over 30 years I am proud and honored to have Send your e-mail to: and multiple stations later, I retired. been selected as President. Tom Mackin [email protected] During those years I served as a fire and Ryna Rock before him did a great fighter, Silviculturist, Resource staff job as President. They strengthened the FALL 2015 VOLUME 57 * ISSUE 3 ARIZONA WILDLIFE NEWS 3 REGIONAL ROUNDUP Region I - Bob Vahle Regional Director Region I is a designated management area in the White treatment bids. Finally, the ASNF is currently analyzing and Mountains of Arizona which is administered by the Arizona developing plans for a number of additional land management Game and Fish Department (AGFD). It is comprised of Game activities including: 1) Upper Rocky Arroyo Forest Restoration Management Units (1,2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, and 4B). Project – mechanically thin 23,000 acres near Pinetop- The largest portion of key habitats for both terrestrial and Lakeside, AZ; 2) Larson Lake Forest Restoration Project – aquatic wildlife and fish species in Region I is found within the 30,000 acres; 3) Livestock grazing allotment analysis to 2.1 million acres of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests determine re-issuance of a term grazing permits on the Heber (ASNF) administered by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Allotment and Wildbunch Allotment; 4) Show Low South and Consequently, proposed and ongoing land management Camp Tatiyee Land Exchanges; and 5) Management Plan for projects and public recreational activities within the ASNF can the Heber “Wild Horse” Territory. For more specific information have significant impacts either positive or negative on habitat regarding these proposed and ongoing lands management suitability for wildlife and fish species in terms of its quality, activities on the ASNF, please see the following link on the quantity, and connectivity. Currently, there are a number of ASNF web site: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/asnf/land - proposed and ongoing land management activities in Region I management/projects/?cid=fsbdev7_012572 which the Arizona Wildlife Federation (AWF) is tracking. The AGFD in Region I fully utilize the Arizona “Habitat The USFS which administers the ASNF is currently in the Partnership Committee” (HPC) program which was developed process of developing and implementing both land manage - by the AGFD to collaborate with various federal/state agency ment plans and projects that may either beneficially or and public partners to improve habitats for game species and adversely affect wildlife or fish habitats within Region I. Of key other wildlife. The HPC habitat improvement projects that can importance and concern of the AWF are the completion and benefit a multitude of wildlife species that have been recently implementation of two forest wide management plans. They funded and approved for implementation include the following are the revised ASNF Forest Plan and the ASNF Travel activities: 1) Bigler and Rattlesnake Catchment Management Plan that are on currently on hold. Redevelopment; 2) Sunset Block C Prescribed Burn; 3) Hi Implementation of these plans will have major implications Point and Ellsworth Water System Maintenance; 4) McClever in relation to the conservation, restoration, and enhancement Block Prescribed Burn; 5) Mineral Grassland Restoration; of wildlife and fish populations and habitats on the ASNF.