United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Draft Land and Southwestern Region Resource Management MB-R3-04-20 October 2013 Plan for the Coconino National Forest Coconino, Gila, and Yavapai Counties, Arizona 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). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Printed on recycled paper – October 2013 Draft Land and Resource Management Plan for the Coconino National Forest Coconino, Gila, and Yavapai Counties, Arizona Preface This draft land and resource management plan (also called the proposed plan) has been released for 90-day public comment along with the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). The proposed plan aims to promote responsible land management for the Coconino National Forest (Coconino NF) based on useful and current information and guidance and would replace the existing forest plan, originally adopted in 1987. Land management planning guides the Forest Service in fulfilling its responsibilities for the stewardship of the forest to best meet the needs of the American people. This plan will provide strategic guidance and information for project and activity decisionmaking on the Coconino NF for approximately the next 15 years. The proposed plan for the Coconino NF was developed collaboratively and is the result of 6 years of iterative discussions and feedback. Comments received were used to modify and refine the draft plan, as well as to identify issues and alternatives evaluated in the DEIS. Both the proposed plan and the DEIS can be found electronically on the Coconino NF Web site at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino/landmanagement/planning/ Detailed assessments, evaluations, reports, and documents associated with development of the plan can also be viewed and downloaded from the Coconino NF Forest Plan Revision Web site. Please submit your comments on this proposed plan and the DEIS to: Coconino National Forest Attention: Yewah Lau, Forest Planner 1824 S. Thompson Street Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928) 527-3411 or Fax (928) 527-3620 Hand delivered comments can be submitted to the Coconino NF Supervisor’s Office from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (noon) and 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Electronic comments must be submitted in a format such as an email message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), or Word (.doc or .docx) to the following email address: [email protected] Electronic comments may also be submitted to the Coconino NF “Contact Us” Web submission site: http://go.usa.gov/gnuj As this is a nonspecific commenting format, we ask that commenters indicate “Forest Plan Revision Comments” in the subject line of their comment. Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record and available for public inspection. Draft Land and Resource Management Plan for the Coconino NF i Contents Chapter 1. Background .................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose of the Land Management Plan .................................................................................................. 1 Summary of the Analysis of the Management Situation ....................................................................... 1 Plan Content ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Plan Organization ................................................................................................................................... 8 Guiding Future Projects, Program Plans, and Assessments ................................................................... 9 Transition in the Implementation of the Plan ......................................................................................... 9 Future Changes to the Plan ..................................................................................................................... 9 Roles and Contributions of the Coconino NF ....................................................................................... 10 Chapter 2. Forestwide Management ........................................................................................... 15 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 15 Ecosystems ........................................................................................................................................... 15 Air .................................................................................................................................................... 15 Soil ................................................................................................................................................... 16 Watersheds ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Water Quality, Water Quantity, and Aquatic Systems .................................................................... 19 Water Quality and Water Quantity .............................................................................................. 20 Stream Ecosystems ...................................................................................................................... 21 Wetland/Cienega and Reservoirs/Lakes....................................................................................... 23 Springs ......................................................................................................................................... 26 Biophysical Features ........................................................................................................................ 27 Caves, Cliffs, and Talus Slopes.................................................................................................... 27 Paleontological Resources ........................................................................................................... 30 Vegetation ........................................................................................................................................ 32 All Vegetation Types ................................................................................................................... 32 Riparian Types ............................................................................................................................. 34 Desert Communities ..................................................................................................................... 39 Grassland Types ........................................................................................................................... 40 Interior Chaparral ......................................................................................................................... 46 Piñon-Juniper Types .................................................................................................................... 47 Ponderosa Pine ............................................................................................................................. 52 Mixed Conifer Types ................................................................................................................... 58 Spruce-Fir .................................................................................................................................... 66 Alpine Tundra .............................................................................................................................. 70 Wildlife, Fish, and Plants ................................................................................................................. 71 Invasive Species ............................................................................................................................... 76 People and the Landscape ..................................................................................................................... 78 Fire Management .............................................................................................................................. 78 Livestock Grazing ............................................................................................................................ 79 Forest Products ................................................................................................................................