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Dos Cabezas Mountains wilderness management plan, environmental assessment, and decision record PDF

82 Pages·1995·12.6 MB·English
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wig | | | U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Arizona State Office Safford District Office — June 1995 Dos Cabezas Mountains Wilderness Management Plan, Environmental Assessment, and Decision Record 76.5 D673 1995 BLM Library Denver Federai Center Bidg. 50, OC-521 P.O. Box 25047 Denver, CO 80225 Dos Cabezas Mountains Wilderness Management Plan, Environmental Assessment, and Decision Record U. S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Safford District San Simon Resource Area EA Number: (AZ-040-04-28) SUAS Recommended by: B ate ~ = io So . Recommended by: 9 y "2 i ager, Safford District Date ie a NG Approved/by : ~ Se ) Trector, Arizona Date enisinucdl @ nst9 inemenahnla esemebliW bnis ,nemeasesA sinaninetibed a pico noizioed oe ey ronal ody to serene .< UW oa insmegsacM bre Yo sane jorieiG biofin? avtA sonuoeeR nomic nee (20-+0080-NA) cisdmulf ASL EA pxibresy Pvrwend pale val£ Table of Contents Part | — Introduction and Area Overview .............. eee tetteteteteetettttttetees 1 Purpose of Management Plan ........-:esescessseseeeneeteteteetetsetesseeeseseessenrsnesnents 1 PTS CATION Ee Ee vac cnacn cin cn nan sete toe ap ieceeiaauetia ar ys Wanna nnd ota yacduee any 1 REGO IU, PRED UCR ora soni voas AIRNEGs ten oN de DE. Tletoat ne duit stds aa nee treba c+ 1 Ownership and Land USES...........cccceceeesssssseneeneeenssneentettereesssnesnessasnsennanaetagens 1 WIIG PN@SS VAISS. lee kirsee seecscccceescocenederacescns taozeoc sas uvsuenecnncBttreaksnceaslsaedetenac’gs: =) ITIL re ea ec c nn on ccaee een utanes aadanats aalaaa vans hana esas ima eh bares 3 TODOGPAPIY we. Me titereessst-stnantlter esse cexcenesceonscveaasenr asra tsaneraes Tcece eegraecMmlriaiaende r++ " 3 WATE MCSOUICES iicclcc. che ren eeu dbtne canes cogtuieyssnnas du ceasz-ntadecgsvomcnuueeieesttecbareaurrs- 3 Oy Te te eee Meh eaileae sans ok rat ns GesvaubMeneasetetncrece+ans inetassanemeuetnecna «aes 3 Wg etatiOr Cee Meso t tees. vwcscacc ccs csrnzen-octenton ck tmetie ben amp=rannagtensorsaemeetnnaechdnaenSrnbaer e4 NATiCHliteeh ewuetaes Saal Sepeeeaeats SPSOCSLetY, ..... REGU. Sdrcsecccesmens prtccee -bometnatensencrabesaeengmntness i FratO R rt te tse cnevard AtROE. daBe cae tndtens cassnntecestec aaeeesrsnunnersananes 5 8 Ficc sa nn UR I cence ce cnne ap oneaaeetsn causctsscnamandusesnessceeeerncenede ti CUilicirer CRUMP ites et. Pica Deters eves eco ee esie ae ccencsnnannneedescas cdanas 11 RATE AISE tee A eee ccc ccsrnd ace conte se Poeetetae eemblea uaa <r sanexee-aeeeernge nape 11 Livestock Grazing cir, )-teet. Meier ....6-eatseensc eapeapgtaent ssgt- eanzepite bzeearn einegeeecst an e: 12 PNET SUTELLIO MY Ure Pte reece occ ces ccc Rpt Ee es sce cetmcncetenencscavaramemrnaccedonncesesdencnaas 12 Part Il — National Wilderness Management Goals ................::::eeees 13 Darr tillli= IS SUCS A rr tae erates oe nc ce thee en arenes catlsaay 0 ates edt = Feta enon erentne 15 Issues Addressed in this Plan .............::ccccesssseeeeesessnseeeeseeeensenneeeeetersaeeeeeeenens 15 Issues Resolved by Policy or Administrative ACtiOn .........::ecststeesetseer s 16 Part IV — Wilderness Management ...............:::: essere ett etree eeneee etnies 19 Objective 1 Preservation of Wilderness VAIO, rienae ttrde he ca e thy 19 Objective 2 Management of Vegetation ........ccccccsecceeersrseetseneseeeereeteenerenee 20 Objective 3 Livestock and Wildlife DevelopMenttS .........cccccceeeseeeeeseeesseeeereaes 23 Part V — Plan Evaluation ..............:er:er r:ee:eencenceeceetcrtcnseceeeesecneeneeeseentneneeeee t in 25 Part VI — Plan Implementation and Cost Estimates .............-.:.-riee 27 Part VIl — Public Involvement ...............et:t ::ee tcercna eresentcere eeest tetecee sese s 29 Part VIIl — Responses to Comment Letters .............::sttereee teeestteerrs 53 Part IX — List of Preparers................... sesesunesarstnanienarencnsnancesstbenarattstisererentasecs 59 Appendix A — Developments .2.......cccccccccscaccecscstsenncscnetesssecsescenceceececencesencnesees 61 Appendix B — Operating Guidance for Wildfire Suppression ..................... 63 Appendix C — Cultural Resource Use Allocation Categories...................... 65 Environmental ASS6SSMe@Nt ea ars ce ee ee 67 IATFOCUCHON Tieerreccscessa nuance its ona slurs tars cuctene ties 1) fort niperne ee ne te eee 67 Description Of Proposed Action And Alternatives .............ccceeeeseseeeeeceeceeeeees 67 Alfected EnvVirOnimentesc cs: cssccrsvseceter neler eyt rect cic fe mene een se nese 69 Environmental’ Consequences prt eee etrg r ee 69 Consultation And Coordination ....20 ye eee ee el Finding of No Significant Impact/Decision ReCOMd .............ccccssceesseceeeeeeeeeeees 72 Part 1 — Introduction and Area Overview Purpose of Management Plan Location This wilderness management plan The Dos Cabezas Mountains Wilder- establishes the objectives, policies and ness is located about 12 miles east of actions for managing the Dos Cabezas Willcox, Arizona and 40 miles south of Mountains Wilderness for the 10-year Safford, Arizona. The Chiricahua Moun- period 1995-2005. The plan then sets tains are to the southeast. The wilderness forth a sequence for implementing these is approximately 200 miles southeast of actions. This plan also fulfills the Bureau Phoenix and 110 miles east of Tucson. of Land Management (BLM) policy that a The wilderness is within Townships 13 plan be prepared for wilderness. and 14 South, Ranges 27 and 28 East, Gila This plan amends all previous planning and Salt River Base Line and Meridian direction for the wilderness. Specifically, (Map 1). this plan amends all allotment manage- ment plans written for the wilderness and Access the portions of the Dos Cabezas Habitat Although physical access exists, there Management Plan applying to the wilder- is no legal vehicular access to the wilder- ness. This plan also supersedes the ness. Safford District Interim Guidance for Fire Visitors can access the eastern portion Suppression in Wilderness Areas (1994) of the wilderness by traveling 4 miles and the Interim Wilderness Operation and south of Bowie, Arizona, on Apache Pass Maintenance Plan for the Dos Cabezas Road (county road) then travelling west on Mountains Wilderness (1994). the Happy Camp Canyon Road. Physical Periodic evaluations of the plan’s access to the western boundary is currently implementation will be conducted (Part V- restricted by a landowner with a locked Plan Evaluation). Evaluations will deter- gate along the Mascot Canyon Road. mine progress made toward meeting the While other roads and trails near the plan’s objectives. Information gathered wilderness approach the boundary at from monitoring actions identified in the varying distances, they either cross private plan will be used to make those determina- land or are physically impassable limiting tions. If objectives are not being met, their usefulness as access routes. adjustments will be made to planned actions or new actions will be developed. Ownership and Land Uses In the future, new issues, proposals or BLM administers all land within the information will be considered in evalua- wilderness. There are no State or private tions. The specific and cumulative im- surface or subsurface inholdings or utility pacts of future proposals will be analyzed rights-of-way within the wilderness. through the environmental assessment process. ee S| a NR itenac hana—i R27 E c T. hidiaia | 1 9 AL Ca acejl- \Way 8 otNy MP365 coves —fgres—nc nsoceeopeoes IPELINE C 2 CPGA OAL S a NATUR. ~ PELA SO hitehouse Well / MURR ify eae iDS.uz S u‘ raea € = ~S okey U.S.B UDREIPALA RTOMF ENLATN D OFM ATNHAEG EIMNETNETR IOR ARIZONA U.S. Department of the Interior ae WILDERNESS AREA Bureau of Land Management BOUNDARY Safford District @ PHOENIX DOS CABEZAS MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS AREA LOCATION MAP 0 SCALE 4 Basemap (C) ADOT Se ee Sel eee 1990 Miles Wilderness Values tures reaching 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The 11,998 acre Dos Cabezas Moun- Winter mean minimum temperatures are tains Wilderness contains a variety of below freezing with snow common in the biological, scenic, geological, and recre- higher elevations. Annual rainfall aver- ational values. ages 7 to 16 inches in the valleys and 15 to Dos Cabezas Mountains Wilderness 30 inches in the higher elevations, with has two special features that enhance the most precipitation coming in the late overall values of the area - numerous summer months. Drought conditions are springs with small patches of riparian most common from April to June. Long, vegetation having high importance to severe droughts occur irregularly and are wildlife and a jumble of highly scenic usually two to five years long. granite boulders, balanced rocks, and outcrops. During rainy seasons, many Topography pools and waterfalls form among these The wilderness centers on the Happy boulders. The wilderness offers many Camp Canyon watershed and includes opportunities for solitude and primitive several peaks over 7,500 feet. Cooper recreation, including hiking, backpacking, Peak is the high point in the wilderness at camping, rock scrambling, horseback 7,950 feet. Many canyons, including riding, hunting, and sight-seeing. Long Sheep and Happy Camp Canyons, wind distance views of the adjacent Sulphur their way among the peaks. The northeast- Springs Valley, San Simon Valley, and ern slope of Government Peak is a large, other mountain ranges are available from highly scenic area with granite outcrops the higher peaks and ridges of the wilder- and boulders. ness. Rugged topography and canyons offer countless places to find isolation and Water Resources solitude. The wilderness is well watered with 23 The wilderness is natural in appear- springs. Tar Box Canyon flows about | ance. There are, however, developments mile for 9 months of the year. The BLM associated with management of livestock filed with the Arizona Department of grazing and wildlife. These include Water Resources for federal reserved approximately 22 miles of fence, 2 dirt water rights in 1992. tanks, two wildlife water developments, 5 developed springs and two cabins. (Ap- Soils pendix A and Map 3). Three soil types occur within the wilderness. The Santo Tomas soils are a Climate deep and well drained group of nearly Climatic conditions in the wilderness level to moderately sloping soils on high are similar to those found in southeast alluvial fans. The Mokiak-Faraway-Rock Arizona. Lowlands alternate with moun- outcrop complex are moderately steep to tains to create abrupt changes in climatic very steep soils and rock outcrops on conditions over short distances. Higher mountains. Atacosa-Chiricahua-Rock elevations produce cooler temperatures outcrop complex are strongly sloping to and more precipitation than valley loca- steep soils and rock outcrops on hills and tions. Summer days are hot, with tempera- mountains. Vegetation mid seral and low seral stages. A seral | The wilderness supports a diversity of stage refers to a step or phase of vegetative community succession. vegetation including mountain shrub, desert shrub and small pockets of riparian A brief description of the composition vegetation. Plants include turpentine bush, of the potential natural community and the snakeweed, mountain mahogany, juniper, current composition of each site is given oak, mesquite, perennial grasses, agave, below. The potential natural community is prickly pear cactus, Arizona sycamore, the biotic community which would be- come established if all successional se- Fremont cottonwood, velvet ash, and Arizona walnut. Gambel oak are common quences were completed without interfer- at the higher elevations. Riparian vegeta- ence by man under the present environ- tion is very limited in area and occurs at mental conditions. Natural disturbances springs. No special status plants are are inherent in development. The current condition and acreage of each site is listed known to occur in the area. However, the planning area contains potential habitat for in Table 1. several special status plants which include Volcanic Hills/Woodland - Currently, the coppermine milk vetch, Texas purple 5,202 acres of this ecological site are in spike and Bartram's stonecrop. high seral stage. Vegetation consists of 20 Vegetative trend data is used to deter- percent grasses, 15 percent forbs, 22 mine changes in plant frequency over percent shrubs and 43 percent trees. time. This data shows whether plant The potential natural community for species increase or decrease over time. At this site is a mixed plant community with this time the BLM has two transects in the an overstory of evergreen oaks, pinyon and Happy Camp allotment. Collected data from these two transects indicate that vegetative trend is static or upward as shown by an increase in perennial grasses. The wilderness consists of four ecological sites (Map 2). Riparian vegeta- tion in the area has not been classified as a separate ecological site due to the small size and scattered location of sites. Eco- logical site is a classification of rangeland that identifies a characteristic natural plant community. Ecological sites are defined and described by soil, species composition, and the potential amount of biomass produced. Each ecological site has an ability to produce certain kinds and amounts of native vegetation. Each site is evaluated accordingt o the kinds and amounts of vegetation present as compared to the potential natural community and is grouped into one of the following four classes: poten- tial natural community (PNC), high seral, Upper portion of Sheep Canyon.

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