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www.skyislandaction.org 7-1 State of the Coronado Forest DRAFT 11.05.08

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DRAFT 11.05.08 State of the Coronado Forest 7- 2 www.skyislandaction.org

CHAPTER 7 Galiuro Ecosystem Management Arealand jointly managed by The Nature Conservancy,Coronado National Forest and the Bureau of LandManagement. The area contains miles of lush riparianhabitat that support native fish and at least 180 speciesof birds.

Natural HistoryAbout 25 million years ago a series of eruptions

fractured the ground, sending rivers of magma acrossthe landscape and throwing up tall dense columns ofash. Rather than creating lofty cinder cones, theseeruptions laid down sheets of andesite and rhyolite,the ash settling and curing under its own weight tobecome a cap of welded tuff. Millions of years later aprocess called block faulting would cause these layersto rise and tilt, building a pair of high ridges in thesame way many other mountains in the basin andrange province were born. Thus the Galiuros tookshape, with subsequent years of erosion carving twodeep canyons between the ridges — Redfield drainingto the south and Rattlesnake to the north — so thattoday the range appears as a narrow, elongated “H”.The brightly colored rock cliffs and steep slopes inthese mountains are a testament to their formation.

The majority of the Galiuros are so steep, rocky,and brushy that travel by foot and horseback is limitedto cleared and graded trails. The Galiuros are anexcellent destination for backpackers seeking quietand solitude in the sky islands of the Coronado.

The Galiuro Mountains are situated in thenortheastern portion of the Coronado NationalForest. They lie just north of the WinchesterMountains with the San Pedro Valley to their west andthe Sulphur Springs Valley to their east. The GaliuroEcosystem Management Area (EMA) encompasses134,517 acres of rugged remote land that remainsintact and wild. The management area isapproximately 23 miles long running northwest tosoutheast, and 9 miles wide. Elevations range from4,100 to 7,663 feet at the summit of Bassett Peak. TheGaliuro Mountains boast rugged cliffs with brightlycolored rocks, and steep rocky and brushy slopes. TheGaliuro Wilderness encompasses 76,317 acres of therange. Redfield Canyon Wilderness, managed by theBureau of Land Management, borders the southernedge of the Galiuro Wilderness creating a contiguouscore of protected lands (Figure 7.1).

Recreation in the Galiuro Ecosystem ManagementArea is relatively light due to its remote location. Thearea is sparsely roaded and many of the trails thattraverse the range are overgrown and require a keeneye to follow.

Muleshoe Ranch Preserve, owned by The NatureConservancy, is nestled in the southern tip of theGaliuro Mountains. Muleshoe Ranch Preserve is partof the Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative ManagementArea encompassing 49,120 acres of public and private


Figure 7.1 Overview Map of Galiuro EMA



of the EMA feeds the flatlands of the upper SulphurSprings Valley.

In lower elevations around the base of the range,the Sonoran desert tortoise can be found. Bears andmountain lions are abundant here and once livedalongside wolves in the Galiuros until sometime in the1950s, when wolves were extirpated from the area.

Vegetation in the area ranges from semi-desertgrasslands to mixed oak woodland, with mixedconifers and aspens at the highest elevations. Over60% of the National Forest land in the Galiuros iscovered by Madrean pine-oak woodland, a vegetativesystem that has been recognized by ConservationInternational as a global conservation hotspot. 1

Human Prehistory and HistoryEarly Spanish maps labeled the Galiuro Mountains

the Sierra de San Calistro. The name probably refers toSaint Callistus, a third century pope who gained favorwithin the church for purchasing and expanding aChristian cemetery on the Via Appia. With the arrivalof Anglo settlers the name “Calistro” slowlymetamorphosed into Galiuro.

Near the summit of Basset peak, lies the wreckageof a World War II B52 bomber that crashed on atraining run in the 1943. The Power Garden area ofthe range is steeped in human history.

Stacked block pinnacles and steep rocky bluffs ofRedfield Canyon are a spectacular site. From theheights of grassy ridges one has unobstructed views ofthe major peaks of the Galiuro Range: Kennedy,Kielberg, Bassett and Biscuit. Water flowing fromcanyons on the west side of the Galiuros feeds thewatershed of the lower San Pedro River. Traveling westfrom the Galiuros across the San Pedro River Valley,one reaches the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountainswhich bound the western side of the valley. This valleyand surrounding mountains comprise a large intactnatural area that supports the movement of wide-ranging species including mountain lion, bear, coatiand others. The San Pedro Watershed supports thehighest diversity of vertebrate species in the inlandUnited States along with more than 400 bird species,and 180 species of butterflies.

On the eastern side of the Galiuro range, Paddy'sRiver Canyon, Rattlesnake Canyon and Deer Canyondrain east and north to Aravaipa Creek. AravaipaCreek cuts through the north end of the Galiuros onthe BLM-managed Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness. Thecreek harbors the best remaining assemblage of desertfishes in Arizona with seven species present includingthe federally Threatened spikedace and loach minnow.Over 200 species of birds can be found along AravaipaCreek along with larger mammals and colorfulwildflowers. Ash Canyon in the southeastern portion

The Galiuro Ecosystem Management Area harborsa unique combination of vegetation types and speciesthat contribute to the biological diversity of theCoronado National Forest. The Forest Servicerecognizes that building a framework for ecologicalsustainability will require management of entirebiological communities combined with specialmanagement for particular species. For revision of theForest Plan the Forest Service identified species thatwill be the focus of planning efforts. Species andvegetation types of management interest found acrossthe Coronado National Forest were described andlisted in the Forest Overview (Table 1.1, page 1-11).Described here are species and vegetation typesspecifically found on the Galiuro EcosystemManagement Area. The Forest Service identified 46

species of plants and animals including six Threatenedor Endangered species, along with other speciesdetermined to be Species of Concern or Species ofInterest due to management issues (Table 7.1).

Ecological systems and the processes that sustainthem are the foundations of native biological diversity.Vegetation communities and aquatic habitats that areespecially species rich, diverse, or threatened; or areendemic to the region or locality are of particularmanagement concern. To evaluate current conditionsand management prescriptions for ecological systemsthe Forest Service is using the framework of PotentialNatural Vegetation Types. Potential Natural VegetationTypes are defined as the vegetation that woulddominate a site under natural disturbance regimesand biological processes. Using this classification

Elements of Biological Diversity and Cultural Heritage


AmphibiansRana chiricahuensisRana yavapaiensis

BirdsMeleagris gallopavo mexicana

FishCatostomus clarkiiCatostomus insignisMeda fulgidaRhinichthys osculusTiaroga (=Rhinichthys) cobitis

InsectsOphiogomphus arizonicusPalaemnema domina

MammalsIdionycteris phyllotisLasiurus blossevilliiMacrotus californicusNyctinomops femorosaccusOvis canadensis mexicana

Chiricahua Leopard FrogLowland Leopard Frog

Gould's Turkey

Desert SuckerDesert SuckerSpikedaceSpeckled DaceLoach Minnow

Arizona SnaketailDesert Shadow damsel

Allen's Big-eared BatWestern Red BatCalifornia Leaf-nosed BatPocketed Free-tailed BatDesert Bighorn Sheep

MollusksSonorella galiurensis

PlantsAgastache rupestrisArceuthobium blumeri

Carex ultraEriogonum arizonicumHackelia ursinaHeuchera glomerulataPenstemon discolorPerityle dissectaPhlox tenuifoliaSalvia amissa

ReptilesAspidoscelis burti stictogrammaGopherus agassizii

Galiuro Talussnail

Thread-leaf Giant-hyssopSouthwestern White Pine

Dwarf-mistletoeCochise SedgeArizona Wild-buckwheatChihuahuan StickseedAlumrootCatalina BeardtongueSlimlobe RockdaisySanta Catalina Mountains PhloxCatalina Mountain Sage

Canyon Spotted WhiptailDesert Tortoise ("Sonoran"

population)

Table 7.1 Species Identified by the Forest Service to Guide Management Decisions

allows current vegetation to be compared effectively tovegetation under historic conditions. BecausePotential Natural Vegetation Types are relatively broadgroupings, and because the Forest contains a highdiversity of vegetation types, we present ecologicalsystems as a focus for management direction. Theseecological systems are cross-walked with the PotentialNatural Vegetation Types used by the Forest Service(Table 7.2). Although there are many fine variations inplant communities on the Galiuro EcosystemManagement Area, ecological systems classify plantcommunities into broader groups so as to be mostuseful for management actions such as mapping, landmanagement, and monitoring. Plant communitieswere grouped based on shared characteristics such asnatural processes (e.g. fire and flood), substrates (e.g.shallow soils, limestone outcroppings), and localclimate.2 Figure 7.2 shows the distribution ofecological systems in the Galiuros. Through contactwith regional scientists and experts, and other peoplefamiliar with the Galiuros, we identified ecologicalsystems, physiographic features, additional species andcultural resources that should also be considered inthe Forest Plan revision.

Species that will need special managementattention include species that are endemic to theregion or locality, species that have a restricteddistribution within the region, and species dependenton specialized habitat. Other species that will needspecial consideration are species that are rare,vulnerable or declining throughout their ranges; arerare, imperiled or vulnerable in the U.S. portion oftheir ranges that overlap the Coronado NationalForest; or, are harvested for economic interests. Thesespecies may not be adequately protected by managingfor ecological systems and may require specificmanagement actions or monitoring. Table 7.3 listsadditional species whose needs should be assessedduring plan revision.

The Galiuro Mountains contain a wealth ofprehistoric and historic influences. Visible andphysical remnants of previous human habitation ofthe area include built structures, physical sites, orobjects or assemblages of material culture. Humanuses of the land compatible with the protection ofbiological diversity, and traditional Western Apachesongoing uses of the land are also an important part ofthe Cultural Heritage of the area (Table 7.4).


Table 7.2 Foundations of Native BiologicalDiversity

“Potential Natural Vegetation Types” (bold) as theycorrespond with The Nature Conservancy’s “EcologicalSystems”_______________________________________

Desert CommunitiesSonoran Paloverde Mixed-Cacti Desert Scrub Mesquite Bosque

Interior ChaparralInterior Chaparral

Madrean Encinal WoodlandMadrean Encinal

Madrean Pine-Oak WoodlandMadrean Pine-Oak Woodland

Mixed Conifer ForestMontane Mixed-Conifer Forest

Semi-desert GrasslandsApachean Grassland and SavannahApachean Shrubland

Wetland/CienegaCienegaPlaya

Community______________________________

Sacaton Riparian Grassland

AmphibiansRana blairi

BirdsAimophila carpalisAsturina nitida maximaAthene cunicularia hypugaeaButeo albonotatusButeogallus anthracinusCallipepla squamataCoccyzus americanus occidentalisColaptes chrysoidesDendoica petechiaEmpidonax traillii extimusGlaudicium brasilianum cactorumGrus CanadensisPipilo aberti

FishAgosia chrysogasterCatostomus insignisCyprinodon macularius maculariusGila intermediaGila robusta

InsectsAbedus herberti Amblyscirtes texanae Atrytonopsis cestus Chioides catillus albofasciatus Cicindela oregona maricopa

MammalsMyotis veliferSigmodon ochrognathus

PlantsLupinus lemmonii

Plains Leopard Frog

Rufous-Winged SparrowNorthern Gray HawkBurrowing OwlZone-Tailed HawkCommon Black-HawkScaled QuailWestern Yellow-Billed CuckooGilded FlickerYellow WarblerSouthwest Willow FlycatcherCactus Ferruginous Pygmy OwlSandhill CraneAbert's Towhee

Longfin DaceSonora SuckerDesert PupfishGila ChubRoundtail Chub

Giant Water Bug Texas Roadside-skipper Cestus Skipper White-striped Longtail Maricopa Tiger Beetle

Cave Myotis BatYellow-Nosed Cotton Rat

Lemmon's Lupine

Table 7.3 Additional Species That Require SpecialManagement Consideration

Traditional Western Apache uses of the land

Other ValuesOpportunities for quiet and solitudeOpportunities for primitive recreation

Table 7.4 Elements of Cultural Heritage

The Galiuro EMA continues to be a highquality location for primitive recreation withopportunities to experience quiet and solitude.Wildlife and human visitors are free from directdisturbance and noise.


Figure 7.2 Ecological Systems of the Galiuro EMA


� The Galiuro Ecosystem Management Area (EMA)remains situated in a landscape in which wide-rangingspecies (black bear, mountain lion, deer, pronghorn,Mexican gray wolf, jaguar, coati, and others) are ableto move between the Winchester EMA and thefollowing: Santa Teresa EMA, Pinaleño EMA,Winchester EMA, Aravaipa Canyon wilderness, SantaCatalina EMA and wildlands to the north.

� Development in lands surrounding the GaliuroEMA does not prevent the continued use ofprescribed fire and wildland fire as management tools.

� Vegetative communities in the Galiuro EMAexperience pre-fire suppression burn cycles. Burncycles restore a broad mosaic pattern of differenthabitat types, as well as historical plant diversity.High-intensity stand-replacing fires occur only at pre-fire suppression intervals because the composition offire-adapted vegetation types.

Desired Conditions

Conservation assets work on behalf of Foresthealth on the Galiuro EMA. They will contribute tothe Forest Service’s ability to maintain ecologicalsustainability on the Management Area. The followingemerged as strengths and opportunities forconservation on the Galiuro Ecosystem ManagementArea.

Location of Galiuro Ecosystem Management AreaThe Galiuro EMA is located in close proximity to

the neighboring Winchester, Santa Teresa, andPinaleño EMAs, and the Aravaipa Wilderness. TheGaliuro EMA is bounded by the Redfield CanyonWilderness (managed by the BLM) on the south andby significant tracts of state land on the west and east.The Galiuro EMA is currently in a landscape thatmaintains wildlife linkages to neighboringsurrounding wildlands. Due to its remote location andsurrounding land ownership, the EMA will besomewhat buffered from continued development.

Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management AreaThe Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management

Area consists of 49,120 acres of public and privateland that is cooperatively managed by The NatureConservancy, Coronado National Forest and TheBureau of Land Management. Managers cooperate toprotect the unique ecosystems found in the area andto protect endangered species and their habitats. Themanagement area encompasses most of the watershedthat feeds seven perennial streams containing some ofthe best aquatic habitat in southeast Arizona.

Significant Opportunity for Wildland Fire UseThe remote nature of the Galiuro EMA, along with

the rural character of the surrounding landscape,offers significant opportunity for wildland fire use.Managing naturally-ignited fire to burn in so that itfulfills its natural role in the ecosystem will benefit thenatural resources of the Galiuro EMA. Natural fireoccurring at regular intervals creates a mosaic ofdifferent vegetation types, cycles nutrients into thesoil, helps control insect and disease levels in plants,and reduces heavy fuel accumulation.

Conservation Assets


The Galiuro Ecosystem Management Area (EMA)offers great opportunities for primitive recreationwhere quiet and solitude can be experienced. Thisshould be a major focus and driver for futuremanagement of this area. New management directionthat shows foresight and proactively addresses threatswill create a long-term framework for ecological

health and sustainability in the Galiuro EMA. Toconfront threats and capitalize on conservation assets,we recommend the following objectives andmanagement actions to be incorporated into therevision of the Coronado National Forest Plan andsubsequent project level activities.

Recommended Objectives and Management Actions

Work with the Arizona Department of Transportation and both Graham andPinal County in development planning to address wildlife corridors connectingthe Galiuros to surrounding natural lands.

Monitor current human use of the Galiuro EMA. Look at trends in urban,suburban, and exurban growth, and sociographic trends, to project andrespond to human pressure on the Forest.

Maintain wildlife corridors between the Galiuro EMA and the Pinaleño EMA,the Santa Teresa EMA, the Winchester EMA, the Santa Catalina EMA andother surrounding natural areas.

The Coronado National Forest and surroundinglands have experienced a variety of changes in thetwenty years since the current Forest Plan was written.Management concerns and threats exist in theGaliuros that are not addressed in the Forest Plan, orhave not been adequately dealt with throughmanagement. The plan revision will update existingmanagement direction and add new managementdirection, both of which should address theseconcerns. The following issues present challenges toecological sustainability on the Galiuro EcosystemManagement Area.

ADJACENT LAND USESThe Galiuro Ecosystem Management Area is

located in close proximity to the neighboringWinchester, Santa Teresa and Pinaleño Mountainsalong with the Aravaipa Wilderness. The Galiuroscurrently remain connected to these surroundingmountain ranges in a way that allows for themovement of wide ranging species between the rangesand natural areas. Proposals for an Interstate 10bypass route have explored the San Pedro Valley andAravaipa Canyon area as possible route locations.

Both of these locations would severely impact wildlifelinkages between the Galiuros and surrounding lands.Although the Galiuros remain relatively remote, thepossibility of exurban development in surroundingvalleys exists.

Resources likely affected by land developmentadjacent to the EMA include: geological features,springs, ephemeral watercourses, seeps, scenicresources, all ecological systems, all native vegetationtypes and their associated flora and fauna; speciesparticularly sensitive to direct human disturbance(e.g., bats, lizards, desert box turtle, jaguar, Mexicanspotted owl, Coues’ white-tailed deer); wide-rangingspecies of terrestrial animals: mountain lion, jaguar,ocelot, black bear, coati, deer; prehistoric andhistorical sites, structures, and artifacts.

EXTRACTIVE USERS AND USESMiningA 1993 Bureau of Mines report stated no mineral

resources could be identified in the Galiuro MountainUnit. (It also stated mineral deposits similar to thosemined in Copper Creek district may be present in theForest).3

Threats to the Forest: A Need for Change

Adjacent Land Uses

Objectives Actions


Figure 7.3 Travel Management Plan and Route Recommendations for the Galiuro EMA

Figure 7.4 Area Suitable for Wilderness and to be Managed for Wilderness Characteristics



Do not allow any further creation of roads in the Galiuro EMA.

See Figure 7.3 for the proposed Transportation System for the EMA

Maintain the rugged nature and wilderness characteristics of the GaliuroEMA.

Maintain opportunities for low-density, high-quality primitive outdoorexperiences.

Utilize wildland fire use throughout the Galiuro EMA.

Continue to restore and maintain historical fire regimes on and adjacent to theEMA.

Continue to maintain a resilient forest that tolerates wildfire, flood, andinsect infestation and contains a mosaic of diverse settings for human andnatural uses in the Galiuro EMA.

Manage 59,281 acres with outstanding wilderness characteristics to maintaintheir wilderness suitability. (See Figure 7.4 for a map of the existing GaliuroWilderness and area proposed to be managed for wilderness suitability.)

Maintain the intact nature, and unfragmented habitat, of the Galiuro EMA.

Maintain areas on the EMA where quiet and solitude can be experienced.

Ecological Restoration

Objectives Actions

Special Management Areas

Objectives Actions

Roads/Transportation System

Objectives Actions

1 Mittermeier, R.A., P. Robles Gil, M. Hoffmann, J. Pilgrim,T. Brooks, C. Goettsch Mittermeier, J. Lamoreux, G.A.B. DaFonseca. 2004. Hotspots Revisited: Earth’s BiologicallyRichest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions.Prepared by CEMEX, Conservation International andAgrupación Sierra Madre.

2 Marshall, R.M., D. Turner, A. Gondor, D. Gori, C.Enquist, G. Luna, R. Paredes Aguilar, S. Anderson, S.Schwartz, C. Watts, E. Lopez, P.Comer. 2004. An Ecological

Analysis of Conservation Priorities in the Apache HighlandsEcoregion. Prepared by The Nature Conservancy ofArizona, Instituto del Medio Ambiente y el DesarrolloSustentable del Estado de Sonora, agency and institutionalpartners. 152 pp.

3 United States Bureau of Mines. 199e. Mineral Appraisalof Coronado National Forest, Part 9: Galiuro MountainsUnit. Intermountain Field Operations, Denver, Colorado.11 p + Appendices.

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Safford - Home - Sky Island Alliance€¦ · creek harbors the best remaining assemblage of desert fishes in Arizona with seven species present including the federally Threatened