see us in action! · 2020. 3. 13. · our vision: restore hydrologic and biologic processes...

The Sky Islands of the Madrean Archipelago are aglobally recognized center of biocultural diversitythat sprawls north to south across the U.S.–Mexicoborderlands. There are 55 Sky Island mountainranges and desert grassland seas that are thoughtto contain more than 3,000 plants, over half of allspecies of birds found in North America, thousandsof species of invertebrates, 104 mammals,including the only known wild jaguar in the U.S.and the only ocelot in Arizona, nearly 100 reptiles,and 25 native amphibians. Tucked within thismagnificent and valuable landscape, the majorityof U.S. citizens exist with household and per capitaincomes much lower than both state and nationallevels. As with the majority of the world’s poor,people living in similar rural areas depend onecosystems and related biodiversity forsubsistence, security, and income.

The Sky Island Restoration Cooperative (SIRC) is abi-national community-based collaboration ofgovernment and non-governmental organizations,private landowners, ranchers, students, volunteers,scientists, and restoration practitioners. Our hopeis that by combining our energy and knowledge, wecan improve restoration activities, outcomes, andawareness across the Madrean Archipelago andnurture an understanding of the importance ofbiodiversity for human well-being. Identifyingrestoration research and resource needs, the SIRCis a vehicle for information-sharing, training, andproject implementation. Our cooperative buildsbridges across institutional, administrative, andcultural boundaries to create effective regionalrestoration strategies.

Our vision:Restore hydrologic and biologic processesthroughout whole watersheds, from the topof the mountains to the basins below;

Maintain the unique biocultural diversityfound in the Madrean Archipelago byworking across borders, jurisdictions, andpublic and private boundaries;

Build resilient natural and humancommunities based on restorationeconomies; and

Address social inequities and improvequality of life in the borderlands.

See us in action!www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYatTc69zlM

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In FY16, the Sky Island Restoration Cooperative(SIRC) included involvement and/or direct workfrom these organizations:

Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS)Arizona State University (ASU)Borderlands Habitat Network (BHN)Borderlands Restoration L3C (BR)Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP)Cuenca Los Ojos (CLO)Deep Dirt Farm Institute, LLC (DDFI)Gila Watershed Partnership (GWP)Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Cananea (ITSC)Sky Island Alliance (SIA)Southwest Monarch Study (SMS)Springs Stewardship Institute (SSI)Tucson Audubon Society (TAS)U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Coronado National Forest U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) U.S. National Park Service (NPS)Wildlands Network (WN)

New SIRC partners in FY 2016:American Conservation Experience (ACE) Arizona Center for Nature Conservation/Phoenix ZooArizona-Sonora Desert Museum (ASDM)Cienega Watershed PartnershipFriends of Saguaro National ParkPima CountyThe Nature Conservancy (TNC)University of Arizona Wildlife Corridors, LLC

Other organizations involved with SIRC:

Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC)Arizona Department of

Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Bat Conservation International (BCI) Biophilia FoundationBrophy Family FoundationComisión Nacional Forestal

(CONAFOR)Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) Desert Landscape Conservation

Cooperative (DLCC)Douglas High SchoolEastern Arizona CollegeEco Ideas, LLCFreeport McMoran, Inc.Friends of Brown Canyon Ranch Friends of Madera Canyon

GeoSystems Analysis, Inc.Hummingbird Monitoring Network

(HMN)Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE)Make Way for MonarchsMonarch Watch MX Secretariat for Communications

and Transportation (SCT)Native Seeds/SEARCH (NS/S)Natural Channel DesignNatural Resources Conservation

Service (NRCS)Naturalia, A.C.Nature and Culture InternationalNorthern Arizona UniversityPatagonia Area Resource Alliance

(PARA)

Patagonia Regional CommunityFoundation

Patagonia Union High School Rancho San José del CarrizoSeibert Ecological Restoration, LLC Society for Ecological Restoration,

Southwest ChapterSouthern Arizona Buffelgrass

Coordination Center (SABCC)Southwest Monarch StudyStream Dynamics, LLCTohono O’Odham NationTucson Unified School District (TUSD)U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)Vail Unified School District (VUSD)Windsong Peace and Leadership

Center

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Executive Summary

e Sky Island Restoration Cooperative (SIRC) is acommunication network designed to facilitate story-telling for and between restoration practitioners,scientists, land managers, citizen scientists, andvolunteers. Our goal is to facilitate effective landscaperestoration at increasingly larger scales by cooperatingand reporting on community-based projects. Moresimply stated, we see ourselves as weaving together thedisparate threads of ecosystem restoration into anintegrated effort that restores the mutualisms which areinherent between people and place.

e SIRC report is organized around six themes:Education & Outreach, Planning & Partnerships,Habitat Restoration, Inventory & Monitoring, PlantMaterials, and Research. is Executive Summaryprovides an overview and basic road map of our efforts.e second part of the report includes Resource Briefsfrom around the Madrean Archipelago with more in-depth descriptions of each of the individual projects.

SIRC has more than 65 partner organizations, with newpartners joining every year. SIRC is an internationalcooperative with a number of partner groups in theUnited States and Mexico as well as the TohonoO’odham Nation. SIRC considers it part of our missionto involve local residents, landowners, and studentgroups in all stages of resource protection andrestoration. We are proud of the fact that our 2016membership included a number of local ‘Friends’groups: Brown Canyon Ranch, Madera Canyon, andSaguaro National Park. ese are groups of volunteersdedicated to the conservation and enhancement of

treasured natural and cultural resources. We continuedour partnership with local high schools — Patagonia,Douglas, and Empire — and expanded our reach toinclude more Tucson schools in the Schoolyard BioBlitzprograms. Mentoring youth is critical to the success ofSIRC, and more importantly, the key to future resourceconservation. e success of SIRC is due to dedicatedagency and NGO staff, and the overwhelminggenerosity of our volunteer workforce.

Education & Outreach

Education and outreach are important aspects of all ofour SIRC partnership projects. We believe that investingin youth and engaging local volunteers is critical to helpconserve and restoration our local natural resources, aswell as innovating new ideas, new techniques, and newinformation to help guide our restoration activities.

e Borderlands Restoration Leadership Institute is a newendeavor designed as a project-based learninglaboratory that explores and activates collective, creativesolutions to natural resource challenges andopportunities by working at the intersection of borderregion economies and ecologies. Our partners lookforward to implementing new innovative ideas andtechnologies developed by the Institute.

SIRC partners cooperated on three summer youthprograms to engage students in summer employmentand environmental education: Borderlands Earth CareYouth Institute, Youth Engaged Stewardship at LasCiénegas National Conservation Area, and the GilaWatershed Youth Conservation Corps. Alianza MariposaMonarca is a coordinated effort for young biologiststhroughout Sonora to learn about monarch butterflies

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and to collect data on their populations at variouslocations. Saguaro National Park worked with theTucson Unified School District through SchoolyardBioBlitzes to engage students to learn more about theenvironment outside theirclassroom. e Insect and PollinatorBioBlitz was a two-day volunteerevent to document these importantpopulations at Tumacácori NationalHistorical Park.

Planning & Partnerships

SIRC partners continued theirefforts to nurture partnershipsacross agency, organizational,international, tribal, andcommunity boundaries.Highlighted in this 2016 report arethe efforts of the Southern ArizonaResilient Landscape Cooperative tosecure Department of Interiorfunding to share with variouspartners to treat high prioritybuffelgrass populations acrosssoutheastern Arizona. A dedicatedgroup of professionals continuedtheir efforts to protect lowlandleopard frog populations andhabitat throughout our region, andto develop a managementguidebook that hopefully will helpprevent this species from beinglisted as TES. e Douglas RangerDistrict of the Coronado NationalForest cleared a hurdle when theycompleted a programmaticCategorical Exclusion (CE) NEPAanalysis to help meet requirementsto implement watershed restorationacross the Chiricahua Mountains.is CE can be used as a templatefor other agencies to completesimilar analyses. e WildlifeLinkages Binational Partnershipcompleted a very successful year in their efforts toreduce impacts to natural resources within theexpansion corridor of Mexican Highway 2. isPartnership was able to reroute a portion of the highway

away from sensitive riparian habitat, provideinformation and education on how to mitigate impactsto resources, as well as providing input that reduced theimpacts to wildlife species habitats.

Habitat Restoration

SIRC partners have been veryeffective at implementing a numberof restoration projects in areasidentified as important habitat for anumber of plant and animal species.SIRC has focused on the restorationof a network of ‘pollinator islands’across the Sky Island Region, asdescribed in our 2014 and 2015Annual Reports, and continued thiswork in 2016. Many of theseprojects were developed withintegrated resource objectives whichinclude restoration of native plantspecies, providing habitat forpollinator species, and providingriparian habitat for the endangeredChiricahua leopard frog and anumber of bat species. 2016 projectsenhanced wildlife habitat byplanting native plant species with anemphasis on nectar and milkweedspecies produced at our localMadrean Archipelago nurseries.

e Arizona Monarch ConservationPartnership continued andenhanced our efforts to providepublic education and get nectar andmilkweed plants incorporated intopollinator islands and backyards.e Conservation Partnershipreached over 17,000 people andestimate more than 720 peoplechanged their behavior regardingmonarchs. e Gila WatershedPartnership continued large-scaleriparian restoration on the Gila

River aimed at removal of invasive species andrestoration of native habitat for many ripariandependent species, including the endangered Southwestwillow flycatcher.

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Sky Island Alliance (SIA), the Coronado National Forest(CNF) and Arizona Game and Fish Department workedtogether to add additional Chiricahua leopard frogponds and bat waters to our other aquatic restorationprojects in Rucker Canyon of theChiricahua Mountains, inpreparation for the planned releaseof a new population of frogs in2018. Efforts to remove invasivefountain grass continued in theSanta Catalina Mountains of theCNF by SIA and several groups ofhearty volunteers. Followingremoval, native plants were installedto add to our network of pollinatorislands across the Sky Island region.Additional pollinator islands wereplanted in three national parks incooperation with NPS, SIA andBorderlands Restoration.

SIA cooperated with the InstitutoTecnológico Superior de Canaeaand Ranch San Jose del Carrizo touse the Power of Rocks to restoredamaged watersheds in northernSonora. A good time was had by alland we encourage you to see us inaction on YouTube:www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYatTc69zlm.

Inventory and Monitoring

SIRC is dedicated to inventory andmonitoring of our natural resources,in addition to researching the effectsof our restoration projects. We areexcited to continue to add to ourbody of knowledge. Funding forinventory and monitoring is oenlimited and SIRC partners haveworked together to come up withinnovative ways to cooperate tocollect some of the data we need.Another important component of SIRC researchprojects is that most involve NGOs, private landowners,and community volunteers. Volunteers are critical to thesuccess of almost all of our inventory and monitoringprojects.

Tucson Audubon Society trained volunteers to conductsurveys for yellow-billed cuckoos, providing surprisinginformation on the unique habitat requirements ofcuckoos in our region. Sky Island Alliance, the

Coronado National Forest, and theNational Park Service teamed up foran expedition into the ruggedGaliuro Mountains to documentconditions at springs and streams,with a special emphasis on botanicalcollections. Springs assessments inthe region are also now occurring inSonora: Sky Island Alliance hasbeen working with the SpringsStewardship Institute and Sonoranlandowners and land managers totrain personnel and volunteers toensure consistent spring inventoryinformation across the U.S.–Mexicoborder. e National Park Service,Comisión Nacional de ÁreasNaturales Protegidas (CONANP),and Sky Island Alliance also workedto ensure wildlife cameramonitoring protocols are consistentamong the six “Sister Parks” — threeon each side of the border. eCoronado National Forest isexperimenting with collaborationwith an NGO (SIA) to hire a skilledintern to contribute to the USFSeffort to document and validatevaluable water rights.

Several groups worked together tobuild erosion control structures(ECS) in the southern ChiricahuaMountains and to monitor theeffects of these structures onchanges in soil moisture (SoilMoisture and Inundation Monitoringat Loose Rock Erosion ControlStructures in the ChiricahuaMountains) and vegetation

(Monitoring Short-Term Vegetation Response toWatershed Restoration). Fiy cameras have beendeployed as part of Wildlife and Water in the ChiricahuaMountains: Does Watershed Restoration Affect Wildlife

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Species Composition? Processing is continuing on morethan three million images collected with the intent todemonstrate how surface water availability in restoredchannels influences wildlife communities and todocument when surface water ispresent. We are looking forward tothese results to help guide futureECS projects and what additionalbenefits we will be able to attributeto the use of ECS in watershedrestoration.

SIRC’s commitment to implementprojects and to work together toinventory, monitor and research ourresults has helped us refine ourtechniques and to be moresuccessful in competing at the localand national levels for funding fromagencies and private foundations.

Research

SIRC continues to strive to fundand implement research todocument the benefits of ourrestoration activities. An importantrestoration technique utilized bySIRC partners is theimplementation of low-cost, low-tech ECS. ‘Stacking rocks’ is notnecessarily a highly technical orinnovative practice, but thesetechniques have been used in thisregion for hundreds of years; ourpartners have committed todesigning research studies todocument their effectiveness so thatwe can communicate them to abroader audience. Research resultshave provided statistically reliabledata quantifying the benefits of ECSand has published the results inscientific journals. USGS has beenmonitoring and modelinggeomorphology of streams with ECS and has produceddata to quantify the benefits to help restorationpractitioners better design and model watershedrestoration projects to ensure success. USGS and theArizona Geological Survey are collaborating to

investigate if ECS might have another ecological benefitthrough storage of carbon. A University of Arizonagraduate student worked with USFS to use innovativetime-lapse photography to help quantify infiltration at

ECS aer storm events. Resultsindicate a single ECS could increasetotal infiltration by 0-255%, withthe most likely scenario being anincrease of approximately 10%. isreport also includes a study frome Nature Conservancy and theBureau of Land Management thatexamined 10 years of vegetationdata collected from 2004-2014 andfound some surprising results:Perennial grass cover declined inresponse to spring drought,challenging our long-held notionthat warm seasons grasses mostoen respond to monsoonmoisture.

Research by SIRC partners over thepast several years is demonstratingthe benefits of our restorationprojects and strongly influencingour ability to generate new projectsand sources of funding. Researchresults have helped persuade agencydecision makers and privatelandowners to implement resourcerestoration projects, and supportresearch on their effectiveness.

Plant Materials

Suitable plant materials are oenlacking for wildland restorationprojects. SIRC partners haveprioritized the collection andbanking of locally-collected seeds tobe grown out in local greenhouses,and to contribute to the BLM Seedsof Success seedbank. ese effortsare providing materials for our

ongoing restoration efforts, and preserving these speciesfor future generations. e Madrean Archipelago PlantPropagation Initiative guides our local seed collectionand plant propagation efforts to meet the Bureau ofLand Management’s National Seed Strategy. In addition,

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an interagency botanical crew was the result of threefederal agencies and two NGOs pooling their limitedfinancial resources to conduct plant inventories andseed collection across the Madrean Archipelago.

Highlights of SIRC 2016

Because SIRC involves a number ofpartners from large and smallorganizations, and combinations offederal/state/local governments,NGOs, schools, private landowners,and volunteers without anyoverhead structure, it is difficult toexplain how it all coalesces into aworkable Cooperative. We continueto strive to bring our vision forrestoration of our borderlands intoreality and to continue to createrestoration economy-based jobs.

We are gratified by the number ofrestoration projects we haveimplemented with limited fundingand huge volunteer contributions.We are particularly proud of thenumber of inventory, monitoring,and research projects we have beenable to implement and support.Defensible data is key to our successin soliciting support from landmanagement agencies and privatelandowners, and financial supportfrom funding organizations.Inventory/monitoring/research isoen conducted in somewhat of a‘vacuum’, however, most of ourstudies involved substantialvolunteer involvement. Volunteershave donated their time to attendtraining sessions and endured longhikes and hot weather to makesubstantial contributions, both toour scientific knowledge and inensuring the success of all of ourrestoration projects.

SIRC partners continue to strive to erase agencyboundaries within the U.S. and the border that separatesthe U.S. from Mexico. We all live in the same landscapeand it is vital that we work together to conserve and

restore our collective resources. SIRC continues to takeadvantage of opportunities for cross-agency and cross-border cooperation. We are in our infancy in thedevelopment and implementation of consistent

inventory and monitoring methodsto collect data across landsadministered by variousjurisdictions and countries.Comparable data (i.e., apples toapples) is imperative if we are tomanage at the landscape scale andrespond to the challenges of climatechange. Our success stories includeongoing spring inventories,Monarch butterfly monitoring,camera monitoring of mammalspecies, seed collection, and theestablishment of an interagencybotany crew across the MadreanArchipelago.

Reliable, proven restorationtechniques that work in our uniquearid climate get more and moreimportant with each year ofdrought. Continued investigationinto the use of locally collectedplant materials, and the role of ECSin the stabilization of watersheds —reducing peak flows and increasinginfiltration — may prove to becrucial in helping to maintain theintegrity and viability of theMadrean Archipelago landscape.

We now have three years ofcooperation between partnergroups, restoration practitioners,researchers, and land managementagencies; we are at the point wherewe are starting to have enoughsuccess at watershed restoration andemerging research to providemodels and research results to helpinform management decision on

public lands. Following is a case study illustrating oneexample of how research results and modeling wereused to guide restoration implementation on theDouglas Ranger District of the Coronado NationalForest.

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Abstract

Partners of the Sky Island Restoration Cooperative(SIRC) are committed to: Restore hydrologic and biologicprocesses throughout whole watersheds, from the top ofthe mountains to the basins below. Partners havefocused on the installation of a variety of erosioncontrol structures (ECS) to help reduce soil erosion whileretaining sediment, increasing infiltration andenhancing plant production. SIRC strives to researchand demonstrate the effectiveness of low cost/low techrestoration practices that agencies, volunteers andprivate landowners can implement across thelandscape. Because we advocate the use of lowcost/low tech practices that have anecdotal support –it has been important for us to engage researchpartners to quantify the effectiveness of thesetechniques. USGS has been researching the design,implementation and benefits of a variety of ECSthroughout southeastern AZ to help guidemanagement decisions. In just three years we havepartnered on a number of projects to combineresearch and monitoring with the installation of ECS.

This briefing will describe how USGS research resultsshowing a 28% increase in flow on a watershedrestored with ECS, when compared to an adjacentuntreated watershed which got the attention ofCoronado National Forest managers. This researchresulted in an ongoing partnership where USGSresearch and modeling results are helping guide USFSmanagement decisions. USGS research results are

helping USFS predict the environmental effects of ECSinstallation for NEPA requirements, and guide wherethese practices can be most effective.

Project Background

USGS research documented an increase of 28% wateryield in a watershed restored using ECS vs an untreatedwatershed near the El Coronado Ranch in the ChiricahuaMountains (Norman, et al., 2015). ese results caughtthe attention of many land managers, including theCoronado National Forest (CNF), whose managementfocus is on consistent, comparable, and credible processfor improving the health and stability of watersheds onnational forests and grasslands. Restoration in theChiricahua Mountains was of particular interest to theCNF because the Horseshoe II Fire had burned almostthe entire mountain range in 2011. Many burned areaswere experiencing significant flooding, erosion anddebris flows which has caused stream sedimentation,infrastructure damage, and degraded watershed function.e Dragoon Mountains were also of interest to the CNFbecause of inherently erosive substrates and the potentialfor future watershed restoration and improved watershedfunction. Subsequent site visits in the vicinity of theDouglas Ranger District further piqued the interest ofCNF staff as they observed reduced soil erosion and peakflows, increased soil moisture and plant production, andimproved wildlife habitats in areas with ECS restorationon private lands.

CNF contacted USGS asking for their help to determinewhere ECS would be an effective watershed restoration

The Sky Island Restoration Cooperative (SIRC) is a coalition of restoration practitioners, scientists, and land managers workingtogether to restore the ecological processes and systems of the Sky Islands in the Madrean Archipelago of the U.S.–Mexico Borderlands.

A Case Study: Research to Guide Management Decisions and ProjectImplementation; Douglas Ranger District, Coronado National ForestUSGS, USFS, BLM, Borderlands Restoration L3C, Sky Island Alliance, Deep Dirt Farm Institute

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treatment, and USGS happilyagreed to assist. USGSrecommended modeling erosionand rainfall/runoff response as away to help CNF determinewhere the installation of smallrock ECS can help reduceerosion and runoff and improvewatershed conditions, and whereerosion and runoff are so highthat small rock ECS might notbe effective.

Methods

USGS recommended using theAutomated GeospatialWatershed Assessment Tool(AGWA), developed by the USDA-ARS, EPA, and theUniversity of Arizona. e model assesses erosion andrainfall/runoff response and can be used to help predicthow land management practices effect runoff, andprovide a long-range model to evaluate large, complexwatersheds with varying soils, land uses and managementconditions.

e AGWA model operates using national data (DEM,Land Cover, and Soils). is data is available at no cost,but there is very little high resolution soils data for thelands managed by the USFS. In the United States, StateSoil Geographic (STATSGO, 1:250,000 scale) and SoilSurvey Geographic (SSURGO, 1:24,000 scale) are the twomost commonly used spatial soil databases. In the studyarea of the Dragoon and Chiricahua Mountains, USFSland is mapped using the Terrestrial Ecological UnitInventory (TEUI) (Winthers et al, 2005) and provideslower resolution (more detailed) data.

USFS TEUI soil scientists met with USGS scientists todetermine how to ‘fit’ available TEUI data into theparameters needed for the AGWA model, anddetermined that assigning soils classifications to the

kind’s soils already mapped by USFS TEUI ecologicalmap units would be the most efficient method.

In order to be able to use the existing TEUI data in theAGWA model, USFS soil scientists researched NRCS soilmap units throughout southeastern Arizona anddeveloped a method to crosswalk or aggregate smaller(more detailed) TEUI ecological map units, intocorresponding larger (less refined) NRCS soil map units.ey created a shapefile of TEUI polygons withassociated map unit symbols of NRCS soil map units andcorresponding tabular NRCS data. And AGWAwatershed maps predicting high, medium, and low runoffand sediment delivery were produced for the Chiricahuaand Dragoon Mountains.

Results

e AGWA model produced sixth code watershed mapsof the Chiricahua and Dragoon Mountains showing high,medium and low preliminary surface water runoff and

A one-rock dam collects sediment and slowly releases water. / SIA

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sediment prediction results. CNF isusing these maps to help determinewhich watersheds are most likely tobenefit from the installation of ECS,assuming that installation of small rockstructures in watersheds with low tomedium runoff would be more effectivethan installation in watersheds withhigh runoff predictions wherestructures would have a higher risk offailure. Model results helped the CNFpredict environmental effects in theirNEPA analysis for their: Project Initiation Letter:Chiricahua Watershed Restoration Project NEPA, May 19,2016). Data was also used by the CNF to select the TexCanyon and Pinery watersheds and the Bar BootAllotment on the Chiricahua Mountains where ECSinstallation and restoration is now in progress.

e products from the Dragoon model were used tofacilitate a site visit by CNF and stream restorationexperts to targeted watersheds within the mountainrange, in order to identify the watersheds with thegreatest potential for successful restoration and whatrestoration tools would be most appropriate.

e Chiricahua and Dragoon model outputs are now setup to portray preliminary surface water runoff andsedimentation prediction results to help USFS implementfuture restoration projects. ese preliminary resultsneed to be refined to better support the predictions, using

stream gages, summarizing multiple years, and furtherinterpreted to provide more sound results. is is a startfor prioritizing watersheds at risk that might be improvedby restoration management.

Future

e AGWA model is a management tool can then bereadily applied in the event of a wildfire, for rapid visualrecognition of watershed areas prone to post-fire impacts.AGWA provides consistent, standardized model results ofwatershed scale assessments for runoff anderosion/sediment transport at multiple points of potentialrisk and for all model elements (Goodrich, et al., 2014). Iffeasible, models should be calibrated to improve pre- andpost-fire performance with more confidence (Hogue, et

al., 2011). e AGWA model can beused for future scenario analysis and todevelop estimates of peak flow andsediment load at precise locationsduring large storm events, to helpdesign the structures that would be lesslikely to fail.

Literature Cited

Canfield, et al., 2005. Selection ofparameter values to model post-firerunoff and sediment transport at thewatershed scale in southwestern forests.Proceedings ASCE WatershedManagement Conference, July 19–22,Williamsburg, VA.

Sediment yield map derived for the Chiricahua Mountains andthe USFS-CNF Douglas Ranger District, zoomed in to the Bar Bootsub-watersheds, chosen for restoration in 2014/15. / L.M. Norman

A group of volunteers from Mexico helps to maintain erosion control structures in theChiricahua Mountains. / SIA

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Goodrich, et al., 2005. Rapid post-fire hydrologicwatershed assessment using the AGWA GIS-basedhydrologic modeling tool. Proceedings ASCE WatershedManagement Conference, July 19–22, Williamsburg,VA.

Hogue, T.S., A.M. Kinoshita, B.C. Hale, and C. Napper,2012. Post-fire hydrologic model assessment for designstorm runoff and mitigation. Presented at the SouthwestWildfire Hydrology and Hazards Workshop, TucsonArizona. Retrieved from http://repository.azgs.az.gov/sites/default/ files/dlio/files/nid1405/02g_hogue_etal_modelingofpost-firehydrologicprocesses_poster.pdf.

Mednick, A. C. (2010). Does soil data resolution matter?State Soil Geographic database versus Soil SurveyGeographic database in rainfall-runoff modeling acrossWisconsin. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation,65(3):190–199. doi:10.2489/jswc.65.3.190.

Mednick, A.C., J. Sullivan, and D.J. Watermolen, 2008.Comparing the use of STATSGO and SSURGO soilsdata in water quality modeling: A literature review.Bureau of Science Services. Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources. Issue 60.

Nichols, M.H., V.O. Polyakov, M.A. Nearing, M.Hernandez, 2016. Semiarid watershed response to low-tech porous rock check dams. Soil Science.181(7):275–282. doi: 10.1097/SS.0000000000000160.

Norman, L.M., F. Brinkerhoff, E. Gwilliam, D.P. Guertin,J. Callegary, D.C. Goodrich, P.L. Nagler, and F. Gray,2015. Hydrologic response of streams restored withcheck dams in the Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona.River Research and Applications, doi:10.1002/rra.2895.

Winthers, E., D. Fallon, J. Haglund, T. DeMeo, G.Nowacki, D. Tart, M. Ferwerda, G. Robertson, A.Gallegos, A. Rorick, D.T. Cleland, and W. Robbie, 2005.Terrestrial Ecological Unit Inventory technical guide.Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture,Forest Service, Washington Office, EcosystemManagement Coordination Staff. 245 p.

Erosion control structure illustrating sediment accumulation and ponded water. / SIA

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14 The Borderlands Restoration Leadership Institute16 Schoolyard BioBlitzes in Tucson18 Youth Engaged Stewardship at Las Cienegas National Conservation

Area20 Four Years of Success: Borderlands Earth Care Youth Institute in

Patagonia

22 Borderlands Earth Care Youth Institute Completes its Second Yearin Douglas

24 Gila Watershed Youth Conservation Corps26 Alianza Mariposa Monarca

28 Southern Arizona Resilient Landscape Collaborative Continues to“Beat Back Buffelgrass”

30 Partnership to Conserve Lowland Leopard Frog in theRincon/Santa Catalina Mountain Complex

32 Chiricahua Watershed Restoration Clears NEPA Hurdle

34 Wild Linkages Binational Partnership: MX Highway 2

36 Arizona Monarch Conservation Partnership

38 Tamarisk Removal and Habitat Restoration on the Upper Gila Riverof Arizona

40 Setting the Stage for Chiricahua Leopard Frogs in Rucker Canyon

42 Bear Canyon Fountain Grass Removal and Pollinator Islands Project

44 The Power of Rocks: Working Together to Repair DamagedWatersheds in Northern Sonora

46 Pollinators in the Parks

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48 Yellow-billed Cuckoos in Oak Drainages in Southeastern Arizona:Critical Habitat Attributes for Future Restoration

50 Backpacking BioBlitz into the Rugged Galiuro Mountains

52 Developing Cooperative Relationships in Borderland Parks andReserves: Wildlife Monitoring with Camera Traps

54 Water Rights Intern for the Coronado National Forest

56 Soil Moisture and Inundation Monitoring at Loose Rock ErosionControl Structures in the Chiricahua Mountains

58 Evaluating Effects of Restoring Surface Water on Mammal andGround Bird Communities

60 Sonoran Springs: Building Capacity for Springs Conservation

62 Monitoring Short-term Vegetation Response to WatershedRestoration

64 Effects of Post-wildfire Erosion Control Structures on Carbon andNitrogen Cycling, Storage, and Sequestration

66 Monitoring and Modeling Geomorphology of Streams with ErosionControl Structures

68 The Effect of Gabion Construction on Infiltration in EphemeralStreams

70 Enduring a Decade of Drought at Las Cienegas NCA: Patterns andDrivers of Vegetation Change

72 The Madrean Archipelago Plant Propagation Initiative Develops aRegional Seed Strategy

74 Agencies Work Together to Cultivate Botanical Expertise

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Abstract

e complex social and ecological challenges facing themyriad communities with whom we work requireinnovations that match the territory. e BorderlandsRestoration Leadership Institute (BRLI) is designed asa project-based learning laboratory that explores andactivates collective, creative solutions to naturalresource challenges and opportunities by working atthe intersection of border region economies andecologies. ese are sites of complex systems ofexchange, reciprocity, and caring for place that canempower people to steward many kinds ofrelationships at once and in concert — our sharedvision of a restoration economy. rough project-basedlearning and collaborative approaches to habitat andcommunity restoration we hope to teach and learn intandem with future leaders dedicated to creatingabundant livelihoods and impactful contributions onboth sides of the border and beyond.

Project Background

BRLI began with a bold vision rooted in decades ofongoing restoration and community-building efforts —to cultivate a restoration-based economy in theborderlands region of Arizona and Sonora whilerestoring land and water, training future leaders, andworking directly with local communities andlandowners to design projects, build knowledge andskills, and create new sustainable businesses and jobs.Our bi-national commitment reflects the ecology of theSky Island region and respects the rich cultures and

knowledge on both sides of the border. Goals includeincreasing partner effectiveness across scales and socialgroups in Mexico and the U.S., and catalyzing andextending our work through collaborative restorationprojects that become training grounds for skill-building in all facets of ecological restoration andenvironmental justice.

BRLI’s six core founders comprise a group of social-entrepreneurial leaders from academia, NGOs of manysizes and ages, and the private sector who hope to alignefforts in ways already supported by SIRC partnerssuch as Gila Watershed Partnership, Sky IslandAlliance, and USGS, among many others who havebeen hard at work in the region for decades. eInstitute is organized with primary non-profit andsocial for-profit arms; an integrated program group of


e Borderlands Restoration Leadership InstituteBorderlands Restoration, Borderlands Habitat Network, Biophilia Foundation, Cuenca Los Ojos, Deep DirtFarm Institute, Wildlife Corridors

BRLI students discuss vegetation sampling plot size. / BRLI

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faculty and staff drawn from partnerorganizations and elsewhere who conduct thework and teach it at once; an administrativegroup that supports program activities andeach individual organization; and adevelopment group to expand existing publicand private grants, individual and corporatedonations, private investments, and earnedincome.

All BRLI activities are guided by an InstituteCouncil which includes representatives fromfounding partners, future partners, and thecommunities where we work.

Project Activities and Outcomes

BRLI creates accessible entry points for all to have ahand in tending the places they live, and the technicaland leadership skills to do so, wherever they are, sothat everyone can contribute to the larger, infiniteproject of a sustainable Restoration Economy.Community members and visitors are welcome toattend workshops and courses such as Patagonia’sWater Futures, Conservation Ranching, and SocialLaboratories. Staff, intern, student, and citizen scienceexpertise continuously shapes our work, arranged intofour major Project Streams. Each Stream is broadenough to encompass a range of theories and practices,and deep enough for creative input and growth bothfor students and for the Institute itself, all in a “learninglaboratory” setting. Students may focus on one or moreProject Streams — Watershed Restoration, Native PlantMaterials, Foodshed Restoration, and Community andRestoration Economies. Aspects of each can beintegrated into others under the guidance of InstituteFellows and other mentors engaged in actual on-the-ground restoration projects. Youth in the localcommunity can engage in the Borderlands Earth CareYouth program, while university students mightparticipate in the Field School, or use our work as a

platform for advanced research. Internships andFellowships are available for those who have shown acommitment to ecological restoration by engaging withthe Institute, mentoring others, and designing andleading projects.

Stakeholder Involvement

Founding partners will continue their usual work andcontribute to Institute goals according to their skillsets, while being supported in the areas ofadministration and development by the BiophiliaFoundation. Parallel efforts include the SentinelLandscape Restoration Partnership, Douglas andPatagonia High Schools, Garden Inc., USFS, Town ofPatagonia, and AZ Department of Forestry and FireManagement.

Funding

A small grant from the Biophilia Foundation providedthe opportunity to plan for and deliver the initial BRLIprogram in summer 2017. Borderlands Restoration’sstaff of six is supported at ¼ time for several months,and work approximately ¼ time as volunteers. etotal estimated value of this project is $70,000.

BRLI conduct plant surveys in the field. / BRLI

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Abstract

ough stunning biological diversity is one of the SkyIsland region’s greatest assets, not enough of the peoplewho live in this area are either aware of it or have theopportunity to learn about it. Biodiversity discovery forchildren is an important goal for many organizations inthe region, and recently a partnership was formed inTucson to promote it. In spring of2016, the partnership sponsored eight“Schoolyard BioBlitzes” in Tucsonschools for children to learn aboutbiodiversity by cataloging birds,plants, insects, and other life forms intheir own backyards. e projectincorporated the iNaturalist app,included a backcountry trip for some high schoolstudents, and was part of a national BioBlitz sponsoredby the NPS which celebrated both biodiversity andthe 100th anniversary of the NPS. e program wasfeatured in a video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDSJ47AmANo) that was shown at theNPS biodiversity celebration on the National Mallin Washington, D.C. Key partners included Womenin Science and Engineering (UA), Arizona-SonoraDesert Museum (ASDM), Friends of SaguaroNational Park (FSNP), UA Community and SchoolGarden Program, UA Institute of the Environment,and the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD).

Project Background

BioBlitzes are events where “citizen scientists” helpcatalog species of birds, lichens, mammals, insects,plants, and other life forms. Our partnership formedwhen Saguaro National Park (SNP) wanted toparticipate in the NPS Centennial BioBlitz in a moreholistic way that would engage students in biological

diversity not only in natural areas, butin their own communities. e parkincludes two districts on either side ofthe City of Tucson, and because plantsand animals do not recognize politicalboundaries, it seemed to make senseto expand the park’s biodiversityboundaries to include TUSD. Several

community groups with experience in environmentaleducation, biodiversity, and school gardens formed a


Schoolyard BioBlitzes in TucsonNational Park Service, Tucson Unified School District, University of Arizona, Arizona-Sonora DesertMuseum, Friends of Saguaro National Park

Student explaining biodiversity in the video produced to celebrate theschoolyard bioblitz project, shown on the National Mall in WashingtonD.C. / TUSD Media

NPS celebratesBioBlitzes!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDSJ47AmANo

19

loose partnership to initiate a project within Tucson’sschools.


Eight schoolyard BioBlitzes took place from March toMay, 2016. We collaborated in creating a two-daytraining to familiarize teachers and interns with what aBioBlitz is and how to use the website iNaturalist forcollecting biodiversity data. At each schoolyard event,UA interns then assisted teachers and students toupload photos of flowers, insects, and lizards toiNaturalist, where they could be identified by experts.

e Schoolyard BioBlitzes were a great success — morethan 550 K-12 students, 10 K-12 educators, and 12 UAstudent interns participated. We achieved theimportant goal of having inner-city Tucson schoolchildren discover life in their own schoolyards andbackyards. Students were able to go online toiNaturalist to see what other students were doing, andthe program has expanded to include many citizenssince then: www.inaturalist.org/projects/2016-national-parks-bioblitz-saguaro-schoolyard-bioblitz.

e BioBlitzes also culminated in three special events.In late May, a group of high schoolstudents with the Ironwood TreeExperience backpacked to ManningCamp in the Rincon Mountains, toparticipate in a BioBlitz in pineforests at 8,000 feet elevation. Herethe focus was on insects,particularly dragonflies. Also inMay, the NPS held a hugebiodiversity event on the National Mall in Washington,D.C., that featured the video on our Tucson SchoolyardBioBlitzes. A final event was at the annual TeacherAppreciation Night at ASDM in August, 2016, wherestudents’ work from the BioBlitzes was on display, andspeakers included Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschildand TUSD Superintendent H.T. Sanchez.

Funding

e success of this partnership has led to an effort tocontinue and expand it in 2017-2018 with a majorgrant from the Agnese Nelms Haury Program inEnvironment and Social Justice, with additionalsupport from the FSNP and other partners. e

program has been expanded toinclude an internship program withUA students, regular school classes,field trips to SNP and ASDM, and apaid internship program with theFSNP.

In 2016 this project was supportedby a $7,288 grant from the Friendsof Saguaro National Park, with

additional support by all partners, especially in-kindsupport.

e total estimated value of this project is $20,000.

Figure 2. High school students sampling dragonflies in a specialbioblitz held at Manning Camp in Saguaro National Park in May. /Don Swann

Schoolyard BioBlitzesare a success!

www.inaturalist.org/projects/2016-national-parks-bioblitz-saguaro-schoolyard-bioblitz

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Abstract

Working in the critical sacaton grasslands at the LasCienegas National Conservation Area (LCNCA),students with the Cienega Watershed Partnership’s(CWP) Youth Engaged Stewardship (YES!) programhave implemented restoration efforts to mitigate soilerosion and increase vegetation coverage. Over thespan of three years, student-led restoration projectshave included: placement of rocks, scarification of soil,transplanting of salt-tolerant sacaton, andtransplanting of bio-crust into study areas. Efforts haveresulted in soil accumulation, recruitment of annualgrasses, and establishment of salt-tolerant sacaton andbio-crust in the study areas.

Project Background

CWP’s YES! program has worked on restorationprojects at LCNCA for the past five years, engaginghigh school students in hands-on restoration work.YES! program goals are to provide students withleadership, land management, and problem-solvingskills in order to develop and implement a restorationproject on the ground that reflects the needs ofstakeholders. Students identified the Gardner SacatonGrassland as a project site in 2014, and students in thepast two summer programs have continued to expandupon those efforts.

2014: Students attempted to stabilize soil and increasemoisture retention in order to mitigate erosion and aidin seedling establishment by testing three treatmentson designated study plots. Sixteen, 10 x 50 plotswere measured, marked, and randomly assignedtreatments — rock placement, scarification of topsoil,and control. Field work was completed in July of 2014,pre-monsoon, and in the Fall of 2014 there wassignificant soil buildup and establishment of annualsaround the rock structures.

2015: Students found that even with the buildup of soiland annuals, the seasonal rotation of cattle through thesite had removed most of the annual grasses. Workingwith the local rancher, students created a second study


Youth Engaged Stewardship at Las Cienegas National Conservation AreaCienega Watershed Partnership, Bureau of Land Management, Vail Unified School District

Interpretive signage. / Tana Kappel

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plot adjacent to the first, isolated from the cattle bybarbed wire fencing. e same treatments from 2014were applied randomly within the fenced plot.Students, in an attempt to help with revegetation,planted alkali sacaton plugs in both the fenced andunfenced plots. Plugs were planted in all of thetreatment acres with a dri-water box. Field work wascompleted pre-monsoon in July 2015, and in the Fall of2015, soil buildup and establishment of annuals wereagain around the rock structures with significantlymore growth within the fenced study plot. e alkalisacaton plugs in both the fenced and unfenced studyareas did not survive.


In 2016, students furthered their work efforts at thesacaton site by planting salt-tolerant sacaton in clusters,and transplanting cryptobiotic crust, into the enclosedstudy plot. e bio-crust was placed in one-metersquare plots, subdivided into quarters. One-half of theplot had a 1/2 inch of soil removed, one half did not,with the bio-crust placed directly on the surface.Treatment of the crust was also divided into clumping

the crust vs. spreading the crust out within the testarea. Fall 2016 results have shown that the sacatonplanted in clusters, and the bio-crust, have both beensuccessfully established within the fenced study site.Students completed educational signage for the sitethat focuses on the importance of the grasslandecosystem and their restoration efforts.


CWP’s YES! partners include the BLM Tucson Office,Empire High School Advanced Studies Program, andIronwood Tree Experience. Contributing partners inthe restoration work include e Nature Conservancy(Gita Bodner), University of Arizona (Jason Field),Caldwell Designs, Vera Earl Ranch, and Safford BLM.

Funding

In 2016, the project was funded by the Bureau of LandManagement ($10,637), the National Fish and WildlifeFoundation ($2,576), and the Cienega WatershedPartnership. Volunteers, mentors and studentsprovided $24,860 in matching in-kind work. e totalestimated value of this project is $38,073.

YES! students working to restore sacaton grasslands. / YES! Native giant Sacaton grass was grown by Gila WatershedPartnership. / YES!

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Abstract

rough a unique collaboration among BorderlandsRestoration (BR), Tucson Audubon Society (TAS),ArtPlace America, and the USDA Rural Developmentprogram, the Borderlands Earth Care Youth (BECY)Institute was held between May and July 2016 inPatagonia, AZ. Two educational facilitators (one BRemployee and one previous BECY Institute graduate)and 10 Patagonia Union High School (PUHS) studentinterns between 15-18 years old were recruited andhired from the school’s Future Farmers of America(FFA) program. Interns conducted hands-onrestoration, learned from conservation professionals,and developed leadership/team-building skills onprojects in local watersheds.

Project Background

e mission of the BECY Institute is to train the nextgeneration of land stewards, provide marketable jobskills, and educate tomorrow’s conservation leadersabout the issues that surround watershed restoration.rough steady exposure to working professionals whohave built conservation careers in unique waysappropriate to solving ecosystem challenges, highschool students living within the burgeoningrestoration economy in the Sonoita Creek watershedthat straddles the U.S./Mexico border can betterimagine a positive professional role in the communitieswhere they have grown up.

e summer 2016 BECY Institute is the fourth year ofthe program, which started in 2013 as a brainchild offamed Southwestern ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan, withfour PUHS students. In 2015, Borderlands HabitatNetwork (BHN), Cuenca Los Ojos (CLO), and USFSpartnered to expand the program to Douglas, AZ.Since the BECY Institute began, 64 high-school-agedyouth have graduated from the program. Most of thegraduates are studying conservation-related fields incollege.


Four Years of Success: Borderlands Earth Care Youth Institute in PatagoniaBorderlands Habitat Network, Borderlands Restoration, Deep Dirt Farm Institute, Patagonia Union HighSchool, U.S. Department of Agriculture

BECY Institute interns plant native pollinator-attracting flowersin erosion-control structures they built at Wildlife Corridor.Photo featured in Scientific American article titled ‘RestorationEconomy’ Strives to Protect Pollinators, Create Jobs by AlexisMarie Adams. Article had readership of 7.2 million people. / © BillHatcher 2016

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e structure of the BECY Institute is inspired by thethree pillars of restoration developed by BorderlandsRestoration: 1) Restoring physical processes such asstream flow and groundwater recharge that arenecessary to support both people and wildlife; 2)Restoring vegetation and filling gaps at the base of thefood webs that support biological diversity; and 3)Reconnecting people and nature by engaging localcitizens in the restoration of local ecosystem serviceswithin the three following core programmatic themes:Watershed Restoration, Ecosystem Restoration, andFood System Restoration.

BECY tasks are broken into primary themes:

Watershed Restoration: Watersheds, Reading the Land,erosion at a landscape scale, and working with water inhuman environments. e Community RestorationProject, a BECY Institute graduation requirement, wasintroduced. Work was conducted at Red Mountain,Wildlife Corridors, Deep Dirt Farm Institute, andPUHS where they built erosion control structures andinstalled rainwater harvesting cisterns.

Ecosystem Restoration: Food webs and trophic levels,pollinators and frugivores, and designing native plantgardens. Projects included the removal of invasive plantspecies, seed processing, and planting native species atPatagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, BR Seed Lab, theMadrean Archipelego Plant Propagation Center,Tucson Audubon Society (TAS) Paton Center, WildlifeCorridors, and Patagonia schools.

Take Action Camp at Windsong: In week five, theinterns continued to develop their CommunityRestoration Projects.

Food System Restoration: Permaculture design,rainwater-harvesting techniques, sustainable agriculturepractices, and careers in restoration. Interns workedwith the local food system at the Pampered Goat Farm,

Harris Heritage Farm, Amuñia de los Zopilotes, SantaFe Ranch, Native Seeds/SEARCH, and the PatagoniaCommunity Garden.

A graduation ceremony at PCG brought the programto a close. Interns presented their CommunityRestoration Projects to their friends and families, andreceived graduation certificates. Along with delvinginto local and global issues with campers from aroundthe world, interns learned about cross-bordermigration issues and built leadership and publicspeaking skills.

Funding

ArtPlace America, in partnership with TAS, provided$20,000. A USDA Rural Business Development grant,in partnership with G.A.R.D.E.N. Inc., and PUHS,provided the other $20,000. e total estimated valueof this project is $40,000.

BECY Institute interns remove invasive Johnsongrass and plantGiant Sacaton at Paton Center for Hummingbirds. / BR

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Abstract

rough a unique collaboration among BorderlandsHabitat Network (BHN), Borderlands Restoration(BR), and Coronado National Forest of the USFS(CNF), the Borderlands Earth Care Youth (BECY)Institute took shape for its second summer in Douglas,AZ. Two educational facilitators (recent NaturalResources undergraduates) were hired and10 DouglasHigh School (DHS) student interns (ages 15-18) wererecruited and hired from the school’s Future Farmersof America (FFA). Objectives were to provide hands-on experience in actual restoration projects, learn fromconservation professionals, and developleadership/team-building skills in local watersheds onprojects including pond restoration, endangeredspecies habitat creation, erosion control and moistureretention structures, invasive species removal,sustainable farming, sustainable ranching, and nativeplant propagation.

Project Background

Aer a successful 4-week pilot BECY Institute inDouglas in 2015, the BHN, Cuenca Los Ojos (CLO),and CNF partnered to expand the program to mirrorthe successful mentorship developed over four years inPatagonia. e number of interns recruited from theDHS FFA program was expanded from seven to 10,

two of last year’s participants were promoted as youthleaders, and two full-time educational facilitators werehired.

Structure

e educational facilitators worked closely with theprogram director to facilitate hands-on restorationwork, leadership activities, and educationalopportunities in the three following coreprogrammatic themes: watershed, ecosystem, and foodsystem restoration.

For the first two weeks, facilitators conducted work torestore watershed function work while creating an


Borderlands Earth Care Youth Institute Completes its Second Year in DouglasBorderlands Restoration, Borderlands Habitat Network, Coronado National Forest (USFS), Bar BootRanch, Cuenca Los Ojos, Douglas High School, Sky Island Alliance, Arevalos Farm, SouthwesternResearch Station, Natural Channel Design, U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Game & Fish Department

BECY Institute interns with the pile of horehound (Marrubiumvulgare) removed from Ash Spring. / BR

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ethic of teamwork with various leadership and team-building activities. e final Community RestorationProject was introduced as a graduation requirement thefirst week. Ecological restoration was the focal themefor the third week of the program. And the final weekof the program was dominated by activities tointroduce interns to food system restoration. Due tothe nature of the projects, the final two weeks werehighlighted by visits from conservation expertsrepresenting many of SIRC organizations. e programconcluded a graduation ceremony at the DHS FFAoutdoor learning laboratory, where graduatespresented their Community Restoration Projects to theirfriends and families and received certificates.

Project Activities and Objectives

In the first two weeks, interns constructed 59 rock andbrush erosion control structures, were visited by BRand BHN hydrologic restoration expert David Seibert,and met the Bar Boot Ranch manager, Kevin St. Clair.During the third week of the program, internsremoved invasive plants and bullfrogs from ponds and

cattle tanks at El Coronado Ranch, removed invasiveplants at Ash Spring, and supported sustainableagricultural activities at Arevalos Farm. e focus forthe final week of the program was endangered specieshabitat construction at Camp Rucker, converting a wetmeadow into a series of ponds creating habitat forChiricahua leopard frogs. Interns had the opportunitythroughout the program to meet with restorationpractitioners from various partner groups includingCLO, Sky Island Alliance, USGS, USFS, and AZGFD.

Funding

e majority of the funding for the BECY Institute inDouglas ($50,000) was provided by the USFS. USFSalso provided $10,000 to make contact with educatorsin Nogales, AZ, conduct initial restoration projects onthe District, and to identify future sites for restoration.Funds were provided by an ArtPlace America grant($1,500) to send two BECY Institute graduate to TakeAction Camp at the ME to WE Windsong Peace andLeadership Center. e total estimated value of thisproject is $61,500.

BECY Institute interns shape one of the ponds at Rucker Camp under the direction of CNF and NCD experts. / BR

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Abstract

e Gila Watershed Youth Conservation Corps (YCC)program offered outdoor summer employment tofieen local youth for approximately nine weeks,working on public and private lands in GrahamCounty. ese youth gained valuable outdooremployment skills and worked side by side withmultiple agencies and non-profit organizations. ecrew worked to enhancerecreation opportunities andadvance conservation efforts inthe Pinaleño Mountains, aniconic Southwestern Sky Islandwith remarkable biodiversityand recreational activities. isprogram continues to buildconnections between youngadults and the outdoors, whileproviding role models for youthto explore a future career innatural resource management.

Project Background

e Summer YCC Program is several years old andlocal youth interest continues to grow, with many moreyouth applying than there are program slots. isprogram is a Coronado National Forest (CNF) priorityand has expanded to involve more communitypartners, such as the Gila Watershed Partnership(GWP) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

e youth crews were made up of 12 participants andthree crew leaders. e crew members were selected atrandom from a pool of applicants, to allow all localyouth who applied an equal opportunity of beingselected. e crew applications were open to youthaged 15-18, and crew leaders aged 18-25, who live ineither Graham, Cochise, or Greenlee Counties inArizona. Crew applications were only available to local

youth who had not participatedin the program in previousyears. e Safford DistrictRanger maintains a goal ofgetting every child in thecommunity into the Forest.rough this program, we hopeto make progress on that goal,one summer at a time.

Project Activities andOutcomes

e YCC crew worked on eightdifferent projects for the CNF,spent one week with the BLM

on various projects, and one week with the GWPworking on riparian restoration projects. Project worknot only built upon their skills, but provided anopportunity to learn about fire science, astronomy andtelescopes, dendrochronology, entomology, and worksafety. e YCC crew members worked with variousproject leaders and were able to expand theirknowledge in several different arenas of landmanagement.


Gila Watershed Youth Conservation CorpsGila Watershed Partnership, Coronado National Forest (USFS), Bureau of Land Management

Gila Watershed YCC Crew Members and CrewLeaders. / GWP

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More specifically, the YCC crew:

n Improved trails, signs, and recreation sites onMount Graham in the CNF;

n Removed invasive cattails in BonitaCreek in the Gila Box RiparianNational Conservation Area (BLM);

n Installed rock-check dams to mitigatesedimentation of the river in the GilaBox Riparian National ConservationArea;

n Excluded cattle from wildlife wateringholes in Tripp Canyon;

n Installed 200 native plants inMarijilda Canyon;

n Picked up litter and removed invasivesweet resin bush from Frye Mesa; and

n Planted native grasses and trees alongthe Gila River to re-establish habitat.

e project work completed by the YCCcrew not only enhanced the lives of theyouth involved by providing them withjob skills, but for some this experiencewas their first job ever, as well as theirfirst opportunity to visit Mount Graham.We hope that this program kindles a love of theoutdoors in our local youth, and helps to cultivate thenext generation of land stewards. Ultimately, we wantto see the crew progress from this program to others,such as the Arizona Conservation Corps, which offerspathways to many natural resources careers.


is year, the Gila Watershed Partnership partneredCNF and the BLM to provide a more robust outdoor

experience for the YCC crew. CNFprovided the majority of the funding forthis program, as most of the project timewas spent benefitting the Forest. BLMhosted the crew for one week. Additionalproject partners included Arizona Gameand Fish Department, University ofArizona, Eastern Arizona College, andthe Mount Graham InternationalObservatory.

Funding

USFS provided approximately $56,000and Freeport-McMoRan Foundationprovided $5,000. At $22/hr in-kind, staffcontributions were: USFS ($11,000),MGIO ($176), GWP ($16,000), BLM($1,200), EAC ($200), and volunteers($8,000). e total estimated value of thisproject is $90,376.

Insets, from top:

Forest entomologist, Anne Lynch, teaches crew aboutdendrochronology. / GWP

CC crew members planting native pollinator species. / GWP

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Abstract

Much is still unknown about the western population ofmonarch butterflies, especially in Mexico. Studentsfrom the University of Sonora in Hermosillo, Mexico,have taken on the task of addressing this informationgap in the state of Sonora. Alianza Mariposa Monarca(AMM, Monarch Butterfly Alliance) have dedicatedtheir time to monarch and milkweed monitoring,pollinator conservation outreach talks, and milkweedseed collecting. With help from Nature and CultureInternational and Make Way for Monarchs, volunteershave been able to conduct monitoring field tripsthroughout the state of Sonora, documenting thepresence of milkweed, monarchs and other pollinatorsin the iNaturalist Sky Island Nature Watch project —www.inaturalist.org/projects/alianza-mariposa-monarca.

Project Background

e lack of information about thewestern population of monarchs hasled many to believe that it is of littleimportance to monarch conservationoverall. Recent work by theSouthwest Monarch Study to analyze10 years of monarch butterflymonitoring in Arizona hasdemonstrated these o-overlookedwestern monarch populations are ahealthy component of the NorthAmerican population as a whole, andshould be considered important tothe conservation of the species.

AMM came together aer an outreach pollinatorconservation talk presented by Sky Island Alliance(SIA) in the Annual University of Sonora BiologyStudent Conference. Students were inspired to takeaction against the lack of information that surroundsmonarchs, and pollinators in general, in northwesternMexico. Under SIA’s leadership, the group has grown toover 30 active members.


Monarch and milkweed monitoring sites includeHermosillo, El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de AltarBiosphere Reserve, Cananea, Caborca, Yécora, RanchoEl Gavilán, Alamos, Aconchi, Presa El Novillo, Ajos-Bavispe Forest Reserve, and Punta Chueca and KinoBay on the coast. Both milkweed plants and monarch


Alianza Mariposa MonarcaSky Island Alliance, University of Sonora, Nature and Culture International, Make Way for Monarchs

Alianza Mariposa Monarca volunteers document monarchs throughout Sonora to fillimportant knowledge gaps / Valeria Cañedo

29

individuals were documented atthese sites. Observations have beenuploaded into SIA’s Sky IslandNature Watch iNaturalist project.Observations have also beenuploaded into national project likethe Especies en Riesgo andMariposa Monarca iNaturalistprojects. Milkweed seeds werecollected when possible and arebeing stored for future propagationefforts in collaboration with theUniversity of Sonora’s AgronomyDepartment. AMM volunteers havebeen working with the heads of theDepartment of Scientific and Technological Researchand biology professors in planning a pollinator gardennext to the main Biology building, which will bemaintained and cared for by the Botany Club.

A total of 650 people were engaged — throughpollinator conservation outreach talks and monarchand milkweed conservationworkshops — in grade schools,middle schools, high schools, anduniversities, including the 2016University of Sonora BiologyStudent Conference. Outreachefforts were conducted in the townsof Nogales, Caborca, Hermosillo,Punta Chueca and Kino Bay. AMMhas perceived a great interest for pollinatorconservation and outreach in these communities.

Due to its efforts, enthusiasm and commitment, AMMwas featured in various media sources — an article intheir University’s monthly newsletter, La Gaceta; theyspoke live about their work on Proyecto Puente, a well-known state-level radio news show; and lead AMMvolunteers were interviewed for an article in Sonora’sbiggest newspaper, El Imparcial.


Nature and Culture International and Make Way forMonarchs provided a Monarchs and MilkweedsConservation Workshop in Álamos, Sonora, which

allowed AMM to gain the tools andunderstanding to conduct theproject. CONANP (Reserva de laBiósfera El Pinacate y Gran Desiertode Altar, Área de Protección deFlora y Fauna Sierra de Álamos-RíoCuchujaqui, and Reserva ForestalNacional y Refugio de Fauna

Silvestre Ajos-Bavispe) facilitated monitoring field tripsin their grounds.

Funding

e Turner Foundation provided staff time for thecreation and leadership of the group. Make Way forMonarchs provided $1,200 for AMM travel expensesand outreach materials. e total estimated value ofthis project is $20,000.

Student efforts makeway for monarchs:

www.inaturalist.org/projects/alianza-mariposa-monarca

Alianza Mariposa Monarca volunteers document monarchs throughoutSonora to fill important knowledge gaps / Valeria Cañedo

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Abstract

In 2015 and again in 2016, the Department of Interior(DOI) funded the Southern Arizona ResilientLandscape Collaborative (SARLC). Funding in 2016allowed the SARLC to expand and include a number ofnew partners that came together to Beat BackBuffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare). Buffelgrass is a highlyinvasive plant species posing severe threats to theintegrity of the Sonoran Desert by displacing oroutcompeting native plants, and increasing the risk ofhigh intensity wildfires in desert communities notadapted to fire. DOI provided $414,150 of funding,which was matched by $741,590 from partners.Funding was used for treatment and mapping of highpriority buffelgrass populations. A total of 3,755 acresof buffelgrass were treated. Approximately 170,000acres were surveyed, and 930 acres of buffelgrass weredetected and mapped.

Project Background

SALRC began in 2015 as part of the DOI initiative tobuild fire-adapted ‘resilient landscapes’ across the U.S.Original SALRC partners included Coronado NationalForest (CNF), USFWS Buenos Aires National WildlifeRefuge (BANWR), Southern Arizona BuffelgrassCoordination Center (SABCC), U.S. Geological Survey(USGS), and Saguaro National Park (SNP, ResilientLandscape Program (RLP) lead agency). Additional

funding in 2016 allowed new partners to be added,including Tohono O’odham Nation (TON), TucsonField Office of the Bureau of Land Management(BLM), Pima County, Northern Arizona University(NAU), USFS Forest Health Program, and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (ASDM). e Collaborative’sprimary goal is to reduce the threat of buffelgrass andbuild a fire-resilient landscape. We are doing this byminimizing the spread of buffelgrass where it has notyet become established, implementing controlstrategies, and mitigating fire risks.


Southern Arizona Resilient Landscape Collaborative Continues to “Beat Back Buffelgrass”National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Southern Arizona BuffelgrassCoordination Center, U.S. Geological Society, Tohono O’odham Nation, Bureau of Land Management,Pima County, Northern Arizona University, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

SARLC public land management agency partners.

31


Buffelgrass populations continue to expand, and ourknowledge of buffelgrass characteristics and effectivetreatments are evolving. Land managers continue towork together to adaptively manage this species andshare their ‘lessons learned’. Knowing the location andextent of buffelgrass infestations is crucial inidentifying areas of concern and developingmanagement strategies to deal with high prioritypopulations.

SALRC partners treated a total of 3,755 acres of highpriority buffelgrass populations across southern AZ.SARLC led the effort to coordinate and conduct aerialsurveys for buffelgrass across the CNF, TON SanXavier District, and BANWR. An estimated 170,000acres were surveyed, and 930 acres of buffelgrass weredetected and mapped. SNP was responsible for overallcoordination with the aircra contract, agencyrepresentatives, fire and aviation office (both NPS andUSFS), and with the USFS Forest Health Program.Each agency provided mappers to survey theirrespective land. Because partners collaborated on usingthe same helicopter equipment and personnel, theaerial mapping campaign was very efficient and cost-effective. e average cost of aerial mapping was only$0.26 per acre, which allowed partners to survey bothprime buffelgrass habitat and areas with unknowninfestation levels. NAU and USGS are working ondeveloping new, more cost-effective ways to detect andmap buffelgrass using remote sensing.


While SALRC and SNP provided oversight of the 2016projects, each partner was responsible for conductingbuffelgrass treatments in their lands, and for providingstaff to conduct mapping activities. In addition to stafftime, an overwhelming number of volunteers fromlocal communities came out to provide their labor toremove buffelgrass. Several agencies sponsor volunteer

buffelgrass-pulling days and help coordinatecommunity-wide Beat Back Buffelgrass events.

Funding

2016 RLP funding was divided amongst severalagencies. SNP received $236,800 (including funding forinteragency aerial surveys), provided $450,400 inmatch, and $21,100 of volunteer time. CNF received$80,000, provided $152,900 in match, and $1,800 ofvolunteer time. TON did not receive 2016 funding, butcontributed $23,500 in funding to fight buffelgrass and$900 of volunteer time. BLM received $25,000,provided $47,900 in match, and $8,000 of volunteertime. FWS received $25,000 and provided $66,600 inmatching funds. Pima County did not receive 2016funding, but provided $65,100 in funding to treatbuffelgrass and $52,600 of volunteer time. ASDM andSABCC together received $17,600, provided $21,000 inmatch, and $15,900 of volunteer time. NAU received$30,000, and matched it with $25,200 of contributions.Total project value is estimated at $1.357 milliondollars which includes $414,400 of RLP funds,$852,600 of matching contributions, and more than$100,000 of volunteer time.

Buenos Aires NWR and Forest Health staff prepare for their firstflight of aerial survey. / Jim Malusa, UA

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Abstract

Lowland leopard frogs (Lithobates yavapaiensis) wereonce abundant in the streams and rivers of southernArizona, including in the Santa Cruz River indowntown Tucson, the Rillito, and Sabino Canyon. efrog is not an endangered species, but has declinedthroughout its range and today is found locally in onlya few isolated springs and perennial stream pools inremote mountain areas. e frog faces numerousthreats including invasive aquatic species, noveldiseases, and habitat loss. Because it is elusive, rare, andoccurs in remote areas, we have lacked basicknowledge of the population, distribution, and ecologyof the lowland leopard frog in the Sky Island region.

e Greater Santa Catalina/Rincon Mountain LowlandLeopard Frog Working Group formed in 2013 with themajor goals of understanding and monitoring thestatus of lowland leopard frogs, defining and answeringimportant research questions, and exploringmanagement options for this species. We are aninformal group with limited funding that meetsannually to report on current population anddistribution results from monitoring efforts. In 2016we continued to meet for updates on the status of thefrog, expanded our collaboration to new organizations,and wrote grants to summarize the current status ofthe species and create a management guidebook thatcould serve as a model for other species that aredeclining but not yet formally listed. We continue topursue fire strategies and spring restoration efforts that

may promote the conservation of this sensitive aquaticfrog and work with landowners in the vicinity ofSaguaro National Park (SNP) to raise lowland leopardfrogs for potential restoration, including at the NPSDesert Research Learning Center (DRLC) in eastTucson.

Project Background

is project grew out of a long-term monitoringprogram for lowland leopard frogs at SNP, initiated in1996. More than 16 years of monitoring (Zylstra et al.2015) demonstrate that the species undergoes dramaticpopulation fluctuations related to water dynamics. In2011, the NPS partnered with Pima County to expandinventories of frogs throughout the Santa Catalina andRincon Mountains east of Tucson. Seeking basic


Partnership to Conserve Lowland Leopard Frog in the Rincon/Santa Catalina Mountain ComplexNational Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Pima County, e Nature Conservancy

Lowland leopard frog from Saguaro National Park, Tucson. / NicPerkins

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information on this species, biologists from Universityof Arizona first interviewed local experts and did acomprehensive search for data. Subsequent fieldinvestigations revealed several large, previouslyundocumented populations in remote canyons.However, some historic populations now appear to beextirpated; most notably, the species is no longer foundin some larger southern and western drainages of theSanta Catalina Mountains, including Montrose andSabino canyons.

A meeting was convened in April 2013 with expertsand managers to discuss the results of the surveys,develop a monitoring strategy, and discussconservation actions. One outcome was the formationof our informal group. Because there is no reliablesource of funding for monitoring lowland leopardfrogs in the project area, we felt that pooling resourcesand data was the most appropriate and effective short-term strategy.


Working group members have met three times since2013, and annual surveys and reporting began in 2014.e 2016 annual meeting built on the need for a reporton the current status of the lowland leopard frog in theproject area, which includes the Santa Catalina andRincon Mountains, west to the Santa Cruz River, eastto the San Pedro River, and south to the vicinity ofInterstate 10. We developed a grant proposal withTucson Audubon Society and U.S. Forest Service inorder to work towards creation of Local SpeciesAssessment and Best Management Practicesdocuments that would enable land and wildlifemanagement organizations to better protect frogs andrestore habitat.

With support from local high school students, NPSand partners continued to constructed new refugehabitat at the NPS Desert Research Learning Center.Lowland leopard frogs introduced in 2015 are thriving

at the Center, and additional habitat has beenconstructed for that will become refugia for severalspecies of endangered fish (Figure 2).

Stakeholder involvement

e partnership includes the NPS (SNP, DRLC), PimaCounty Office of Sustainability and Conservation,AZGFD (Nongame Wildlife Branch), e NatureConservancy, UA School of Natural Resources and theEnvironment, Sky Island Alliance, USFWS (EcologicalServices office), USFS (Coronado National Forest),Historic Notch Neighborhood, Tucson AudubonSociety, and others.

Funding

is project did not have a designated project fundsource in 2016, but relied on contributed staff time bythe partner organizations listed above (approximately$2,000 annually), with additional time by youthvolunteers (approximately 100 hours @$23.57/hr =$2,357), and expert volunteers (approximately 40 hrs@$40/hr = $1,600). e total estimated value of thisproject is more than $6,000.

Students from Salpointe High School helping create a frog andfish refugia at the Desert Research Learning Center, Tucson. /Andy Hubbard

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Abstract

Soil erosion has accelerated across the ChiricahuaMountains following the Horseshoe II Fire in 2011.Many burned areas have experienced significantflooding and erosion resulting in streamsedimentation, infrastructure damage, and degradedwatershed conditions. In order to be able to respond tothe need for watershed restoration and to reduce theeffects of accelerated erosion, the Douglas RangerDistrict of the Coronado National Forest (CNF)completed a programmatic Categorical Exclusion (CE)(Project Initiation Letter: Chiricahua WatershedRestoration Project NEPA, May 19, 2016) assessing theeffects of a variety of Erosion Control Structures (ECS)to fulfill NEPA requirements needed to installstructures and native plant materials for watershedrestoration.

Project Background

e Chiricahua Mountains are similar to other SkyIsland ranges in that erosion dynamics arecharacterized by high magnitude, low frequency stormevents that produce runoff with high sedimentconcentrations. e Horseshoe II Fire in 2011 burned239,000 acres, almost the entire Chiricahua Mountainrange. Since then, many burned areas have experiencedsignificant flooding and erosion events that haveincreased sediment movement, resulting in impacts towatershed condition, water quality, and infrastructure.

A variety of ECS were installed in the 1930s in theChiricahua Mountains by the Civilian ConservationCorp that are still functioning as intended today. More

recent structures have been installed in the TurkeyCreek and Tex Canyon watersheds, and the Bar BootAllotment on the Forest and on private lands. Researchdescribed in SIRC Reports from 2014 and 2015 havedescribed successful results including increasedinfiltration, increased water yield, reduced sedimentmovement, enhanced vegetation and wildlife habitat,and improved watershed conditions.

is CE takes a programmatic approach to completethe NEPA requirements needed to implementwatershed restoration using ECS and native plant


Chiricahua Watershed Restoration Clears NEPA HurdleU.S. Forest Service

Zuni bowl in the Barboot allotment, storing moist sediment andwater. / SIA

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materials across the mountain range, provided theymeet the criteria addressed in the assessment. If sitespecific conditions of a proposed project area do notfall within these criteria, additional analysis may berequired. Specific consultations on archeologicalresources and threatened and endangered specieswould need to be conducted on a site-by-site basis.

e CE allows for the construction of a variety of ECSto reduce soil erosion, including — media lunas (flowspreaders/collectors), one-rock dams (grade control),loose rock-check dams (gully plugs), and Zuni bowls(headcut repair). Native plant materials may also beused to add stability to the drainages. e CE allowsfor structure construction in suitable watersheds thatare 160 acres or smaller, starting at top of thewatershed on the smallest of drainages with very lowrunoff energy. Forest specialists used GIS, knowledgeof on-the-ground resources and experience with ECSto determine that 160 acres at the head of watershedswas optimal to successfully build structures that wouldretain sediment and stabilize watersheds. Mostdrainages larger than this size in the Chiricahuas aresimply too large to install these types of structureswithout failure.


Resource conditions in the Chiricahua Mountains arecontinually changing due to natural processes, butresource degradation in some areas has beenaccelerated due to the Horseshoe II Fire. In order to beresponsive to protecting resources, this programmaticCE will allow the District to respond in a timelymanner to implement restoration practices in highpriority watersheds.

Funding organizations usually require that NEPA becompleted before considering grant applications. isCE will enable partners including Sky Island Alliance(SIA), Cuenca Los Ojos (CLO), and BorderlandsRestoration (BR) to be more competitive for funding to

install ECS projects in the Chiricahuas. e DouglasRanger District has already received funding to beginECS installation in the Pinery Watershed thatexperienced high burn severity and excessive erosionsince the fire. e fact that this CE had been completedhelped contribute to their success in securing thisfunding.

Other federal land management agencies including theNPS and BLM have expressed an interest incompleting programmatic NEPA to implement ECSrestoration on their lands. It is hoped that thedescription of the rock structures provided in the CEand the CNF analysis will serve as a template forsimilar projects on other public lands.


Several partner organizations (SIA, BR, CLO, NRCS,USGS) and local ranchers met with the CNF to helpframe the ‘proposed action’ for the analysis, andprovided information on the types of structures thatcould be considered. ese partners did not participatein the actual NEPA analysis.

Funding

USFS spent $50,000 in staff time to complete theanalysis.

Rock structure installed in FY2015 with monitoring station. / GSA

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Abstract

e Wild Linkages Binational Partnership has had a veryproductive year advancing the preservation of habitatconnectivity threatened by the expansion of MexicanHighway 2, which runs near the international borderwith the United States. Roads fragment habitats byestablishing obstacles to animals’ movements. Many ofthe species in the region are of conservation concern toboth countries. Some, such as jaguars, black bears, andcougars, require large connected habitats for dispersal,other smaller species use this landscape for migrations orto establish home ranges with the resources they need tosurvive. e partnership successfully advocated to changea road project route, effectively saving over 16 miles ofriparian habitat along the CocósperaRiver, established a baseline forroadkill along the Sky Islands stretchof Highway 2, advocated for corridorprotection, and established acollaborative relationship with thetransportation authorities of Mexico.

Project Background

Highway 2 bisects the Sky Islands of Mexico in Sonoraand northwestern Chihuahua. Starting in 2010, theSecretariat for Communications and Transportation(SCT; Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes),Mexico’s federal transportation authority, has beenincreasing the infrastructure of Highway 2 in Sonora.Ongoing expansions threaten to fragment ecosystemsthat have been recognized as important for conservationand are under protection. e road splits the Los OjosVoluntary Conservation Area certified by CONANP

(Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas) andthe San Pedro Ramsar site. Expansion continuingeastward will also increase the divide in the JanosBiosphere Reserve. Plans for a new bypass near Ímuristhreatened to destroy sensitive riparian habitat, impact aciénaga in the Cocóspera river basin, and split theVoluntary Conservation Area Aribabi. e highway liesbetween important conservation areas including the Áreade Protección de Flora y Fauna Bavispe, and the CertifiedVoluntary Areas of Los Fresnos and La Mariquita on theMexican side, and the San Bernardino National WildlifeRefuge, Coronado National Forest, Coronado NationalMemorial, San Pedro Riparian National ConservationArea, and Las Cienegas National Conservation Area on

the U.S. side. e region forms partof the Mexican Wolf ReintroductionArea and is critically located alongthe Jaguar’s Northern Recovery Unit,where corridor-road intersectionshave been identified by the WildlifeConservation Society — undercontract by USFWS — as needing

intervention to secure the species’ recovery. Vehicle trafficalong highways causes collisions with wildlife, a processthat if le to continue, can eventually lead to isolatedpopulations that are more vulne

see us in action! · 2020. 3. 13. · our vision: restore hydrologic and biologic processes...

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