Agencies Affirm Their Commitment to Address Water and Ecological Conservation Near The San Pedro River

The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Gila District, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Huachuca, Cochise County, and City of Sierra Vista affirmed their commitment to water and ecological conservation of the San Pedro River and Sierra Vista subwatershed area by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperative monitoring and management of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA) and surrounding areas within Cochise County. The MOU provides a proposed path to ensure the achievement of mutually shared goals of an ecologically viable SPRNCA and regional water security, including: a healthy San Pedro River and ecologically viable SPRNCA, adequate long-term water supplies to maintain the needs of the area’s residents and property owners, as well as the SPRNCA, more opportunities for continued economic growth and development within Cochise County, an operationally secure Fort Huachuca that can accomplish its national defense missions, have a safe and adequate water supply and comply with all obligations under the Endangered Species Act. 

Learn more at: https://www.blm.gov/press-release/agencies-affirm-their-commitment-address-water-and-ecological-conservation-near-san 

Conservation Workshop Unites Partners

Funding acquired through the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program has helped Fort Huachuca conserve 13,857 acres within the Buffalo Soldier Electronic Test Range, precluding incompatible development within the range complex and beneath the installation’s restricted airspace.  One noteworthy project occurred in 2018 when Fort Huachuca partnered with Arizona Land and Water Trust and USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service to permanently protect the Rose Tree Ranch.  Totaling 1,150-acres, the ranch sits within the Babocomari River Watershed and the Sonoita Grassland Conservation Area.  In May 2019, the Santa Cruz Natural Resource Conservation District hosted a workshop on the Rose Tree Ranch for the Fort Huachuca Sentinel Landscape partners focused on ecological sites, soils, and plant identification.  During the workshop, a soil expert from the University of Arizona guided attendees through the history of erosion and deposition in the area.  A Rangeland Management Specialist then explained how elevation, precipitation, percent slope, soil type, and vegetation contribute to an ecological site’s classification.  Lastly, a representative from Arizona Revegetation and Monitoring provided tutorials on plant identification.  In all, the workshop was an effective means of information sharing and will be replicated by partners in the future.

Federal-Tribal Partnership Reduces Risk of Wildfires

The Coronado National Forest blankets portions of the Fort Huachuca Sentinel Landscape.   Having once been home to indigenous communities, the Coronado National Forest holds cultural significance for Native American Tribes in the region.  As a result, the U.S. Forest Service integrates tribal perspectives into its management of the land.  In 2018, the Coronado National Forest and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) identified an opportunity to build upon their existing relationship by forming a collaborative wildfire mitigation initiative.  Funded through the Reserved Treaty Rights Land Program, the project enables the Fort Apache Agency to conduct thinning projects and prescribed burns on Coronado National Forest land.  Fire is an important agent of renewal for the forest, and when introduced effectively, reduces the risk of wildfire in the region and improves habitat for over 570 species.  In addition to providing restoration benefits, this project also allows the Fort Apache Agency to contribute to the management of the Chi’chil, an acorn from the Emory oak that is an important food source and cultural element for the Apache people.  This initiative demonstrates that effective stewardship is not bound by jurisdiction.  In 2019, BIA, the Coronado National Forest, and Fort Apache Agency received the prestigious Pulaski Award, which recognizes outstanding performance in areas of interagency collaboration.