Pima Pineapple Cactus & Prescribed Burning

Transcription

1 Pima Pineapple Cactus & Prescribed Burning

2 What is the Alliance? A collaborative conservation organization of ranchers and agriculturalists founded in 1995, 501(c)3 status in AVCA s Mission: We work through a strongly collaborative, science based, community driven and integrated approach to: CONSERVE healthy and productive working landscapes, including soil and water conservation, wildfire management, habitat conservation and protection of native species, and other environmental initiatives PROMOTE a thriving agricultural economy by encouraging improved ranching and farming practices, diversification and innovation, and by supporting programs and policies that support more effective, long term economic development SUSTAIN a resilient rural community by retaining and renewing the cultural and historical traditions of the Altar Valley

3 Altar Valley Fire Management Plan Historically did prescribed burning in the valley Stopped largely because of ESA concerns Eventually lead to doing management plan Completed in 2008 Guide for (a) implementing prescribed burns as a tool in range management and (b) responding to wildfire Main purpose was to address permitting needs for ESA compliance Photo thanks to BANWR

4 National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Grants Finished first NFWF grant in Fall 2012 Created 5 prescribed burn plans Second NFWF grant began in December 2012 and ends in November Goals of 2 nd NFWF grant: Install erosion control measures at initial 5 sites Conduct prescribed burns at initial 5 sites Create burn plans, install erosion control & conduct burns at 2 new sites

5 NFWF #2 Schedule Site Names: Jan-Jun, 2013 Jul-Dec, 2013 Jan-Jun, 2014 Jul-Dec 2014 Jan-Jun 2015 Jul-Dec 2015 Jan-Jun 2016 # 1 Keystone Peak, Sierrita M&R SMR/BLM: NEPA/BLM Review/Planning Burn # 2 West Mill, Anvil Restor. Plan Restoration Work Burn # 3 Pig Mountain, Elkhorn Ranch Restor. Plan Restoration Work Burn # 4 Rancho Seco, Pima County Restor. Plan Restoration Work Burn # 5 Las Delicias, Santa Margarita Restor. Plan Restoration Work Burn # 6 TBD # 7 TBD Choose site Choose site Prep burn & restoration plan & baseline monitor Restoration Work Restoration Work Burn Burn

6 King s Anvil Ranch: West Mill Burn 5430 acres, perimeter of 13.5 miles Three burn blocks: A contains 1529 acres, B contains 1910 acres and C contains 1991 acres. Comprised entirely of Arizona State Trust Land Objectives: Reduce shrub density and increase perennial grass density Previous prescribed burning: 1984: North portion of the East San Pedro pasture 1985: West Mill & East San Pedro pastures Contains Pima Pineapple Cactus

7 West Mill Prescribed Burn Map

8 Pima Pineapple Cactus An Overview Found in Sonoran desert scrub & grassland vegetation communities in the Altar and Santa Cruz River Valley. Federally listed as Endangered (1993) The original listing states, The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) presumes the Pima pineapple cactus, a resident of fire adapted semidesert grasslands, has evolved with fire, but it is unknown what circumstances and strategies allow the species to survive fire. Big issue in this region because it occurs in a lot of areas adjacent to and in metropolitan Tucson, and thus involved in growth management issues. Listing tied more into that, than ranchers managing.

9 AVFMP Biological Opinion PPC Requirements Pedestrian surveys of 100% of the burn area (valid for 6 years) Protection of individual cactus: Clear fuels around individual cactus 2 3 meters from the plant, leave vegetation with the 2 meter radius untouched Or use a fire proof, cone like structure An area with a high density of cacti or a group of cacti may be protected through blacklining a similar area around the cacti Post fire census of known cacti within days and again within 120 days Report fire acreage, location of cacti, protective measures used, and effectiveness in protecting individual cactus Exceptions to these basic conservation measures are possible as part of a quantitative research study of fire within various fuel loads and types on Pima pineapple cactus approved by the Service. Photo thanks to M. Miller

10 In Practice? Point of AVFMP: helping facilitate burning HOWEVER: AVFMP wasn t enough to fix problems and allow fire as management tool 100% survey not economically feasible Past research done: Work didn t translate into peer reviewed science (surveys done before prior burns) History was essentially lost

11 Problem Solving Meetings during January 7, 2013 meeting at Tucson USFWS office USFWS memo detailing amended conservation measures July 31, 2013: NRCS reinitiates consultation

12 Agreement AVCA & NRCS will use burn as experimental study Use data from February 2012 surveys Gather the pre burn conditions information Plant health, fuel conditions, environmental conditions Conduct burn & document burn conditions No PPC protection Conduct post burn monitoring of GPS d PPC Fuels burned & unburned nearby, scale of fire damage, mortality, indirect effects, or lack of effects Monitoring: (1) within 1 month of burning, (2) within 1 year of burn, (3) 3 years post burn

13 Conducting the Surveys Bob Schmalzel: Concerns of 120 versus 73 Section 6: Sept. 1, 2013 Sept. 30, 2014 Southwest Conservation Corps Surveys conducted late October early November, 2013

14 Survey Results 24 two mile 100m wide belt transects surveyed: East San Pedro, West Mill & West San Pedro 170 PPC found on transects in East San Pedro & West Mill (burn pastures) Searched an addt l set of 1 ha blocks to the east and west of the 1 ha blocks on the belt transects that had two or more plants. Yielded 80 more PPC in ESP & WM. West San Pedro (control) = 77 PPC

15 PPC Transects

16 Next Steps Conduct the burn! Return to GPS d plants post burn Share information Increase knowledge of fire s effect on PPC in northern half of Altar Valley Use information to inform actions at other prescribed burn sites with PPC Photo thanks to BANWR

17 Questions?