Related Activities

Because fire does not respect ownership or political boundaries, FireScape draws from and informs a variety of partners.  There are several current activities which are closely related to the FireScape program.

Coronado National Forest, Forest Plan Revision:  The National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 1976 required every national forest to develop a Forest Plan and periodically revise the Plan. Today, these plans provide broad direction for managing natural resources for the American people. Plans are programmatic in nature, meaning they cover a large geographic area, and their management direction is broad in scope. In addition, every forest plan must be consistent with environmental laws and regulations such as the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act.

The current Coronado National Forest plan was originally developed in 1986, over 20 years ago. Since then, there have been many social and resource changes. Scientific information and methodology have evolved. A few of these changes were addressed in amendments to the original Forest Plan; many others have not been formally recognized and incorporated. Therefore, Coronado National Forest is currently revising its Forest Plan.

The Forest Plan provides guidance for fire management on the national forest and is the umbrella for a large portion of the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains FireScape project.  Because the Forest Plan revision and FireScape planning are occurring concurrently FireScape will be an integral part of the Forest Plan.  For more information visit the Coronado’s Forest Plan revision website. 

Land Type Associations of Southeast Arizona: The National Park Service, the US Forest Service and US Geological Survey recently mapped 109 landtype associations over nearly two million acres in southeastern Arizona (Cleland et al., 2008). The study area, which included the Greater Huachua Area, is bounded to the south by the international border, to the west by the Santa Cruz River, to the east by the San Pedro River, and by Redington Pass to the north, between the Catalina and Rincon Mountains. The 361 page report lists each land type association, along with its characteristic physiography, climate, geology, soils, vegetation, and fire history. The GIS shapefile is available on request, email azfirescape@cals.arizona.edu.

Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Initiative:  Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare), an invasive non-native plant introduced from the African savanna, is a fire-prone and shrubby grass which threatens to irrevocably alter the Sonoran Desert which makes up the lower elevations of the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains.  Buffelgrass grows in dense stands that crowd out native species and creates a fire regime which can lead to devastating fires that could convert the ecologically rich Sonoran Desert into a monotypic environment.  The Sonoran Desert is not a fire-adapted ecosystem. To the contrary, fire seldom occurs there.  If buffelgrass takes over large areas the potential for fires to spread up slope from the desert into the woodlands and forests of these mountain ranges is greatly increased.  For more information visit the Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center website. 

Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan:  The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan is guiding regional efforts to conserve the best lands and most precious resources for future generations of Pima County residents to enjoy. The Plan combines short-term actions with long-range land-use decisions in Pima County, one of the most biologically diverse counties in the U.S. From cactus-studded deserts to conifer forests, the diverse landscape of Pima County is the home to a million residents from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and contains a rich diversity of plant and animal life.

If approved, the Multi-Species Conservation Plan will provide a comprehensive way for Pima County and the regulated community to achieve compliance with the Endangered Species Act in unincorporated Pima County. In the past, this has been done project-by-project, species-by-species. Various efforts to avoid, minimize and mitigate the impacts of urbanization on various plant and animal species and their habitats have already been implemented through the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. The Multi-Species Conservation Plan proposes to formalize those existing programs and institute new measures. For more information visit the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan website.

Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP): Community Wildfire Protections Plans have been completed for several of the communities within and adjacent to the FireScape Assessment Area.

Source: Arizona Forestry Division

 

Oracle Ridge Ecosystem Restoration Project 

 

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