CONSERVATION LE GACY ARIZONA CONSERVATION CORPS USFS SOUTHWESTERN REGION

Tonto National Forest

Plant Survey, Mapping, and Treatment to Support Forest Restoration

AZCC, in partnership with the Tonto National Forest, engaged a Strike Team starting in June of 2022. Members of this crew received training and development of botanical survey and data collection skills that included plant identifi cation, survey techniques, and navigation skills. They learned to use tablets to map populations and collect fi eld data including species, number of individuals, and other relevant information needed for the preparation of thinning and timber sales within the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) footprint, Payson and Pleasant Valley Ranger Districts and Tonto National Forest. This work provided AZCC members the opportunity to learn how to conduct surveys of fuels reduction and forest restoration projects. The goal of this project was for members to gain an understanding of the ecology of the rare and invasive plant species in the area and the reasons for implementing measures to conserve rare plants and minimize the impacts of invasive species.

The overall goals of 4FRI are to restore the structure, pattern, composition, and health of fi re-adapted ponderosa pine ecosystems, reduce fuels and the risk of unnaturally severe wildfi res, and provide for wildlife and plant diversity. Projects that are conducted in the 4FRI footprint aid help the forests and the communities that are located in and around the footprint to restore the ponderosa pine forest on a landscape scale across Arizona. By completing the survey work, members of this crew helped the Tonto National Forest to be ready to implement thinning and timber sales work along with identifying invasive plant species that have an impact on the forest health, biodiversity, and fuel loading.

This type of work assists the forest with climate change mitigation. The data that will come from the completion of the surveys will help inform resource management in these areas, as the Arizona summer fuel moisture levels remain low and the risk of catastrophic wildfi res increases.

Crew Experience

A Day Out on the Trail: Crew 347

Setting out just after sunrise and with plenty of laughs, we hike up the machine-built portion of the trail half a mile to where the hand-built section starts. A mountain biker coming down from the trail notes the hard work we have ahead of us but is looking forward to seeing how the project turns out. And we are too—we’re connecting it up to Mingus mountain eventually, should be a challenging but rewarding bike ride!

As we continue the hike to the worksite, our feet pack down the tread for a fi nishing touch. We reach the part where we left o and the easy part of the trail dissolves into extremely steep, rocky, and unforgiving terrain. Uncertain if we’ll even be able to make a trail through this, we pick up our tools to get started anyways— let’s give it our best and see what we can do. Luckily all of the jokes and funny stories we share seem to keep us encouraged in the face of the challenge.