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Historic Partnership Advancing Science on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim

FLAGSTAFF, AZ - Against the stunning backdrop of the Kaibab Plateau and Vermilion Cliffs, a pioneering partnership has been forged to bolster the science guiding resource management and public lands stewardship along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

On January 25, 2012, the Grand Canyon Trust, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Land Management, Northern Arizona University, University of Arizona, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Geological Survey signed a Memorandum of Understanding, ushering into existence the Kane and Two Mile Research and Stewardship Partnership - a collaborative group of scientists, livestock producers, and resource managers actively pursuing science-based solutions to the challenges facing this dramatic landscape.

“This Partnership creates an exciting opportunity for us to pool resources across organizations and to work collectively to answer the questions most relevant to land managers,” according to Ron Sieg, Regional Manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

“Formalizing this Partnership is an endorsement of all the hard work everyone has put in since the 2005 purchase of the ranches by the Grand Canyon Trust and The Conservation Fund. We are entering a new era in public lands stewardship, and this commitment to applied research will benefit conservation efforts across the West,” added Tom Sisk, Director of the Landscape Conservation Initiative at NAU.

Guided by the Kane and Two Mile Ranches Applied Research Plan, the Partnership has identified several key research initiatives designed to inform management across the 850,000 acres of private land, BLM, and USFS grazing permits that comprise the ranches. These include evaluating the sustainability and effects of various livestock management strategies, identifying key factors responsible for the spread of non-native species, developing methods for restoring semi-arid grasslands, and creating tools for monitoring environmental change – particularly the effects of climate and land- use change.

“The partnership encourages and facilitates research with universities and other entities to answer these very important questions,” said Lorraine Christian, Bureau of Land Management Arizona Strip Field Manager.

These sentiments were echoed by Timothy Short, North Kaibab District Ranger, “The Kaibab National Forest is pleased to participate in this effort as we seek answers to both short and long term questions related to livestock management.”

“Sound science is essential for the development of effective solutions to the challenges faced by land managers,” said David Lytle, Director of the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center. “The USGS looks forward to helping provide the information necessary for our partners to manage their resources sustainably.”

“As both grazing permitee and conservation organization, we are dedicated to actively pursuing solutions to the conservation challenges posed by a rapidly changing environment,” said Matt Williamson, manager of the Kane and Two Mile Ranch Program at the Grand Canyon Trust. “This Partnership provides an opportunity to do just that.”

The Partnership is meant to formalize an innovative approach to carrying out the science necessary to inform public lands management and address the often contentious issues that arise across the Southwest. In an era of declining budgets for land management agencies, this public-private partnership will enhance capacity to address high priority conservation and stewardship activities. Work occurring under the auspices of the Partnership is already underway, and will expand rapidly over the coming years.

Endangered California condors celebrate 15th anniversary since reintroduction into Arizona

The endangered California condor population that now spans Arizona and Utah is celebrating a significant milestone this month: the 15th anniversary of the first release of the birds into Arizona after being gone from the area for nearly 100 years.

In December 1996, six condors were released from an acclimation pen atop the Vermilion Cliffs in northern Arizona. Today, the population consists of more than 70 birds that now also use Utah as part of their range.

“This milestone is a significant accomplishment for the reintroduction program and demonstrates what cooperative, adaptive conservation can do for wildlife,” says Eric Gardner, nongame branch chief for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “We would not have any condors flying over Arizona and Utah if it were not for the experimental, nonessential designation that allowed the project to begin. Now we have over 70 birds.”

Since reintroduction began, challenges have been identified in the program and adaptive management has been implemented to address issues like lead poisoning from spent ammunition and predation. Of 42 known mortalities, 19 birds have died from confirmed lead poisoning. The second leading cause of death is predation with 12 cases recorded.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department implemented a voluntary non-lead ammunition program in 2005 for hunters drawn for hunts in the condor’s core range. The free program has had voluntary participation rates of between 80 and 90 percent each of the past 5 years, demonstrating the willingness of hunters to play an active role in conservation and that voluntary programs can be successful.

To continue to address lead’s impact on condors, Utah implemented a non-lead program in 2010 to further conservation as the population of condors expands its habitat into southern Utah. Biologists expect to see a reduction in lead toxicity deaths once more Utah hunters begin to use non-lead ammunition in the field.

The Arizona-Utah condor population is classified as an experimental, non-essential population by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the 10(j) rule of the Endangered Species Act. This special rule provides The Peregrine Fund and Game and Fish with more flexibility to manage the population. The 10(j) rule allows the agencies the ability to handle, treat, transport and fit birds with radio transmitters, activities that would be much more difficult to carry out without the special designation. The 10(j) rule also provides that land management practices will not be restricted due to the presence of condors.
Condors are a long-lived species with low reproductive rates, making its population more slow-growing than most wildlife. While they can live up to 60 years in the wild, they do not sexually mature until six or seven years of age and only mate every other year.

The California condor has gone from only 22 birds left in the world in 1982 to nearly 400 today. The original 22 birds were captured in an effort to breed and save the species. Condors bred and raised in captivity are now periodically released at sites in California, Mexico and at the Vermilion Cliffs in Arizona.

The species was added to the federal endangered species list in 1967. The condor is the largest flying land bird in North America. The birds can weigh up to 26 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 9 1/2 feet.

The Arizona-Utah condor conservation effort is a joint project of many partners, including The Peregrine Fund, Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Kaibab National Forest and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

For more information on condors, visit www.azgfd.gov/condor or The Peregrine Fund website.

All National Park Areas to Waive Entrance Fees for 2012

All national parks, monuments, recreation areas, historic sites, etc will be offering fee free entry. Local national park units include Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Pipe Spring, Glen Canyon, Lake Mead, and Capitol Reef.

Park visitors are reminded that the fee-free designation applies to entrance fees only and does not affect fees for camping, reservations, tours, or use of concessions. Park entrance stations will have Interagency Senior and Annual Passes available for those who wish to purchase them.

Fee free days for 2012 have already been announced and include: January 14 – 16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend), April 21 – 29 (National Parks Week), June 9 (Get Outdoors Day), September 29 (National Public Lands Day) and November 10 – 12 (Veterans Day weekend.)

BLM Noon Brown Bag Lecture Series

Southern Utah’s stunning landscapes and ideal winter temperatures, blended with today’s fast paced lifestyles creates a paradox for many area residents and visitors. Others may experience a touch of irony from simply being unfamiliar with or unable to access remote, rugged backcountry areas that seem both enticing yet elusive.

Federal partners have created one of the easiest and most cost efficient solutions to this dilemma with the “Brown Bag Lecture Series”. Each Friday from October to May, natural resource specialists and scientists bring the most interesting aspects of outdoor recreation and resource management to the public’s doorstep. Hosted at the Interagency Center at 345 East Riverside Drive in St. George, the free lectures provide outstanding information on a diverse range of subjects like recreational aspects of photography, four wheeling, and hiking or scientific findings on issues such as prehistory, geology, biology, and current events.

Sponsored by the Dixie/Arizona Strip Interpretive Association, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service, the free weekly lectures are presented at noon and last for one hour. In order to maximize the lunch hour, attendees are welcome to bring their own sack lunch to enjoy while learning from the presentations. Admission is free, but space is limited for this popular lecture series. To reserve a seat obtain tickets in advance either at the Interagency Visitor Center or by calling 435-688-3200.

February 2012 Brown Bag Schedule

February 3: “Where to Go, What to See.” Known among Southern Utah audiences as one of The Spectrum’s best, seasoned outdoor & travel columnists, writer Brian Passey will share a vast array of compelling photos and stories recapping his many adventures throughout Southern Utah and beyond.

February 10: “Preserving Our Precious Resource; the Night Sky.” Join geologist Marc Deshowitz for an illuminating anthology of fact and fiction regarding light pollution. Deshowitz details many of the realistic and routine steps everyone can to take to help preserve this valuable natural resource.

February 17: “When the Movies Came to Town” File Commission Member and Dixie State College Professor of Arts Glen Blakely gives an insider’s, behind-the-scenes perspective on movies filmed on location, right here in picturesque Dixie.

February 24: “Discovery in Silver Reef.” Nearly 150 years ago John Kemple discovered a shiny vein of silver running through the stone in an unlikely location in Southern Utah’s dusty desert. Join Kemple’s grandson Jim as he shares his grandfather’s experiences from 1886 as the first miner at Silver Reef, Utah near Leeds.

2012 Zion Field Institute Annual Event Calendar

INFORMATION