Havasu Wilderness. FWS National Wildlife Refuge System Wilderness Fellows. Kelly L. Lockman. Report on Wilderness Character Monitoring

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1 FWS National Wildlife Refuge System Wilderness Fellows Report on Wilderness Character Monitoring Havasu Wilderness Kelly L. Lockman U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 0/4/20 Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page of 58

2 Table of Contents Havasu National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness Havasu NWR and Wilderness Background and Setting Havasu NWR and Wilderness Map... 5 Wilderness Resources Wilderness Character Monitoring and Qualities... 6 Documents and Staff Consulted Process Used to Identify Measures... 8 Selected Measures Untrammeled Actions to Manage Native Wildlife... 9 Actions to Suppress Non-Native Species... 0 Percent of Natural Fires Suppressed Averaged Over Wilderness... Number of Hunting Permits... 2 Acres Burned Due to Human Ignited Fires... 3 Other Unauthorized Actions... 4 Natural Desert Bighorn Sheep... 5 Extirpated Plants and Animals... 6 Non-Indigenous Species... 7 Present Nurseries with Myotis velifer... 8 Feral Burro Populations... 9 Present Wildlife Diseases Undeveloped Actions to Cleanup Modern Human Debris... 2 Number of Inactive Mines Index of Authorized Non-Recreational Physical Development Type and Amount Use of Motor Vehicles, Motorized Equipment, and Mechanical Transport Incidents and Known Vehicle Intrusions Number of Management and Other Documented Flyovers Inholdings Acres Disturbances to Cultural Resources Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Agency Provided Recreation Facilities Acres of Wilderness Recreational Camping is not Permitted Special Use Permits... 3 Administrative Travel Routes and Access Roads... 3 Miles of Wilderness Boundary Adjacent to Private Lands No Wake Zones in River Channel Adjacent to Wilderness Measures Not Used Conclusions Appendix Cover Photo: Havasu Wilderness - Kelly Lockman Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 2 of 58

3 Background Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is located on the Colorado River between Needles, CA and Parker, AZ. Havasu Refuge was established by Executive Order 8647 on January 22, 94, to provide migration and wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl. It is essentially an overlay on lands withdrawn and purchased by the Bureau of Reclamation for the operation of Parker Dam and its reservoir, Lake Havasu. The refuge as established encompassed about 43,000 acres and was enlarged to 45,76 acres in 949. With the founding of Lake Havasu City in 964, the refuge was reduced to 22,007 acres under the Lower Colorado River Land Use Plan. This plan delineated a realignment of the refuge boundaries with the major portion of Lake Havasu being deleted for recreational development. In 968, the Needles Peaks area was added to the refuge, bringing the total acreage to 4,495. Four hundred-twenty acres was deleted in 974 and returned to the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe. In October 977,,575 acres were purchased from the Arizona Ranch and Metals Company through the Nature Conservancy as an addition to the Bill Williams Unit. An additional, 2,78 acreas were withdrawn from the Bureau of Land Management in 98 to round out the Bill Williams Unit, bringing the total acreage to 45,43. The refuge contains three district units. The Topock Marsh Unit in South Mohave Valley constitutes all refuge land north of I-40. This unit lies at the south end of a 200,000 acre alluvial basin and contains a 4,000-acre marsh and 200 acres of cropland. The Topock Gorge Unit extends from I-40 south to upper Lake Havasu. This is one of the most scenic features along the Lower Colorado River. Through portions of the Topock Gorge the Colorado is incised between colorful cliffs rising several hundred feet above the river with peaks in this area reaching 2,400 feet. The refuge and the surrounding area contain much evidence of early man, especially in the Topock Gorge. Picture writings on rock and canyon walls, both petrogylphs and pictographs, provide a silent record of the area s earliest inhabitants and their culture. The area was also heavily prospected during the gold boom and several inactive mines are located on the refuge. View of Havasu Wilderness from Colorado River Photo: FWS Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 3 of 58

4 The refuge is surrounded by areas of recent developmental growth due to recreational amenities provided in and along the Colorado River. Lake Havasu City and Mohave Valley has had rapid population growth since the year of wilderness designation. This places an increasing importance for refuge and wilderness as well as increases the demand on the refuge and its resources. Further pressures have been placed on refuge and wilderness areas due to population growth with Laughlin, NV, Bullhead City, AZ and Needles, CA region as a result of recent gambling/resort businesses. Ecological Setting Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is located in the southern portion of the Mojave Desert. It lies in one of the hottest and driest regions in the United States. Approximately half of the refuge habitat is in this category. The desert washes provide excellent habitat and the Mesquite and Palo Verde dominate above the Salt Cedar moisture elevation. Over 300 species of birds, 42 species of mammals, and 38 species of reptiles have been recorded at Havasu NWR. Annual precipitation averages at 5. inches. Most of the rainfall occurs in the form of thunderstorms in early spring and late summer. These storms are often violent and produce severe washouts in local drainages. The summers are long and extremely hot with maximum temperatures ranging between 5 and 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters are short and very mild with a near absence of freezing temperatures. View of Havasu Wilderness Photo: Kelly Lockman Havasu National Wildlife Refuge still remains an oasis for migratory birds even though Salt Cedar continues to be an overpowering problem. The Topock Gorge, the area that is mainly designated wilderness besides the 20 miles of the Colorado River itself represents one of the last remaining natural stretches along this portion of the lower river. The riparian zone is used by a wide variety of songbirds, marsh and wading birds. The emergent vegetation in the backwaters provides nesting habitat as well as nursery areas for largemouth bass, crappie and channel catfish. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 4 of 58

5 Map of Havasu Refuge and Wilderness as well as immediate surroundings Source: FWS Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 5 of 58

6 Wilderness Character Monitoring Havasu National Wildlife Refuge was part of the initial round in a wilderness character monitoring pilot program influenced by the Wilderness Act of 964. Qualities of wilderness character were derived from the Act and this program was implemented to provide a uniform approach to monitoring trends and actions in wildernesses across the nation. Along with 8 other USFWS refuges, wilderness character monitoring measures were created for Havasu National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness using a baseline year of 20. The measures selected for Havasu are specific to this wilderness and unique from any other set of wilderness character monitoring measures. These measures will allow USFWS and interested parties to monitor how the wilderness character will change and trends in the future. Trends in wilderness character monitoring can either be improving, degrading, stable or offsetting stable. Untrammeled Qualities of Wilderness Character...an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man... and...generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature Wilderness Act of 964 Wilderness is essentially unhindered and free from the actions of modern human control or manipulation Natural...is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions Wilderness Act of 964 Wilderness ecological systems are substantially free from the effects of modern civilization Undeveloped...an area of undeveloped Federal land...without permanent improvement or human habitation and...where man himself is a visitor who does not remain Wilderness Act of 964 Wilderness retains its primeval character and influence, and is essentially without permanent improvement or modern human occupation Solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation Wilderness Act of 964 Wilderness provides outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 6 of 58

7 Documents Consulted The documents listed below were the main sources used to help identify measures as well as supplied data for some of the measures: Havasu National Wildlife Refuge Annual Narrative Reports Years 99 & 992 Havasu National Wildlife Refuge Brochures Lower Colorado River National Wildlife Refuges: Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Assessment Study Report- Needles Wilderness Proposal: Havasu National Wildlife Refuge Other Documents Consulted Keeping it Wild: An Interagency Strategy to Monitor Trends in Wilderness Character Across the National Wilderness Preservation System Peter Landres and Others July 2008 Technical Guide for Monitoring Selected Conditions Related to Wilderness Character- Peter Landres and Others June 2009 Staff Consulted Dick Gilbert, Complex Project Leader Linda L. Miller, Refuge Manager Jack Allen, Biologist Kathleen Blair, Complex Ecologist Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement Pamela Scott, Administration Michael Sambroski, Maintenance and Operations Benji Stewart, Fire Operations Specialists Jennifer House, Wilderness Specialist LHFO, Bureau of Land Management David Roan, Needles Bureau of Land Management Dave Conrad, Arizona Game and Fish Department Bob Henry, Arizona Game and Fish Department Lesley Fitzpatrick, Phoenix FWS Ecological Services Dr. Patricia Brown, Brown-Berry Biological Consulting Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 7 of 58

8 Process Used for Identifying Measures Steps to identify measures:. Meet with key refuge staff members like the Refuge Manager and give a brief overview of the WCM project. Locate important documents like the CCP, Annual Narratives(starting from year of wilderness designation), related documents, maps and important contacts. 2. Read important documents to get a better understanding of the goals of the refuge and wilderness as well as the operations/occurrences that repetitively happen at the refuge. This may also help identify measures that are not only important to WCM; it may not require the staff to do a great deal of extra work to collect data after you leave. 3. Setup a day when a knowledgeable staff member is available to give a tour of the wilderness. Record observations in the field as well as comments by staff. This will also allow you more time to discuss possible wilderness issues that could translate into a measure. This time with the staff member is very valuable; ask many questions. 4. Compile a draft of possible measures. Participate in refuge activities to get a better understanding to what is important to staff. Since it is recommended to only have approximately 25 final measures, try to identify the most influential measures on wilderness character that not only fulfill the indicator but also account for different aspects in wilderness and data is readily available or easy to gather by staff members. 5. Setup a meeting and ask where data can be found for each well received and feasible measure. This may or may not help you find this year s data. Most times, unless it is the end of the year, the data is still being collected for some of the measures. 6. Analyze the revised measure handout to see if what goes on in the wilderness has been captured with the approximate selection of 25 measures. Also make sure that data can be easily collected and monitored by refuge staff after you leave. If you are comfortable with the list, then create a final list to show the key staff members. This meeting should also include your suggestions for: frequency, unit of measure, weight, significant change, description and data source for each measure for comment. Make a suggestion for each because it is easier for staff to comment on something rather than a blank document. 7. Enter measures, related information and available data into database. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 8 of 58

9 Selected Measures Character: Untrammeled Indicator: Actions authorized by refuge manager that manipulate the biophysical environment Measure: Actions to Manage Native Wildlife Description: A point system of authorized actions to manage native wildlife in wilderness. Actions include but are not limited to: species surveys in wilderness that disrupt natural routine and removal/dispatching of wildlife. Context: Currently Havasu management does not take any actions in wilderness to manage wildlife. This measure was created as a placeholder for management actions, if any, to native wildlife in the future. Many of the same wildlife do occur on both Havasu and Kofa. Kofa manages native wildlife so it is possible in the future that Havasu management may take similar actions on native wildlife. The refuge staff will have to assign the point value for each specific action, if any. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Kathleen Blair, Ecologist; Bob Henry, AGFD Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with refuge staff and AGFD. Significant Change: After 20, any change or increase in the management actions to native wildlife in wilderness would reflect a degrading trend. If no actions continue; the trend will remain stable. Data Adequacy: High - conversations with numerous staff members. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 9 of 58

10 Character: Untrammeled Indicator: Actions authorized by refuge manager that manipulate the biophysical environment Measure: Actions to Suppress Non-Native Plant Species Description: Number of actions to suppress non-native species. If it is available, this measure could be edited to count acres of non-native plants suppressed and/or amount of chemicals used to suppress non-native species. Context: There are non-indigenous plant species in Havasu wilderness and currently there are no management actions to suppress these species in wilderness. This measure is to capture any future actions to suppress non-native plant species by the use of herbicides and other chemicals that would alter the biophysical environment. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Kathleen Blair, Ecologist Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with refuge staff. Significant Change: After 20, any change or increase in the management actions to suppress nonnative species in wilderness would reflect a degrading trend. If no actions continue; the trend will remain stable. Data Adequacy: High - conversations with numerous staff members. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 0 of 58

11 Character: Untrammeled Indicator: Actions authorized by refuge manager that manipulate the biophysical environment Measure: Percent of Natural Fires Suppressed Averaged Over Wilderness Description: Percent of natural fire starts suppressed in Havasu wilderness. Number of lightningcaused fires that were suppressed is divided by the total number of lightning-caused fires, multiplied by 00. Context: Fires can drastically change the makeup of the wilderness. Also the actions to suppress these fires can impact the wilderness. This measure accounts for the fire as well as the actions related to suppression. Data Sources: Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Benji Stewart, Fire Operations Specialist Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key refuge staff. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. Any increase to the amount of natural fires that are suppressed and actions of suppression would reflect a degrading trend. Any decrease in these actions would reflect an improving trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. Natural fires that receive a suppression response are well documented by Fire Management Team. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page of 58

12 Character: Untrammeled Indicator: Actions authorized by refuge manager that manipulate the biophysical environment Measure: Number of Hunting Permits Description: Total number of desert bighorn sheep hunting permits issued each year by Arizona Game and Fish Department Context: Desert bighorn sheep hunting is one of the few authorized actions that currently happens within Havasu Wilderness. Documenting the numbers of permits issued each year and comparing it to the Desert Bighorn Sheep population, managers will be able to see how the number of desert bighorn sheep taken from wilderness correlates to the population counts. Data Sources: Bob Henry, Arizona Game and Fish Department; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key refuge staff and agencies. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. The number of permits issued is determined by the population counts. Since there is now a low number of permits issued and the desert bighorn sheep population appears to fluctuate according to survey counts dating back to 990, any increase to the amount of hunting permits issued will be seen as a degrading trend. If fewer permits are issued, this would be an improving trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 2 of 58

13 Character: Untrammeled Indicator: Actions not authorized by refuge manager that manipulate the biophysical environment Measure: Acres Burned Due to Human Ignited Fires Description: Acres of wilderness burned from known and documented human/visitor ignited fires in wilderness. Context: Fires can seriously alter the current state of the wilderness. Documenting the acres burned due to human ignited fires with further show the impacts humans can have on wilderness. Havasu is primarily used by trespassers on ATVs and the continuation of breaking the law by having a campfire in wilderness would not be out of line to assume as a possible action. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key refuge staff because Havasu no longer produces an Annual Narrative Report. Legacy data will also have to be found by asking key data sources. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. If an amount acres burned from human/visitor ignited fires were to happen in a given year, it will reflect a degrading trend. If the amount of human ignited fires were nonexistent for any given year, it would reflect an improving trend. A change in the amount of human/visitor ignited fires will have a significant change on the biophysical environment and stable cannot be used for this measure unless it is zero. Data Adequacy: Medium confidence in data. Havasu Wilderness is not frequently visited by refuge staff; smaller human/visitor ignited fires will be missed in the data counts. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 3 of 58

14 Character: Untrammeled Indicator: Actions not authorized by refuge manager that manipulate the biophysical environment Measure: Number of Other Unauthorized Actions Description: A count of the number of unauthorized actions other than human ignited fires and vehicle intrusions that occur annually in wilderness. Context: This measure was created to capture unauthorized actions in wilderness that may happen in the future that are degrading to wilderness character but do not have a specific measure it would fall under. In the past, a visitor has brought modern human debris into wilderness to erect shrines. That is just one example of an action that could be captured in this measure. For 20, there are no known other unauthorized actions. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key refuge staff because Havasu no longer produces an Annual Narrative Report. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. If any amount of unauthorized actions in wilderness were to happen in a given year, it will reflect a degrading trend. If the amount other unauthorized actions were nonexistent for any given year, it would reflect an improving or stable trend. Data Adequacy: Medium confidence in data. Havasu Wilderness is not frequently visited by refuge staff; other unauthorized actions will be missed in the data counts. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 4 of 58

15 Character: Natural Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities Measure: Desert Bighorn Sheep Description: Annual population estimates of desert bighorn sheep from aerial and group surveys. Desert bighorn sheep population estimates are derived using the Kofa Group Size Estimator. Context: Desert bighorn sheep population size is often monitored by refuge staff and Arizona Game and Fish Department. The population size from year to year can give a glimpse into the stability and health of the ecosystem in the wilderness. Population surveys are not administered every year but are often enough to give an indication of the trend. Data Sources: Bob Henry, AGFD; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key refuge staff because Havasu no longer produces an Annual Narrative Report. Legacy data will also have to be found by asking key data sources. Significant Change: The significant change is 0%. 0% less than previous year reflects a degrading trend. 0% more than previous year reflects an improving trend. Less than 0% either way reflects a stable trend. 20 survey will reflect a stable trend, and the significant change to determine the trend should be calculated in 202 or the next year a population size survey is conducted for Desert Bighorn Sheep. Data Adequacy: High Confidence in data. Data collected by knowledgeable staff and the Kofa Group Size Estimator is a very reliable formula to estimate the population size for Desert Bighorn Sheep. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 5 of 58

16 Character: Natural Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities Measure: Extirpated Plants and Animals Description: Number of indigenous plant and animal species that have been extirpated based on time from European contact. Context: Currently there are no known or documented extirpated species that were mentioned during the time wilderness character monitoring was conducted. This measure will serve as a placeholder for any future changes to this measure. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Kathleen Blair, Ecologist; Bob Henry, AGFD; Lesley Fitzpatrick, Phx Ecological Services Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key refuge staff and other related agencies. Havasu no longer produces an Annual Narrative Reports. Significant Change: Any. Currently there are no documented extirpated species from Havasu Wilderness so any increase in the number would reflect a degrading trend. Data Adequacy: Medium Confidence in data. Most of the data is by word of mouth. Documents could not be located that lists extirpated species from Havasu Wilderness. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 6 of 58

17 Character: Natural Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities Measure: Non-Indigenous Species Description: Number of non-indigenous species found in wilderness. Context: Non-indigenous species can drastically influence and be detrimental to the native species of a wilderness area. This count gives an idea to the different types of non-indigenous species found in Havasu Wilderness. Data Sources: Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Kathleen Blair, Ecologist; Needles Wilderness Proposal Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key refuge staff and lists found in the Needles Wilderness Proposal Significant Change: Any. If there is an increase in the number of non-indigenous species in Havasu wilderness, it will reflect a degrading trend. Any non-indigenous species that are eradicated from Havasu Wilderness will reflect an improving trend. Data Adequacy: Medium-High confidence in data. Spatial data of the range of impact these species have on wilderness would give a better picture as to what is going on in the wilderness than just a count. It is possible that if the data is collected, this measure could be updated in the future to show a better picture as to what is going how much non-indigenous species cover is in the wilderness. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 7 of 58

18 Character: Natural Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities Measure: Present Nurseries with Myotis velifer Description: Number of old mines and other areas in wilderness observed and documented containing established maternity colonies of Myotis velifer. Context: Monitoring bat species, particularly threatened ones, is an important management activity that should happen regularly on Havasu NWR. Creating a measure for present maternity colonies will give an idea to the suitability of the habitat on Havasu that is conducive for sensitive bat populations. Data Sources: Dr. Patricia Brown, BBBC Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with Dr. Patricia Brown, a consultant contact who was suggested to me by the ecologist, Kathleen Blair. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. If there is an increase in documented present maternity colonies, it will reflect an improving trend because there is greater biodiversity and habitat compatible for sensitive bat species in Havasu wilderness. A decrease will reflect a degrading trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data; consultant very knowledgeable. Myotis velifer photographed on Lower Colorado River Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Photo: Dr. Monitoring Patricia Brown Page 8 of 58

19 Character: Natural Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities Measure: Feral Burro Populations Description: Number of burros counted during scheduled desert bighorn sheep population counts. Other means of finding population of feral burros in wilderness are allowable but no additional surveys were accounted for during baseline year. Context: Feral burros are detrimental to the habitat in wilderness and continue to be a significant issue even though there are occasional BLM efforts to round up burros. To date, 56 burros in the immediate surroundings of Havasu wilderness have been captured by BLM. During survey count flights of desert bighorn sheep, staff also counts the number of burros and gathers a rough estimate of the population size. Data Sources: Jack Allen, Havasu Refuge Biologist; Bob Henry, Arizona Game and Fish Department Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversation about burros with refuge biologist lead to the findings of current burro population counts. Significant Change: The population estimates for right now is 27. Since the burro creates a high impact on wilderness character and nutritional resources in wilderness are low, the significant change would be any. Data Adequacy: Medium confidence in data. The population count survey is administered during another survey and burro population is not the main priority; it is desert bighorn sheep population counts. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 9 of 58

20 Character: Natural Indicator: Biophysical Processes Measure: Present Wildlife Diseases Description: The total number of wildlife diseases documented in Havasu wilderness. Context: There are no known studies in Havasu wilderness to document the amount, if any, and the severity of wildlife diseases. This measure would capture any wildlife diseases identified in the future. Data Sources: Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Kathleen Blair, Ecologist Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key staff members. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. If there is an increase in documented present wildlife diseases, it will reflect a degrading trend. A decrease will reflect and improving trend. Data Adequacy: Medium confidence in data. There are currently no known studies or documents of present wildlife diseases. All data is from knowledgeable staff so there may be no need for wildlife disease studies if nothing appears to be out of the ordinary with wildlife. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 20 of 58

21 Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Non-recreational installations, structures and developments Measure: Actions to Cleanup Modern Human Debris - Abandoned Property, Mine, Military, etc. Description: Numerical annual count of actions to cleanup modern human debris - abandoned property, mine and military debris Context: Cleanups of modern human debris have not happen recently in Havasu Wilderness except on one brief account given by the Law Enforcement Officer, Wayne Dingman. One visitor to the wilderness was erecting shrines in wilderness and LE brought him into wilderness to locate and remove a good amount of the shrines. Future removals, if applicable should incorporate wilderness legislation and the minimum requirement analysis should be taken into consideration when the means of removal is selected for each project. For those reasons, this measure will only reflect a stable or improving trend. This could also entice refuge staff to take on more modern human debris cleanup projects if it will reflect an overall improving trend in wilderness character. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with staff and locating related files regarding cleanups, like Minimum Requirement Analysis documents. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. For each action that removes debris from wilderness using the proper means, an improving trend is recorded. If one action for one year is followed by just one action the next year, this still shows an improving trend. Stable trend only appears when no actions are taken. This measure cannot reflect a degrading trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. Cleanup efforts in wilderness are well documented in the past and require a minimum requirement analysis of the plans on how to remove the debris. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 2 of 58

22 Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Non-recreational installations, structures and developments Measure: Number of Active and Inactive Mines Description: Number of active and inactive mines found in wilderness. Context: Havasu has a history in mining and this measure is to document that mining did exist even though it no longer happens in wilderness. Any type of mining can impact and dramatically change the wilderness and its character in multiple ways. The ideal objective is Havasu Wilderness remains an area that is no longer mined for its resources. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Dr. Patricia Brown, BBBC; Bureau of Land Management Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with refuge staff and consultant. Contact with the Bureau of Land Management because they handle the records on mining developments in all areas including wilderness. A tally of the total amount of inactive mines found wilderness was used as the data for 20. No active mines are found in wilderness as of 20. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure would be Any. Any increase mining activity would reflect a degrading trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data; conversations with knowledgeable contacts and available supporting documents. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 22 of 58

23 Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Non-recreational installations, structures and developments Measure: Index of Non-Recreational Physical Development Description: Number of man-made, developed structures in wilderness. The count includes but is not limited to: a. Dams b. Tanks c. Wells d. Catchments e. Temporary management related structures f. Technology/Scientific Installations Context: Havasu has only two developments in wilderness. Currently a USGS Gauging Station sits near the Colorado River that was there prior to wilderness designation and there is a wildlife drinker that was installed by AGFD in wilderness. Beyond that, there are no known authorized physical developments in wilderness. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key staff members and consulting refuge and wilderness documents Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. If a current structure or installation is removed from wilderness, it will reflect an improving trend. If a development is added to wilderness, this will reflect a degrading trend. If nothing changes, it will reflect a stable trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. Many reliable sources were consulted and staff interviewed. Plastic water tank installation by AGFD in wilderness Photo: Kelly Lockman Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 23 of 58

24 Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, and mechanical transport Measure: Type and Amount of Administrative, Non-Emergency, and Emergency Use of Motor Vehicles, Motorized Equipment, or Mechanical Transport Description: Index of actual use of equipment or vehicle based on type of equipment (helicopter, chain saws, etc.) and weighted based on how many days used. Add up all the items used in wilderness plus the amount of days used to find the total to be imputed as data. Context: Some management tasks as well as emergencies require the use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport. Though properly filling minimum requirement analysis will allow refuge staff to pick the least motor or mechanized way to complete a task, at times motor and mechanized practices are the most practical or financially feasible way to complete a project. This measure is to inventory and monitor all these insistences as well as emergencies in wilderness. Currently for 20, there has been no administrative or emergency use in wilderness. Data Sources: Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Reading documents as well as consulting with refuge staff. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. Any increase the use of motorized or mechanized items would reflect a degrading trend. Any decrease in the use would reflect an improving trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. Havasu wilderness projects using motor or mechanized equipment are extremely rare. View from wilderness boundary with a posted No Vehicle sign Photo: Kelly Lockman Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 24 of 58

25 Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, and mechanical transport Measure: Number of Management and Other Documented Flyovers Description: A total count of the number of management and other documented flyovers that occur annually over wilderness. Context: It is known that management occasionally does flyovers to do wildlife surveys. There was one this year for the desert bighorn sheep population survey. In the future, management can also document any flyovers they witness while working in or in the vicinity of wilderness. Data Sources: Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Bob Henry, AGFD Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key staff members and partner agencies. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. Currently the amount of documented flyovers is relatively small and any change in the number would be considered a significant change. If the number of flyovers was to increase in a given year, this would reflect a degrading trend. If the number was to decrease, this would reflect an improving trend. If the number was to remain the same, it would reflect a stable trend. Data Adequacy: Medium confidence in this data. Not all of the flyovers can be captured by refuge staff. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 25 of 58

26 Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, and mechanical transport Measure: Incidents and Known Civilian Vehicle Intrusions Description: Number of incidents and known civilian vehicle intrusions in wilderness. This count includes: a. Violation notices issued for vehicle intrusions in wilderness b. Documented vehicle tracks in wilderness Context: ATV/UTV use is a big recreational component in this area. There are other places in the county to use ATV/UTVs but some visitors do not abide by the rules and enter wilderness on their vehicles. Intruders sometimes even take down refuge fences that are put up on the boundary and bullets holes are frequently found in refuge posted signs. Tracks are noticeable and create considerable damage to wilderness character. Unfortunately it is difficult to catch every intrusion, but violation notices have been written in the past and refuge staff does notice the tracks when out when checking boundary fences. Data Sources: Wilderness Fellow field survey; Law enforcement Vehicle intrusion in wilderness Photo: Kelly Lockman Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Collecting violation notices from refuge law enforcement and personal field visits to frequently intruded sites. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. Even though every instance of intrusion cannot be completely measured, the amount of violation notices and documented intrusions captured in a given year will be indicative of what is happening across Havasu wilderness. An increase in the amount of intrusions will reflect a degrading trend. A decrease in the amount of intrusions will reflect an improving trend. No change will reflect a stable trend. Data Adequacy: Medium confidence in this data. Not all of the intrusions can be captured by refuge staff. Vehicle intrusion in wilderness Photo: Kelly Lockman Destroyed boundary fence/sign Photo:Lockman Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 26 of 58

27 Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Inholdings Measure: Inholding Acres Description: Acres of inholdings within wilderness boundaries. Includes any inholding that is within and/or surrounded by the wilderness boundary line; both AZ and CA sides. Context: Private land ownership in the form parcels within and/or surrounded by wilderness occur in Havasu. An inventory of the amount of acres of inholdings will monitor private land ownerships impact on wilderness character. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; GIS maps Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with refuge staff and reading documents related to what is going on in the wilderness. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. If the inholding acres decrease because the property was gifted/sold to Havasu NWR, this would reflect an improving trend. An increase in private inholdings within and/or surrounded by wilderness would reflect a degrading trend. No changes would reflect a stable trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. Interviewed multiple staff members. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 27 of 58

28 Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Loss to statutorily protected cultural resources Measure: Disturbances to Cultural Resources Description: a. Severity of disturbances to cultural resources by photos/status reports b. Number/severity of disturbance to archeological sites or resources listed on National Register of Historic Places c. Disturbances/Removal of cultural resources like Picture Rock Context: There are cultural resources in Havasu Wilderness and in the past there have been disturbances to these areas. Picture Rock is most popular and could possibly be the one that has the most instances of vandalism. Staff members did not have data to give me on recent disturbances or a complete list/map of cultural resources on Havasu Wilderness. There is just a general understanding that there are cultural resources and they are occasionally disturbed. Data Sources: Havasu Refuge staff Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: The only known way to gather data is to ask refuge staff if they have noticed and/or documented any disturbances to cultural resources in wilderness. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. If there are any increases in new disturbances, this will reflect a degrading trend. No new disturbances will create a stable trend. An improving trend does not appear to be plausible for this measure unless there is work to properly restore or protect existing cultural resources. Data Adequacy: Low confidence in data. Primitive cultural resources are not particularly monitored closely and not all of them have been found and mapped out in detail. This measure appeared to be the most suitable for Havasu because monitoring of all cultural resources is not frequent. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 28 of 58

29 Character: Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Indicator: Facilities that decrease self-reliant recreation Measure: Agency Provided Recreation Facilities Description: This count includes but is not limited to: a. Number of tent pads b. Number of recreational/directional signs (NOT including refuge/wilderness boundary signs) c. Number of shelters d. Number of backcountry campsites e. Miles of maintained foot trails Context: Havasu refuge staff does not provide or maintain any recreation facilities in wilderness. This measure is set up to fulfill this indicator and monitor future development of facilities that decrease self-reliant recreation in wilderness, if applicable. Data Sources: Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement; Documents consulted Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with refuge staff and reading documents related to what is going on in the wilderness. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. Any increase to the amount of facilities would reflect a degrading trend. The trend is now consistently stable because there are no facilities and the next possible trend would be degrading because they cannot improve on zero. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. The sources are very reliable. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 29 of 58

30 Character: Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Indicator: Management Restrictions Measure: Acres of Wilderness Recreational Camping is not Permitted Description: Total acreage in wilderness where visitors cannot freely choose to camp overnight using non-motorized/mechanized means. Management does not allow recreational camping and any overnights must be authorized and approved with a special use permit. Context: Havasu wilderness is rarely visited by citizens; mostly just people intruding on ATVs. The restriction on the freedom to camp greatly diminishes this character quality, specifically unconfined recreation. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key staff members. Significant Change: The significant change is Any. If the allowable acres to camp increased, this would reflect an improving trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. The sources are very reliable. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 30 of 58

31 Character: Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Indicator: Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the wilderness Measure: Special Use Permits Description: Number of special use permits administered by management to allow projects, overnights, and/or other visitations to wilderness. Context: Havasu does not keep a record of annual public use numbers nor does it allow recreational overnight camping to the everyday user. This is the only data collected annually regarding public use in wilderness. Data Sources: Linda Miller, Refuge Manager Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key refuge staff members. Significant Change: The significant change should be assessed on a year to year basis. The amount and what the special use permit is allowing will determine the proper trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. SUPs are well documented by staff. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 3 of 58

32 Character: Solitude Indicator: Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the wilderness Measure: Administrative Travel Routes and Access Roads Description: Miles of administrative access routes and roads in wilderness. Context: There are no current administrative or access routes being used by refuge staff. This measure is to track future developments under this measure, if any. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversation with key staff members. Significant Change: The significant change for this measure is Any. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. Interviewed many staff members. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 32 of 58

33 Character: Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Indicator: Remoteness from sights and sounds of people outside the wilderness Measure: Motorboat Citations and Warnings over 86 Decibels Description: Number of citations and warnings administered by law enforcement to motorboat users on the Colorado River adjacent to wilderness who exceed the state law of 86 decibels. Context: Havasu law enforcement primarily patrols the waterways in the Topock Gorge, an area that is adjacent to wilderness on both AZ and CA sides. They commonly use a decibel meter to calculate the decibel levels of motorboats used in the area. Warnings and citations are given out to offenders of a decibel level higher than 86; it is the state law. Data Sources: Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key refuge staff members. Significant Change: The significant change is 25%. If there is a 25% increase in the number of citations and warnings administered, this would reflect a degrading trend. If there is a 25% decrease, this would reflect an improving trend. Anything lower than 25% would be considered a stable trend. Data Adequacy: Medium confidence in data. Even though it is easy to calculate the amount of citations and warnings each year, not all offenders of the state law will be caught by law enforcement. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 33 of 58

34 Character: Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Indicator: Remoteness from sights and sounds of people outside the wilderness Measure: Miles of Wilderness Boundary Adjacent to Private Lands Description: Total number of miles of privately owned land that shares a boundary line with Havasu wilderness on both CA and AZ sides. Not to include private inholdings within the wilderness; that is captured in another measure. Context: Land parcels in the west tend to have a checkerboard layout and the wilderness is adjacent to other federal, state and public lands. An inventory of private lands that sit adjacent to the wilderness show a possible threat of development that would diminish the wilderness character, particularly the solitude quality. Monitoring these land statuses can assess trends particular to events immediately outside the wilderness. Data Sources: Bureau of Land Management contacts; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key refuge staff members. Significant Change: The significant change would be any. If there is an increase in the amount of miles that are adjacent to wilderness boundary, this would reflect a degrading trend. If there is a decrease in the amount of miles that are adjacent to wilderness boundary, this would reflect an improving trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. Very reliable sources and BLM provided GIS layers. Developed private land parcels near southern boundary of wilderness Photo: Kelly Lockman Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 34 of 58

35 Character: Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Indicator: Remoteness from sights and sounds of people outside the wilderness Measure: No Wake Zones in River Channel Adjacent to Wilderness Description: Miles of no wake zones in main river channel on the Colorado River in areas with wilderness adjacent on both sides. This is not to include any backwater channels. Context: The Colorado River has a great amount of boat activity through the Topock Gorge, an area where most of the land is designated wilderness. The sounds from the boats intrude on the solitude of the wilderness and the wake can also cause land erosion. Speed, sounds, and wake of the boat can also disrupt migratory birds and other wildlife that use both the river and wilderness areas. Data Sources: Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement Process Used to Compile/Gather Data: Conversations with key staff members. Significant Change: The significant change would be any. If there is an increase in the amount of miles that are designated no wake zones this would reflect an improving trend. If there is a decrease in the amount of no wake zones, this would reflect a degrading trend. Data Adequacy: High confidence in data. Very reliable sources and personally observed the no wake zone in field. Slow No Wake buoy at Devil s Elbow; wilderness in background Photo: Kelly Lockman Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 35 of 58

36 Measures Not Used The measures listed in this section were not used for various reasons. Some measures no data is currently being collected and others may have been of low priority or have minimal impacts on Havasu Wilderness. At this time, this program was not intended to create additional work for refuge staff. Some of these measures listed below would need considerable amounts of time dedicated from refuge staff. Collecting data for some of these measures may also create more degradation to wilderness character than the measure the data is being collected for. Also, Havasu currently does not have ArcGIS or a staff member who works with the program and many of these measures were not used because even if data was collected, there is no technical support at this office or a staff member here who could use ArcGIS. These measures could possibly be used in the future to gather a more complete picture of wilderness character. Character: Untrammeled Indicator: Actions authorized by refuge manager that manipulate the biophysical environment Measures Number of scientific research projects Number of contamination investigations from prior activities Reason/Priority Partially captured in Special Use Permits measure Low priority No data available Low priority Character: Untrammeled Indicator: Actions not authorized by refuge manager that manipulate the biophysical environment Measures Number of incidents of abandoned property Number of illegal taking incidents of rocks and/or species Reason/Priority Captured in modern human debris cleanups Enormous wilderness to inventory all incidents Low priority No data available, not accurately monitored Hard to distinguish between takings from wilderness and refuge Medium priority, possible future measure if it can be accurately documented Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 36 of 58

37 Character: Natural Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities Measures Number of native species of concern Acres of non-indigenous plant species Abundance of Herpitiles Present Bat Species No specific list Other measures used had data available Medium priority, majority are either in river or riparian zone, mainly outside of wilderness Data for this measure is not collected at this time Possible future measure Medium priority Data not collected Possible future measure Medium-high Priority, illegally taken No data collected on specific species; bat measure used captures the threat/degradation to a specific species Medium priority Character: Natural Indicator: Physical Resources Measures Extent and magnitude of change in water quality Extent and magnitude of disturbance to desert pavement Extent and magnitude of soil contaminants from prior land use activities Extent and magnitude of disturbance or loss of soil or soil crusts Data not consistently gathered by refuge staff Medium priority, drinking water for species Data not collected Low priority, disturbance conclusions can be drawn from vehicle intrusions Data not collected Low priority Data not collected Low priority Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 37 of 58

38 Character: Natural Indicator: Biophysical Processes Measures Extent and magnitude of global climate change Area and magnitude for pathways for movement of non-indigenous species into wilderness Extent and magnitude of wildlife diseases Reason/Priority Data not collected by refuge staff Medium priority Data not collected by refuge staff Low priority Data not regularly monitored by refuge staff Low priority at this time Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Non-recreational structures, installations, and developments Measures Number of tracking devices Miles of wilderness boundary fence Linear miles of utilities Reason/Priority Not currently in wilderness Would be captured in other measure Low priority No data available Area would need to be walked, very steep and long boundary High priority Low priority Low occurrences on wilderness Possible future measure if changes occur Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 38 of 58

39 Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, and mechanical transport Measures: n/a Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Inholdings Measures Area and existing or potential impact of inholdings within and adjacent to wilderness Reason/Priority Impact data not collected Other measure used Medium priority, possible future measure Character: Undeveloped Indicator: Loss to statutorily protected cultural resources Measures: n/a Character: Solitude Indicator: Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the wilderness Measures Amount of visitor use Area of wilderness affected by access and travel routes that are inside the wilderness Number of tracking devices on animals Reason/Priority Not monitored Possible future measure if means of monitoring visitor use becomes more accurate Medium priority Possible future measure if appropriately analyzed by staff Medium priority None in wilderness; can be captured with manage measure Low priority Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 39 of 58

40 Character: Solitude Indicator: Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the wilderness Measures Area of wilderness affected by access and travel routes that are outside the wilderness Visibility of development from wilderness Night sky visibility averaged over wilderness Extent and magnitude of intrusions on the natural soundscape Visibility of refuge activities from wilderness Reason/Priority Partially captured in another measure used Possible future measure if appropriately analyzed by staff Medium priority Partially capture in other used measures Medium priority, not monitored No established protocol Possible future measure Medium priority, not monitored Usage periods vary greatly during different times of the year Refuge staff cannot totally control boat activities High priority Unable to accurately monitor Low priority Developmental growth adjacent to wilderness No data available No GIS currently at office High priority Character: Solitude Indicator: Facilities that decrease self-reliant recreation Measures: n/a Character: Solitude Indicator: Management Restrictions Measures: n/a Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 40 of 58

41 Conclusions The selected measures give a comprehensive approach to the many actions that happen within and affect wilderness. Keeping the number of measures under 30, staff will be able to document the data for each measure more accurately than if there was a measure for every action related to wilderness character. This is not to imply that every measure data will be one hundred percent accurate and not every trend outcome is completely controllable by refuge staff. Some of the measures selected, the action or development does not currently exist on Havasu Wilderness. The measure was created to monitor potential threats to wilderness in the future. Havasu Wilderness is generally not visited by a majority of the staff. The maintenance worker occasionally checks and fixes wilderness boundary fence and law enforcement occasionally monitors visitor actions in wilderness but they primarily patrol the Colorado River. Havasu has more of a hands off approach to wilderness management than other areas like Kofa. The lack of management presence also makes it difficult to monitor, document, and prevent the greatest wilderness degradation action, civilian vehicle intrusions. The data accuracy for this measure is questionable due to simply finding more tracks in subsequent years, and it is not a clear indication as to which year more tracks were created. Therefore, the accuracy of a changing trend for this measure is questionable. Out of all the characters for wilderness monitoring, Kofa Wilderness is currently most affected in the Solitude character. Sounds intrusions is the most degrading at this time. The motorboat use in the adjacent Colorado River can be heard from all areas of the wilderness. There appears to be no reduction of use in the foreseeable future and law enforcement currently hands out citations for sounds that exceed the state law. The next greatest threat is the surrounding pressures from development in the area. An inventory of the amount of private lands that are adjacent to wilderness has been used for the 20 baseline. Future analysis from staff could include the effects from development and population growth in surrounding areas. Recreational camping is not permitted in any area and special use permits must be obtained before an overnight in wilderness. Havasu management does not affect the Untrammeled quality in wilderness. There are currently no actions to manage native wildlife, suppress non-native plant species or suppress natural fires. The only action that occurs occasionally is burro roundups that are done by Bureau of Land Management and Arizona Game and Fish Department. This action is currently taking place by placing corrals on BLM land; not intrusive to Havasu Wilderness. Many of the measures selected should reflect a stable trend from year to year unless a very significant event takes place in wilderness. Significant events include the increase or decrease in roads, facilities, wildlife water sources, other structures and installations, an acquisition of an inholding, or an extirpation of a species. This should allow the staff to focus on the measures that require more work and documentation because significant events in wilderness like the ones mentioned above rarely go unnoticed by staff and interested parties. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 4 of 58

42 Appendix Refuge: Havasu National Wildlife Refuge Date: //20 Kelly Lockman Measure Untrammeled Quality Actions to Suppress Non- Native Species Actions to Manage Native Wildlife Natural Fire Starts that Receive a Suppression Response Keeping Track of Wilderness Character Monitoring Measures Priority (H, M, L) L M M Detailed Description of the Data Source(s) and How the Data Were Gathered Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Kathleen Blair, Ecologist; Bob Henry, AGFD. Conversations with refuge staff. Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Kathleen Blair, Ecologist. Conversations with refuge staff and AGFD. Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Benji Stewart, Fire Operations Specialist. Conversations with key refuge staff. Number of Hunting Permits M Bob Henry, Arizona Game and Fish Department; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist Acres Burned Due to Human Ignited Fires H Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement. Conversations with key refuge staff. Other Unauthorized Actions L Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement. Conversations with key refuge staff Natural Quality Feral Burro Populations H Jack Allen, Havasu Refuge Biologist; Bob Henry, Arizona Game and Fish Department. Conversation about burros with refuge biologist lead to the findings of current burro population Extirpated Plants and Animals H counts. Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Kathleen Blair, Ecologist; Bob Henry, AGFD; Lesley Fitzpatrick, PHX Ecological Services. Conversations with key refuge staff and other related agencies. Non-Indigenous Species H Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Kathleen Blair, Ecologist; Needles Wilderness Proposal. Conversations with key refuge staff and lists found in the Needles Wilderness Proposal Present Nurseries with Myotis velifer H Dr. Patricia Brown, BBBC. Conversations with Dr. Patricia Brown Bob Henry, AGFD; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist. Conversations with key refuge staff Desert Bighorn Sheep H Population Number of Wildlife Diseases L Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Kathleen Blair, Ecologist. Conversations with key staff members Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 42 of 58

43 Undeveloped Quality Actions to Cleanup Modern Human Debris - Abandoned Property, Mine, Military, etc. Number of Active and Inactive Mines in Wilderness Number of Management and Other Flyovers OR Landings Authorized Non-Recreational Physical Development Water Attributes, Utilities, Technological Installations, Fences, Signs, Bat Gates, Type and Amount of Administrative, Non- Emergency, and Emergency Use of Motor Vehicles, Motorized Equipment, or Mechanical Transport Incidents and Known Civilian Vehicle Intrusions M L L H M H Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement Conversations with staff and locating related files regarding cleanups, like Minimum Requirement Analysis documents. Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Dr. Patricia Brown, BBBC; Bureau of Land Management. Conversations with refuge staff and consultant. Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist; Bob Henry, AGFD Conversations with key staff members and partner agencies. Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Jack Allen, Refuge Biologist. Conversations with key staff members and consulting refuge and wilderness documents Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement. Reading documents as well as consulting with refuge staff. Wilderness Fellow field survey; Law enforcement. Collecting violation notices from refuge law enforcement and personal field visits to frequently intruded sites. Inholding Acres L Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; GIS maps. Conversations with refuge staff and reading documents related to what is going on in the wilderness. Disturbances to Cultural Resources Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Quality Agency Provided Recreation Facilities Administrative Travel Routes and Access Roads Number of Special Use Permits Motorboat Citations and Warnings over 86 Decibels M L L L H Havasu Refuge staff. The only known way to gather data is to ask refuge staff if they have noticed and/or documented any disturbances to cultural resources in wilderness. Linda Miller, Refuge Manager; Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement; Documents consulted. Conversations with refuge staff and reading documents related to what is going on in the wilderness. Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager Conversation with key staff members. Linda Miller, Refuge Manager. Conversations with key refuge staff members. Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement Conversations with key refuge staff members. Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 43 of 58

44 No Wake Zones in River Channel Adjacent to Wilderness Miles of Wilderness Boundary Adjacent to Private Lands (not for conservation; could possibly be developed in future) Acres of Wilderness Recreational Camping is not Permitted M H M Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Wayne Dingman, Law Enforcement. Conversations with key staff members. Bureau of Land Management; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager. Conversations with key refuge staff members. Dick Gilbert, Project Leader; Linda Miller, Refuge Manager Conversations with key staff members. WORKSHEET: PRIORITIZING MEASURES OF WILDERNESS CHARACTER In each row, write the indicator and potential measure in the left column. Use the following criteria and ranking guide to create an overall score for each measure. Those measures with the highest overall scores should be the highest priority for assessing trends in wilderness character. A. Level of importance (the measure is highly relevant to the quality and indicator of wilderness character, and is highly useful for managing the wilderness): High = 3 points, Medium = 2 points, Low = point B. Level of vulnerability (measures an attribute of wilderness character that currently is at risk, or might likely be at risk over 0-5 years): High = 3 points, Medium = 2 points, Low = point C. Degree of reliability (the measure can be monitored accurately with a high degree of confidence, and would yield the same result if measured by different people at different times): High = 3 points, Medium = 2 points, Low = point D. Degree of reasonableness (the measure is related to an existing effort or could be monitored without significant additional effort): High = point, Low = 0 point QUALITY OF WILDERNESS CHARACTER UNTRAMMELED Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures Potential Measure A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Indicator: actions authorized by manager to manipulate environment Measure: Actions to Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 44 of 58

45 Potential Measure Manage Native Wildlife Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Indicator: actions authorized by manager to manipulate environment Measure: Number of Bighorn Sheep Hunting Permits STOP! 3 6 Indicator: actions authorized by manager to manipulate environment Measure: Actions to Suppress Non- Native Plant Species 3 2 If A + B 3 9 Indicator: actions NOT authorized by manager to manipulate environment Measure: Human Ignited Fires Indicator: actions NOT authorized by manager to manipulate environment Measure: Other Unauthorized Actions Names of team members filling out this worksheet: Jack Allen, Havasu Refuge Biologist Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 45 of 58

46 Potential Measure Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Indicator: actions authorized by manager to manipulate environment 2 Measure: Actions to Manage Native Wildlife Indicator: actions authorized by manager to manipulate environment Measure: Number of Bighorn Sheep Hunting Permits Indicator: actions authorized by manager to manipulate environment Measure: Actions to Suppress Non-Native Plant Species 2 STOP! Indicator: actions NOT authorized by manager to manipulate environment Measure: Human Ignited Fires 3 3 If A + B 2 9 Indicator: actions NOT authorized by manager to manipulate environment Measure: Other Unauthorized Actions Names of team members filling out this worksheet: Linda Miller, Havasu Refuge Manager Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 46 of 58

47 Potential Measure QUALITY OF WILDERNESS CHARACTER NATURAL Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Indicator: Plant and animal species communities Measure: Extirpated Plants and Animals Indicator: Plant and animal species communities Measure: Non- Indigenous Species Indicator: Plant and animal species communities Measure: Present Nurseries with Myotis velifer Indicator: Plant and Animal Communities Measure: Desert Bighorn Sheep Population STOP! If A + B Indicator: Plant and Animal Communities Measure: Feral Burro Population Indicator: Biophysical Resources Measure: Natural Fire Starts that Receive a Suppression Response 2 5 Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 47 of 58

48 Names of team members filling out this worksheet: Jack Allen, Havasu Refuge Biologist Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures Potential Measure A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Indicator: Plant and animal species communities Measure: Extirpated Plants and Animals Indicator: Plant and animal species communities Measure: Non- Indigenous Species Indicator: Plant and animal species communities Measure: Present Nurseries with Myotis Velifer Indicator: Plant and Animal Communities Measure: Desert Bighorn Sheep Population STOP! If A + B Indicator: Plant and Animal Communities Measure: Feral Burro Population Indicator: Biophysical Resources Measure: Natural Fire Starts that Receive a Suppression Response 2 Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 48 of 58

49 Names of team members filling out this worksheet: Linda Miller, Havasu Refuge Manager QUALITY OF WILDERNESS CHARACTER UNDEVELOPED Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures Potential Measure Indicator: Nonrecreational structures, installations, and developments A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Measure: Number of non-recreational development mine safety structures, water attributes, buildings, fences, gates, tracking devices and instruments, etc. 3 STOP! If A + B 3 8 Indicator: Nonrecreational structures, installations, and developments Measure: Actions to Cleanup Modern Human Debris - Abandoned Property, Mine, Military, etc Indicator: Nonrecreational structures, installations, and developments Measure: Number of Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 49 of 58

50 Potential Measure Inactive Mines in Wilderness Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Indicator: Nonrecreational structures, installations, and developments Measure: Number of Management and Other Documented Flyovers Indicator: Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport Measure: Type and Amount of Administrative, Non-Emergency and Emergency Use of Motor Vehicles, Motorized Equipment, or Mechanical Transport 3 STOP! 3 8 Indicator: Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport Measure: Incidents and Known Civilian Vehicle Intrusions If A + B Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 50 of 58

51 Potential Measure Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Indicator: Inholdings Measure: Inholding Acres Within Wilderness STOP! 2 Indicator: Loss of statutorily protected cultural resources Measure: Disturbances to Cultural Resources 3 If A + B Names of team members filling out this worksheet: Jack Allen, Havasu Refuge Biologist Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures Potential Measure Indicator: Nonrecreational structures, installations, and developments A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Measure: Number of non-recreational development mine safety structures, water attributes, buildings, fences, gates, tracking devices and instruments, etc STOP! If A + B Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 5 of 58

52 Potential Measure Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Indicator: Nonrecreational structures, installations, and developments Measure: Actions to Cleanup Modern Human Debris - Abandoned Property, Mine, Military, etc Indicator: Nonrecreational structures, installations, and developments Measure: Number of Active and Inactive Mines in Wilderness Indicator: Nonrecreational structures, installations, and developments Measure: Number of Management and Other Documented Flyovers 2 STOP! 2 6 Indicator: Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport If A + B Measure: Type and Amount of Administrative, Non- Emergency and Emergency Use of Motor Vehicles, Motorized Equipment, or Mechanical Transport Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring Page 52 of 58

53 Potential Measure Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Indicator: Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport Measure: Incidents and Known Civilian Vehicle Intrusions Indicator: Inholdings Measure: Inholding Acres Within Wilderness Indicator: Loss of statutorily protected cultural resources Measure: Disturbances to Cultural Resources STOP! If A + B Names of team members filling out this worksheet: Linda Miller, Havasu Refuge Manager QUALITY OF WILDERNESS CHARACTER SOLITUDE Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures Potential Measure A. Importance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Reasonablenes s OVERALL SCORE Indicator: Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the wilderness Measure: Number of Special Use STOP! Havasu NWR Wilderness Character Monitoring If A + B Page 53 of 58