Ironwood Forest National Monument Travel Route Inventory and

							 Inventory, Monitoring and Modeling
of Recreation Activity and Impacts in
IFNM and Las Cienegas Conservation
                Area



          University of Arizona
              John Lynch
 A Monitoring Program for Visitor Use and
Associated Impacts in Las Cienegas National
            Conservation Area

• Phase I - Recreation Monitoring and Impact
  Assessment (Completed)
• Phase II- Visitor Use/Social Inventory & Monitoring
   – (October 2002)
• Phase III - Simulation Modeling to Evaluate
  Alternative Management plans and Derive Capacity
  Measures – (Spring 2003)
• Phase IV - Establishing a Long Term Social and
  Ecological Monitoring Program (Fall, 2003)
       Phase I - Recreation Impact
               Assessment

•Area of Campsite              •Road Proximity
•GPS Coordinates               •Number of Road Access Points
•Campsite or Group Campsite    •Vegetation Community
•Recreation Evidence
                               •Predominant Plant Species
•Evidence of Recent Use        •Species Richness
•Campsite Condition            •Exotic Species
•Campsite development          •Bare Ground
•Disturbance Nearby Campsite
                               •Erosion
•Trash Rating                  Wildlife Evidence
•Topography
 Phase II- Visitor Inventory and
           Monitoring
• Visitor On-Site Diary
• Diary/Survey Mailing to Local Hunters
• Recreation Activity Mapping with
  Recreation Groups
• Automated Pressure Sensitive Counter Pads
• Visitor Registers
• Observation
Visitor On-Site Diary (Fall, 2002)
Survey Map
Local Hunter Survey (N=2000)
Recreation Activity Mapping
   (Fall/Spring 2001-02)
Visitor Registers
         Where are we now?
• Completed Recreation Impact Study and
  Analyzing data
• Hunter Surveys distributed and returning for
  analysis
• Diary/Survey and Visitor Registers to be
  distributed Fall, 2002.
• Counter Pads to be installed Fall, 2002.
  Ironwood Forest National Monument Travel
   Route Inventory and Recreation Use Study



• Phase I - Inventory of Existing Route Conditions (Completed)
• Phase II - Develop a Social and Infrastructure Inventory/Monitoring
  Program (Spring, 2002)
• Phase III- Model Development Management plan simulation and
  Evaluation (Spring, 2003)
• Phase IV – Establishing a Long Term Social and Impact
  Monitoring System
      Phase I - Route Inventory

• Video
• GPS
• Classification System – route class, access
  vehicle, function class, ROS Class etc.
• Route Condition Map Outputs
Route Class Inventory
Route ROS Class Inventory
Route Vegetation Clearance Class
Recreation Site Map
Recreation Sites by Activity Class (N=338)
 Phase II- Visitor Inventory and
           Monitoring

• Visitor On-Site Diary
• Diary/Survey Mailing to Local Hunters
• Recreation Activity Mapping with
  Recreation Groups
• Automated Pressure Sensitive Counter Pads
• Observation
Visitor On-Site Diary (Fall, 2002)
      Counter Pad Technology

• Pressure Sensitive Pads (N=25)
• Capture Event, time, Date
• New ones differentiate between horses,
  vehicles and foot traffic
• Infrared Trails counters (N=5)
• Capture total numbers of parties entering
  from various locations in Monument
Pad Location and Data
        Where are we now?

• Route Inventory (Complete)
• Recreation Impact Study (Spring, 2003
• Hunter Surveys (Fall, 2002)
• Diary/Survey and Visitor Registers to be
  distributed (Fall, 2002)
• Counter Pads (Complete)
  Dynamic Model Development


• A model will be developed using data from
  Phases I-III to mimic current conditions and
  explore management options
Scenario
      Existing

      Proposed


•40% increase in Visitors
•+12 Bus Parking
•+20 Caravan Parking
•+130 Car Parks
•New Visitor Centre
•300 Meter walk to 12
Apostles viewpoint