{"id":11086,"date":"2019-11-01T16:21:59","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T21:21:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pnts.org\/new\/?p=11086"},"modified":"2019-11-01T16:21:59","modified_gmt":"2019-11-01T21:21:59","slug":"arizona-trail-management-strategies-for-a-changing-climate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pnts.org\/new\/arizona-trail-management-strategies-for-a-changing-climate\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona Trail management strategies for a changing climate"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Matthew Nelson, Executive Director,\u00a0Arizona Trail Association<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maintaining and protecting the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) has always been a challenge, especially considering the diversity of ecosystems the trail traverses. Through deserts, canyons, mountains, and forests, the AZT climbs and descends over 110,000 feet in only 800 miles and showcases nine of the state\u2019s 11 bioregions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past decade, the impacts of climate change have been glaringly obvious and increasingly alarming. The wildfire season has extended from four months to eight months, and water sources that have been historically reliable are disappearing. In an effort to fulfill our mission, the Arizona Trail Association (ATA) has been studying the best available science and adopting resiliency models to ensure the long-term sustainability of the AZT.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wildfires<\/span><\/h4>\n

Every year we watch in horror as Arizona\u2019s volatile wildfire season wreaks havoc across the landscape. In the past, this season of worry (and trail closures) started in May and was usually over by August. But over the past few years we\u2019ve seen wildfires start as early as March and extend through October. With highly variable seasons that defy our previous understanding of precipitation and the terrain\u2019s proclivity to combustion, it has become increasingly difficult to predict when fires may begin, how long they\u2019ll last, and their impacts to watersheds, communities and the trail.<\/span><\/p>\n

In June, the Woodbury Fire started from a lightning strike in the Superstition Wilderness. Fueled by tall grasses that covered the landscape from a very wet winter and driven by hot summer winds, the fire grew exponentially every day until it consumed the entirety of the mountain range. In all, 123,000 acres were incinerated and over 60 miles of recreational trails were lost. Thirty miles of the AZT were impacted by the Woodbury Fire, and the safety hazard of flash floods within a burn scar have prevented U.S. Forest Service and ATA staff from entering the wilderness area to conduct a proper conditions assessment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The AZT\u2019s typical southbound thru-hiking season began in mid-September and it\u2019s still unclear whether or not hikers will be allowed to travel through the Superstition Mountains. Because the fire impacted all of the trails within the wilderness, there is no viable detour. Many will rely on passing motorists to transport them from Roosevelt Lake to the Town of Superior. The good news is that the Tonto National Forest secured $105,000 in Burned Area Emergency Response funding, and Conservation Corps will be deployed in October for critical trail repairs, deadfall removal, sign installation, and hillside stabilization efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an effort to minimize future catastrophic wildfires, the ATA is supportive of forest health initiatives, including selective thinning and prescribed burning. While the immediate impacts detract from the AZT\u2019s scenic qualities, the health of our forests is paramount for the trail\u2019s sustainability.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This summer, the Woodbury Fire consumed 123,000 acres of the Tonto National Forest and 31 miles of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. (Photo Credit: Tonto National Forest)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Detours<\/span><\/h4>\n

When detour options exist to temporarily route the trail around wildfire closures or prescribed burns, the ATA uses a variety of communication tactics to inform trail users how to find their way around closures along the safest and most scenic routes possible. These include:<\/span><\/p>\n