Activity Report Explorer

Aldos Silver City • Entered by Marcia Stout on February 3, 2025

Riparian – Grazing Monitoring

January 1, 2025 – January 31, 2025

Key Issue: Livestock Grazing Management
Activity Type: Stewardship (monitoring, sampling, planting, etc.)
Key Partners: Gila National Forest
Landscape/area: Gila National Forest (2658321 acres)

Measurable Outcomes

Outcome 1: Trail/land monitored (4 surveys)
Outcome 2: Hiked (17 miles)

Short Description of Activity

We had a productive January given warmer (and unfortunately drier) than usual weather with three monitoring trips resulting in four surveys, and one meeting with the forest service. Jan. 6: Three members monitored Adair Springs and the San Francisco River exclosures near Luna in the Quemado Ranger District. At both of these riparian areas we did not see any fresh sign of cattle. We reported an area needing fence or gate repair in both of these exclosures. Jan. 13: Three team members monitored the Gila River Birding area in the Silver City District. We observed no really fresh cattle sign, however saw some that we speculate may have been from December. Two issues which we have previously reported remain problematic. If the two problems that we have cited this time and earlier were to be fixed, cattle would not have any openings that we could find at this time. Jan. 21: Five of us met with the GNF Hydrologist and Wildlife Biologist to discuss agenda items such as any changes expected this year that might have relevance regarding our monitoring, springs or other additional areas we may monitor, the issues at the Gila River Bird area, and the Survey 123 app. (See attached notes.) Jan. 22: Three members of our team monitored the Butterfly Springs exclosure in the Silver City District. There was no recent cattle sign, although there was old sign. The upgraded fencing appears to be working well. After monitoring the small exclosure, we enjoyed a recreational hike.

Reflection/Evaluation

The meeting with several GNF staff was productive and helpful. FS will organize the monitoring locations discussed including several springs and where we currently monitor (etc.) on maps and will provide to us before our Feb. 20th annual planning meeting. At the meeting we decided to draft a letter to the GNF Supervisor regarding ongoing issues at the Gila River Bird Area. The forest service is working on a monitoring app that we hope will work well for us and enable them to more easily extract our monitoring reports. The Wildlife Biologist sent us a spreadsheet documenting our monitoring reports which she is correlating with the spreadsheet that one of our members prepared. GNF staff will send us info on potential photo-monitoring spots near our current monitoring areas and will let us know if any service project opportunities arise. Our monitoring this month was fairly encouraging in that we observed no fresh cattle sign within exclosures. We were delighted to get to Adair Springs for the first time and experience that special riparian area.

Photos/Uploads

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Photo Captions

1. Our first time monitoring within the Adair Springs exclosure, Quemado District
2. Checking a damaged area of the exclosure fence near Adair Springs
3. Monitoring along the San Francisco River near Luna (Quemado District)
4. Our meeting notes with GNF staff Jan. 21