Mt. Trumbull ponderosa pine restoration project

Ponderosa pine forest ecosystems in the Southwest are threatened by uncontrollable wildfires and insect outbreaks. Because of changes initiated by grazing, logging, and fire suppression, southwestern forests have become dense with stressed, slow-growing trees. Forest floor fuel loadings have climbed to catastrophic levels, while the diverse herbaceous plant communities and the animals dependent upon them are being choked out of the ecosystem. To develop the scientific basis for the practical restoration of ecological health to southwestern forests, the Mt. Trumbull project was undertaken using the following: 1) A systematic analysis of the changes in the southwestern forests since disruption of the natural regime of frequent, low-intensity fires; 2) A comparison of the effects of the current disturbances--wildfire, bark beetle mortality, thinning, and prescribed fire--to see if modern disturbed ecosystems can return to health; 3) Initiation of carefully planned and monitored ecological restoration treatments; 4) A landscape ecosystem scale approach to replicate natural self-vegetating patterns of forest structure and function, including plant and wildlife habitats and nutrient cycles. This approach will lay the groundwork for integrated ecosystem management, providing scientists, managers, and the public with tested procedures for restoring ecosystem health. The Arizona Strip Field Office, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is working cooperatively with Northern Arizona University (NAU), Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), and a steering committee of diverse interests to accomplish this project.