Volunteers on the Kane and Two Mile Ranches: 

2007 Accomplishments

by Travis Wiggins

There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth.  We are all crew.  ~Marshall McLuhan, 1964

We want to extend a special thanks to our crew; we sure appreciate what you do!  The 2007 volunteer season was a huge success.  Our volunteers are the Trust's mission in action and where ideas turn into progress.  Nowhere is that progress more evident than on the Kane and 2 Mile Ranches (K2M).  The Grand Canyon Trust Restoration Program, through the tireless efforts of our volunteers, is establishing the K2M as a leading example of science-based environmental conservation and restoration.  Our work on a variety of projects has helped us to better understand these ecosystems, learn how past and current land management decisions are effecting them, and help to steer future decisions and practices in a more sustainable direction.  We are currently 3 years into the K2M project, and our work is constantly building credibility with our partners, the US Forest Service and the BLM.   

So, thanks again for all your hard work.  Here is an update on the projects we worked on together last year and how your work is helping.

Tamarisk Mapping- The Trust is nearing the completion of a comprehensive mapping project of the exotic tamarisk tree in the drainages in Kanab Creek and House Rock Valley.  The long-term goal is to approach the land management agencies with the mapping data and help create a plan to remove the tamarisk and monitor these areas to ensure a properly restored ecosystem. The Paria River restoration project, beginning this spring, is a partnership between the Trust and the BLM, which was a result of similar mapping efforts.

Ranch Maintenance- Our ranch facilities are quickly making the transition from functional to exceptional.  At Mangum camp two cabins, the tack shed, and the bathhouse have received a fresh coat of paint.  The main cabin at Mangum is fully operational with electric lights, a beautiful gas stove,  refrigerator, running hot filtered water, four bunks, and a small meeting/dinner table.  Also new are a few improved tent sites, and improved trails to the bathhouse.  Our volunteers have helped transform Mangum from a dusty, rusty old logger's camp to "our gated community," as this year's Sierra Club volunteers coined it.Kane Ranch Headquarters has also received a lot of attention, both by contractors and volunteers.  The improvements are too numerous to list, lets just say we are lucky to have such a nice facility to serve as a base of operations in House Rock Valley.  If you haven't seen it, you'll just have to join us on a volunteer trip and experience it for yourself!  Special thanks to the Brunner and the Wagner families who took on the nasty job of cleaning up the mess at Big Sinks on the Paria Plateau this last April, the place is looking great.

Bat and Bird Ramp Installation- Volunteers installed bat and bird escape ramps in all of the Trust cattle watering troughs and tanks that are scattered across the ranches.  Making these sites wildlife safe was a huge effort and could not have been done without our volunteers!  We will now begin distributing our ramps to other ranchers to get them on board with our wildlife-friendly ways.

Mule Deer Population Survey- Volunteers helped monitor Kaibab mule deer populations the Kaibab Plateau.  The information collected will be helpful to better understand the relationship between vegetation/habitat characteristics and wildlife population characteristics. This knowledge can, in turn, help to prioritize restoration and/or habitat protection projects that might be critical to mule deer survival across the Plateau.

Fencing Natural Lakes-Volunteers worked in partnership with the Arizona Deer Association and the Forest Service to fence off Franks Lake on the North Kaibab Plateau.  This will keep cattle from trampling sensitive riparian vegetation along the banks of the lake. 

Warm Fire Burn Recovery Study- The Trust is working in collaboration with NAU graduate student Melissa McMaster to complete a 3-year study to determine how ecosystems are recovering from the 2006 Warm Fire in relation to burn severity. This research is likely to have important implications for forest management on the Kaibab Plateau. 

Grand Canyon Border Fence Mapping-  In the 1930's a fence was built along the Northern border of Grand Canyon National Park to keep cattle and buffalo out of the Park, to preserve the ecosystems and visitor experience.  The fence is now broken or rotten in many places.  In 2007 volunteers walked the beautiful yet often challenging terrain along the fence that separates Kane Ranch from Grand Canyon and mapped where the fence needs repairs. This information will go to the Park and help formulate a collaborative plan to repair the fence and keep Trust cows out of the Park.

Old Growth Forest Protection- Prescribed burns are often utilized to reduce fuel loads and restore health to fire suppressed ecosystems on the North Kaibab Plateau.  Volunteers have helped collect data for an ongoing collaborative study conducted by the Trust and the Forest Service to determine if raking the dense layer of debris away from the base of old growth trees will help to reduce their mortality during burns.  We are analyzing the data collected in 2007 and will continue to monitor the results to determine the outcome of this study.

Construction of a New Parking Area at White Pocket- White Pocket is a collection of beautiful sandstone formations on the Paria Plateau which was once relatively unknown and is currently seeing an increase in visitation and impacts.  Volunteers from Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy joined forces with the BLM to build a new parking area and turnaround to keep ORV users from driving onto this fragile and scenic landmark.  This was a great effort that will benefit the environment and recreational users alike.