Bear Springs | Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy

The Bear Springs COA is a 2,800-acre parcel of Petran montane conifer forest habitat within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, situated atop the Mogollon Rim at an elevation of approximately 7,000 feet. Bordering the Fort Apache Indian Reservation to the south, this COA consists of the Bear Springs Wilife Quiet Area (WQA) and the AZGFD-owned Bear Springs property. The Bear Springs WQA provides quality travel, hiding, and thermal cover for a wide variety of species ranging from turkeys to mountain lions. It also provides an abundance of browse species important for deer and elk, as well as relatively undisturbed habitat for both game and nongame species alike. Wildlife Quiet Areas are managed by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests with an emphasis on improving wildlife habitat and maintaining existing wildlife developments.

Conservation Goals

Maintain travel, hiding, and thermal cover for a wide variety of wildlife species.
Maintain forest and meadow vegetation communities within their range of natural variability to maintain and improve wildlife habitat, and to make these communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Restore drainages, such as Bear Springs Draw, to address meadow downcutting, improve water tables, and increase riparian woody vegetation.

Map

Primary Threats

1. Agriculture

1.3: Livestock farming and ranching

2. Biological Resource Use

2.3: Logging and wood harvesting

3. Climate Change and Severe Weather

3.1: Habitat shifting and alteration

3.3: Temperature extremes

3.4: Storms and flooding

8. Invasive and Other Problematic Species

8.1: Invasive non-native species

9. Natural System Modifications

9.1: Fire and fire suppression

Potential Conservation Actions

1. Land and Water Protection

1.1: Site/area protection

Conserve a variety of habitats that support healthy populations of fish and wildlife as climate changes.

2. Land and Water Management

2.1: Site/area management

Restore and maintain diverse habitats to support broad species assemblages that account for range shifts.

2.3: Habitat and natural process restoration

Identify and protect key wildlife corridors for landscape connectivity.
Implement projects focused on improving the quality of altered systems creating suitable habitat and/or habitat features for wildlife.
Maintain natural fire regimes on the landscape through prescribed burns and natural fire management.