Ironwood National Monument | Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy

This Ironwood Forest National Monument is made up of 129,000 acres and contains a significant system of cultural and historical sites covering a 5,000-year period. Possessing one of the richest stands of ironwood in the Sonoran Desert, the monument also encompasses several desert mountain ranges including the Silver Bell, Waterman, and Sawtooth, with desert valleys in between.

Conservation Goals

Remove invasive buffelgrass that is adversely affecting native ironwood habitats and increasing risk of wildfire.
Increase law enforcement presence in order to reduce border-related activities that can impair habitats, such as camps, pollution, illegal roads, and threats to recreational use.

Map

Primary Threats

2. Biological Resource Use

2.2: Unlawful take of terrestrial plants

6. Energy Production and Mining

6.2: Mining and quarrying

7. Human Intrusions and Disturbance

7.1: Recreational activities

7.2: War, civil unrest and military exercises

8. Invasive and Other Problematic Species

8.1: Invasive non-native species

Potential Conservation Actions

2. Land and Water Management

2.2: Invasive/problematic species control

Monitor and remove invasive buffelgrass that is converting native habitats and increasing potential for devastating wildfire.

5. Law and Policy

5.4: Compliance and enforcement

Improve patrols and enforcement of border-related issues that can degrade habitats and threaten recreational users.
Improve enforcement of illegal harvesting of ironwood plants.

7. External Capacity Building

7.2: Alliance and partnership development

Work with partners such as Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Pima Association of Governments to remove buffelgrass and restore function of native systems.
Improve partnerships with mining operations to maintain responsible natural resource management and reduce impacts to wildlife, including desert bighorn sheep and bat species.

3. Species Management

3.1: Management of specific species of concern

Improve management and restoration of agave species to provide resources and migration corridors for lesser long-nosed bat and other pollinator species.