Within the Plains and Great Basin grassland vegetation type, the Petrified Forest-Puerco River COA is comprised of the Petrified Forest National Park (Park), as well as portions of the Puerco River extending northeast from the Park to the boundary of the Navajo Nation. Protected from development and livestock grazing, this COA provides quality grassland habitat and serves as a potential future reintroduction site for black-footed ferrets.
Conservation Goals
- Improve maintain grassland vegetation communities within their range of natural variability to wildlife habitat, and to make these communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
- Improve and maintain the hydrologic and ecological function of the watershed conditions, streams, riparian, and wetland areas and the habitats they support.
- Improve prairie dog abundance and distribution in support of black-footed ferret reintroductions.
- Improve wildlife water availability and distribution with the Petrified Forest National Park’s new lands.
- Maintain and enhance travel corridors, and travel, hiding, and thermal cover for a wide variety of wildlife species.
Map
Primary Threats
3. Climate Change and Severe Weather
5. Disease, Pathogens, and Parasites
6. Energy Production and Mining
7. Human Intrusions and Disturbance
8. Invasive and Other Problematic Species
9. Natural System Modifications
11. Transportation and Service Corridors
Potential Conservation Actions
2. Land and Water Management
- Conserve a variety of habitats that support healthy populations of fish and wildlife as climate changes.
- Improve management in sensitive riparian areas to promote responsible recreational activities.
- Identify and protect key wildlife corridors for landscape connectivity.
- Develop and enhance artificial waters on the landscape.
- Restore and maintain diverse habitats to support broad species assemblages that account for range shifts.
- Implement projects focused on improving the quality of altered systems creating suitable habitat and/or habitat features for wildlife.
3. Species Management
- Establish new wild and/or captive populations of climate vulnerable SGCN.
- Collect specimens or samples for taxonomic analysis, genetics, research, and/or disease testing for potential black-footed ferret reintroductions.
- Conduct research targeting species and habitat types likely to be vulnerable to climate change impacts.
- Implement long-term monitoring protocols for vulnerable species and habitats to inform adaptive management.
Habitats Present
Strategy Species
Birds
American Peregrine Falcon, Ferruginous Hawk, Golden Eagle, Loggerhead Shrike, Prairie Falcon, Swainson's Hawk, Western Burrowing Owl, Common Nighthawk, American Avocet, Horned Lark, Barn Swallow, Bendire's Thrasher
Invertebrates
Diablo Mountainsnail, Suboval Ambersnail
Mammals
American Pronghorn, Black-footed Ferret, Black-tailed Jackrabbit, Black-tailed Prairie Dog, Bushy-tailed Woodrat, Canyon Mouse, Gunnison's Prairie Dog, Mexican Free-tailed Bat, Mexican Gray Wolf, Hoary Bat, Big Free-tailed Bat
Reptiles
Plateau Fence Lizard, Black-necked Gartersnake
Fish
See Associated Aquatic COAs for fish species.
Protected Areas and Other Areas of Conservation Value
- Petrified Forest National Park
Potential Partners
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- National Parks Service
- Bureau of Land Management
- Arizona State Land Department
- Navajo County
- Apache County
- Arizona Antelope Foundation
- Quail Forever/Pheasants Forever
- Audubon Southwest
Relevant Conservation Plans
- Western Grassland Initiative Strategic Plan, A Plan for Conserving Grassland Habitat and Wildlife. July 2011
- Western Burrowing Owl Clearance Protocol
- Black-footed Ferret Statewide Management Plan
- Gunnison's Prairie Dog - Interagency Management Plan
- Gunnison's Prairie Dog - WAFWA Conservation Assessment
- White-tailed and Gunnison's Prairie Dog Conservation Strategy
Associated Aquatic COAs
- No associated Aquatic COAs