Pinaleño Mountains | Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy

Nearly the entirety of the Pinaleño Mountains COA is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. These mountains (commonly referred to as Mt. Graham, the highest peak in southern Arizona at 10,700 feet) rise roughly 6,800 feet from semi-desert grasslands at the desert floor to mountainous woodlands at the highest peaks (the greatest elevation change in any range on the Coronado National Forest). These forests are comprised of Madrean woodland, Petran montane conifer forest, and subalpine conifer forest.

The exceptional high-elevation habitat of this extensive range, representative of Rocky Mountain flora and fauna to the north, makes this a vital area for the many diverse bird species, including Mexican whip-poor-will, Rivoli’s hummingbird, dusky-capped flycatcher, olive warbler, Virginia’s warbler, black-throated gray warbler, Grace’s warbler, and red-faced Warbler. The endangered, endemic Mt. Graham red squirrel occurs nowhere other than the Pinaleños. The Pinaleño Mountains has endemic land snails (Pinaleno Talussnail, Mimic Talussnail, Wet Canyon Talussnail, Clark Peak Talussnail, and Pinaleno Mountainsnail) that are managed and monitored under a signed conservation agreement with Coronado National Forest, USFWS, and AZGFD.

Conservation Goals

Maintain ecosystem function and forest management through natural, historic fire regime to improve landscape resiliency.
Conserve and protect a major Madrean sky island that represents a rare/unique habitat mosaic in Arizona, supports populations of breeding, year-round and migratory birds, and provides habitat for state species of concern.
Establish and maintain recovery populations of Gila trout and roundtail chub.
Implement conservation actions in the draft Mount Graham Red Squirrel Recovery Plan (May 2011) to maintain and improve status and distribution in the Pinaleño Mountains.
Implement conservation actions in the Pinaleño Land Snail Conservation Agreement (a CCA) to maintain and improve the status and distribution of endemic SGCN mollusks, and reduce threats to those snails and their habitat.

Map

Primary Threats

3. Climate Change and Severe Weather

3.1: Habitat shifting and alteration

3.2: Droughts

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

1.2: Resource and habitat protection

Develop conservation easements on public or private lands in order to maintain and protect wildlife corridors.

2. Land and Water Management

2.1: Site/area management

Identify and conserve areas known as stopover and breeding habitats for migratory birds and support their full life-cycle conservation through international collaborations that address threats to their migration and wintering habitats in Mexico, Central America, and beyond.

2.2: Invasive/problematic species control

Control the spread of invasive and problematic species to benefit populations of Mt. Graham red squirrels, including Abert’s squirrel and insect pest species.

2.3: Habitat and natural process restoration

Reintroduce prescribed burns to increase habitat resiliency in this unique and diverse Madrean woodland habitat.
Restore woodland habitats with more climate adaptable species to improve landscape resilience over time.

3. Species Management

3.1: Management of specific species of concern

Establish and augment populations of fish and wildlife in high quality habitats, including Mt. Graham red squirrel, Mexican spotted owl, roundtail chub, and Gila trout.
Conduct research that includes surveying and monitoring species and habitats to determine status and conditions so that resources can be appropriately allocated where they are most needed.