Issue Room
Coronado National Forest Planning Process
needs your input
By Amy Rathke, NOLS Environmental Stewardship Coordinator
Surrounding Tucson, A riz. to the north, east, and south, a series of mountain ranges juts up from the desert floor. Ranging from 3,000 feet to over 10,000 feet in elevation, the mountainous desert landscape that makes up the Coronado National Forest is called the “Sky Islands” for its basin and range topography. A backcountry classroom for NOLS since the late 1980s, the Coronado is currently undergoing a Forest Plan revision. Forest staff are evaluating and creating management strategies for the years to come. They face a series of challenges. Balancing access for recreation with preservation of pristine environments will continue to be a point of contention. Input on how the Forest should be managed from those with personal connections to the place and those with operating interests is critical in developing a thoughtful and functional plan. For example, an early draft included group size limitations that would have prevented traditional NOLS courses from being run in Wilderness areas. The wilderness classrooms on the Coronado National Forest make up the backbone of NOLS’ Southwest Semester. The backpacking and climbing options found in the Galiuro Wilderness, the Santa Teresa Mountains, and the Dragoon Mountains—and their proximity to Tucson—help make the city an ideal launching point for NOLS expeditions. “The Coronado is just a great classroom for us all around,” said NOLS Southwest Director Lindsay Nohl. “The access points are all fairly close to the branch, and the remote wilderness feel of the Coronado is a huge asset to our courses.” Some students may come to the Southwest expecting a mellow experience, informed by the region’s laidback lifestyle. Days are hot, nights are cold, plant life is
sharp, and insects and reptiles are poisonous—mellow it is not. However, within the stark realities of the desert environment, there is beauty to be found. The stacking of ecological zones is apparent as students enter the Galiuros, hiking from the sparsely vegetated lower elevations into higher washes full of flora. Some courses are able to traverse the entire Galiuro range, finishing a short drive from the Santa Teresa Mountains. Though only separated by 20 miles, the two ranges feel dramatically different. Travel in the Galiuros is largely on trail. In the Santa Teresas, one can expect offtrail travel through a landscape forested with acacia and manzanita, punctuated with granite intrusions. Though the range is smaller, it provides an excellent proving ground for students who are ready to test their navigational mettle. South and east of Tucson, miles of grasslands abut the granite domes that form Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains. The Dragoons are the
third area of the Coronado National Forest NOLS visits on Southwest Semesters, Instructor Courses, and instructor training seminars. Students spend their days climbing the granite slabs, learning how to use the rock’s many formations for protection and as hand- and footholds. Camping at Cochise Stronghold is developed in some areas and dispersed in others. With such a diversity of ecosystems and activities on the same forest, the Forest Service will have its hands full in coming up with a satisfactory plan. NOLS is tracking the planning process and providing input, but federal agencies always appreciate first-hand accounts from visitors. If you have visited the Galiuro, Santa Teresa, or Dragoon Mountains and would like to advocate for these wilderness classrooms, please email stewardship@nols. edu for more resources. Your testimony about the value of these backcountry areas matters a great deal from the perspective of land managers.
Wilderness Quiz
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What is the newest wilderness?
Leader
If you have visited the Galiuro, Santa Teresa, or Dragoon Mountains and would like to advocate for these wilderness classrooms, please email stewardship@nols.edu for more resources. Kyle Duba