| Coconino National Forest | |
|---|---|
 San Francisco Peaks, winter | |
 Location in the United States | |
| Location | Coconino,Yavapai, andGila counties,Arizona,US |
| Nearest city | Flagstaff, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 34°45′27″N111°45′52″W / 34.75750°N 111.76444°W /34.75750; -111.76444 (Red Rock Ranger District & Visitor Center) |
| Area | 1,856,038 acres (7,511.12 km2) |
| Established | July 2, 1908 |
| Visitors | roughly 1,890,000 (in 2004) |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | www.fs.usda.gov/coconino |
TheCoconino National Forest is a 1.856-million acre (751,000 ha)United StatesNational Forest located in northernArizona in the vicinity ofFlagstaff, with elevations ranging from 2,600 feet to the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet (Humphrey's Peak). Originally established in 1898 as the "San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve", the area was designated a U.S. National Forest by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt on July 2, 1908, when the San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve was merged with lands from other surrounding forest reserves to create the Coconino National Forest.[1] Today, the Coconino National Forest contains diverse landscapes, includingdeserts,ponderosa pine forests, flatlands,mesas, alpinetundra, and ancientvolcanic peaks.
The forest surrounds the towns ofSedona and Flagstaff and borders four other national forests; theKaibab National Forest to the west and northwest, thePrescott National Forest to the southwest, theTonto National Forest to the south, and theApache-Sitgreaves National Forest to the southeast. The forest contains all or parts of nine designatedwilderness areas, including theKachina Peaks Wilderness, which includes the summit of theSan Francisco Peaks.[2] The headquarters are in Flagstaff. The Coconino National Forest consists of three districts: Flagstaff Ranger District, Mogollon Rim Ranger District, and Red Rock Ranger District, which have localranger district offices in Flagstaff,Happy Jack, andSedona.[3]
Coconino is the word theHopi use forHavasupai andYavapai Indians. The Coconino National Forest was so named because it is located in the central portion of Coconino County.[4]
The elevation in the forest ranges from 2,600 feet (790 m) in the southern part of the forest near theVerde River to 12,633 feet (3,851 m) at the summit ofHumphreys Peak, the highest point in the state of Arizona.[5] Much of the forest is a high altitudeplateau (average elevation is roughly 7,000 feet (2,100 m) on the plateau) that is located in the midst of the largest contiguousponderosa pine forest inNorth America. The southern border of this plateau is theMogollon Rim, a nearly 400 miles (640 km) long escarpment running across central Arizona that also marks the southern boundary of theColorado Plateau. The Coconino National Forest is divided into three districts that each possess their distinct geography and environments.
The northernmost district, known as the Flagstaff District, is home to theSan Francisco Peaks, an ancient group of volcanic summits. The highest peak, Humphreys Peak, is the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet (3,851 m). Thesecond,third, andfourth highest peaks in Arizona are found nearby. The San Francisco Peaks are the dominant structure of theSan Francisco Volcanic Field, an 1,800 square miles (4,700 km2)volcanic field that contains more than 600 volcanic features. The Coconino National Forest encompasses a large portion of the volcanic field and so the forest landscape around Flagstaff is dotted with tree-coveredcinder cones,lava flows, andlava tubes (such asLava River Cave). The Flagstaff District surrounds twoUnited States National Monuments near Flagstaff,Walnut Canyon National Monument andSunset Crater Volcano National Monument the latter of which preserves the youngest cinder cone in the San Francisco Volcanic Field,Sunset Crater. The forest borders another National Monument,Wupatki National Monument on its northeast corner.
Located in the southern portion of the Flagstaff District is Mormon Lake, the largest natural lake in the state of Arizona. Several other natural lakes, includingAshurst Lake andMarshall Lake, dot the top ofAnderson Mesa, an approximately 20-mile (32 km) long ridge that rises 200 to 400 feet (60−120 m) above the surrounding landscape. Anderson Mesa is best known for the branch ofLowell Observatory located along the edge of the mesa. At the base of the southwest side of Anderson Mesa are two narrow, manmadereservoirs constructed in the early 1900s, UpperLake Mary and Lower Lake Mary. Upper Lake Mary contains water year round in all but the very driest years while Lower Lake Mary, located just to the northwest of Upper Lake Mary, usually resembles a wetmeadow rather than a lake.
The Red Rock district, centered on the town ofSedona, encompasses many of the famous red rockbuttes andmesas, andcanyons that have made Sedona famous as a resort town. Just north of Sedona isOak Creek Canyon, one of the many large canyons located along the Mogollon Rim. Oak Creek Canyon is one of the most popular recreation destinations in the Coconino National Forest and along with Sedona is Arizona's second most popular tourist attraction, second only to theGrand Canyon. Oak Creek Canyon is also a popularleaf peeping area in the fall as it is one of the few areas in the forest wheredeciduous trees are the dominantvegetation type. This region is also home toSycamore Canyon, the second largest canyon in Arizona. Elevations in this part of the forest are substantially lower (Sedona is at 4,500 feet (1,400 m) above sea level) than the rest of the forest resulting in higher temperatures year round.
The Third district is the Mogollon Rim District, located along the Mogollon Rim south of the Mormon Lake District and east of the Red Rock District. The landscape here resembles the Mormon Lake District with a number of small lakes and perennial streams scattered among a dense ponderosa pine forest. The southern boundary of the district is the edge of the Mogollon Rim where the Coconino National Forest borders theTonto National Forest andCoconino County bordersGila County.
Conifers and otherevergreen plants are the dominant type of vegetation in the Coconino National Forest. Due in part to the dry climate, deciduous trees are rare except for in some moist areas along creeks and streams. While the ponderosa pine is by far the most common tree species in the Coconino National Forest, vegetation type varies depending on the elevation of a certain area.
At the lowest elevations, in the extreme southwestern portion of the forest, actual trees are scarce and the landscape is dominated by various smallshrubs andsagebrushes. At elevations between 4,500 feet and 6,500 feet (1,400−2,000 m), which includes the area surrounding Sedona, various species ofjuniper including thealligator juniper and theUtah juniper are predominant. Other common tree and shrubs of this environment, often classified as the "juniper-pinyon woodlands", includeArizona cypress,manzanita, andpinyon pine. Hikers often encounterParry's agave,yuccas, andprickly pearcacti in this region as well.[6]
The huge stands ofponderosa pine on the forest are found primarily at elevations between 6,500 feet and 8,000 feet (2,000−2,400 m). Other species scattered among this region includegambel oak,quaking aspen, andRocky Mountain Juniper.[6]
The highest elevations in the forest are located in the San Francisco Peaks area north of Flagstaff. Here grow large conifers such asEngelmann spruce,blue spruce,subalpine fir, corkbark fir (a variety of subalpine fir found only in isolated areas of Arizona andNew Mexico),Douglas-fir,bristlecone pine, andlimber pine. Isolated stands of quaking aspen, usually the first tree to regenerate following a severe wildfire, are scattered across the mountain.[7]
Above 11,000 feet (3,400 m) is found the onlyalpine tundra region in Arizona. Vegetation is scarce in this region. A few smallbristlecone pines are found otherwise the area is abovetree line and inhabited by small grasses,lichens, andalpinewildflowers.[8] At this high elevation with exposure to extreme cold and strong winds, the alpine tundra mostly consists of boulder fields and loose gravel. The only trees that exist are short, shrubby, and wind-deformed.[9]
Wildfire is a major concern across the Coconino National Forest. Despite the abundance of green vegetation throughout the forest, the region is classified as a high desert. Flagstaff, located in the northern part of the forest, receives about 22 inches (560 mm) of precipitation annually—including an average annual snowfall of 100 inches (250 cm)—while other areas of the forest receive even less.[5][10] The lack of any significant rainfall during the spring and early summer combined with the high temperatures and strong winds that are commonplace during that time of year results infire danger that is usually defined as "very high" or "extreme" during the months of May through July. The danger of a major wildfire is increased by the fact that there are a number of cities and communities surrounded by forest land. Restrictions on campfires and smoking in the forest are common during peak fire season. Occasionally, the fire danger will become so great that the forest is closed to all public entry until substantial precipitation is received to minimize the danger of a stray spark setting off a destructive wildfire.
Over the past few years, the Coconino National Forest has increased its use ofprescribed burns as a tool to prevent major wildfires. This strategy, along with forestthinning, has been especially widespread in areas of the forest that surroundurban areas.
There are ten federally designatedU.S. Wilderness Areas within or partially within the Coconino National Forest:
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When the United States acquired the territory comprising Arizona and New Mexico by treaty withMexico in 1848, those lands not already privately owned, including Spanish and Mexicanland grants, nor reserved by treaty for the various Indian tribes, became a part of the "public domain" and open under various laws to settlement, purchase, and use.
In 1898, PresidentWilliam McKinley established the San Francisco Mountain Forest Reserve, at the request ofGifford Pinchot, head of the US Division of Forestry. Local reaction was hostile—citizens ofWilliams, Arizona held a mass protest, and theWilliams News editorialized that the reserve "virtually destroys Coconino County."[11]
In 1905, the Forest Reserves were transferred to the Department of Agriculture. Some 21 million acres (85,000 km2) of public lands, almost one-eighth of the area of Arizona and New Mexico, were now to be administered by the new Forest Service.
In 1908, the Coconino National Forest was established from parts of theTonto,Black Mesa,Grand Canyon, and entireSan Francisco Mountains National Forests.[12][13]
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