Attachment_J_CEBR_Foundation_Document_December_2015__consisting_of_70_pages_0001.pdf

Foundation Document Cedar Breaks National Monument Utah November 2015

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

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Contents Mission of the National Park Service 1

Introduction 2

Part 1: Core Components 3

Brief Description of the Monument Park Purpose Park Significance Fundamental Resources and Values Other Important Resources and Values Interpretive Themes

Part 2: Dynamic Components 12

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments Assessment of Planning and Data Needs

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values

Analysis of Other Important Resources and Values

Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs . . . 32

Planning and Data Needs

Part 3: Contributors 45

Cedar Breaks National Monument NPS Intermountain Region Other NPS Staff Partners

Appendixes 46

Appendix A: Presidential Proclamation and Legislative Acts for Cedar Breaks National Monument

Appendix B: Inventory of Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments

Appendix C: Past and Ongoing Park Planning and Data Collection Efforts

Appendix D: Wilderness Character Narrative Appendix E: Traditionally Associated Tribes Appendix F: Partnerships and Volunteer Programs

The arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead represents historical and archeological values.

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

The NPS core values are a framework in which the National Park Service accomplishes its mission. They express the manner in which, both individually and collectively, the National Park Service pursues its mission. The NPS core values are:

· Shared stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community.

· Excellence: We strive continually to learn and improve so that we may achieve the highest ideals of public service.

· Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another.

· Tradition: We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it.

· Respect: We embrace each other’s differences so that we may enrich the well-being of everyone.

The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. While numerous national park system units were created prior to 1916, it was not until August 25, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act formally establishing the National Park Service.

The national park system continues to grow and comprises more than 400 park units covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These units include, but are not limited to, national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. The variety and diversity of park units throughout the nation require a strong commitment to resource stewardship and management to ensure both the protection and enjoyment of these resources for future generations.

Introduction Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for park planning activities and establishes a baseline from which planning documents are developed.

A primary benefit of developing a foundation document is the opportunity to integrate and coordinate all kinds and levels of planning from a single, shared understanding of what is most important about the park. The process of developing a foundation document begins with gathering and integrating information about the park. Next, this information is refined and focused to determine what the most important attributes of the park are. The process of preparing a foundation document aids park managers, staff, and the public in identifying and clearly stating in one document the essential information that is necessary for park management to consider when determining future planning efforts, outlining key planning issues, and protecting resources and values that are integral to park purpose and identity.

While not included in this document, a park atlas is also part of a foundation project.

The atlas is a series of maps compiled from available geographic information system (GIS) data on natural and cultural resources, visitor use patterns, facilities, and other topics. It serves as a GIS-based support tool for planning and park operations. The atlas is published as a (hard copy) paper product and as geospatial data for use in a web mapping environment. The park atlas for Cedar Breaks National Monument can be accessed online at:

http://insideparkatlas.nps.gov/.

Part 1: Core Components The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park, park purpose, significance statements, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. These components are core because they typically do not change over time. Core components are expected to be used in future planning and management efforts.

Brief Description of the Monument Cedar Breaks National Monument (hereafter referred to as the monument) was established in 1933 by proclamation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to preserve the spectacular cliffs, canyons, and features of scenic, scientific, and educational interest at the Cedar Breaks amphitheater. Colorful layers of rock and geologic formations such as fins, windows, arches, and “hoodoos” have been shaped by weathering and erosional processes. Hoodoos (tall spires of rock) are of special interest due to their irregular forms and alternating hard and soft sediment layers. The multicolored natural amphitheater that displays these hoodoos, 2,500 feet deep and nearly 4 miles wide, is composed of variegated pink cliffs eroded from the Claron Formation. Cedar Breaks forms the western escarpment of the Markagunt Plateau, delineating the boundary between the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range physiographic provinces.

Some deposits in and adjacent to the monument demonstrate that this location was on the edge of the Markagunt Gravity Slide, the largest known feature of its kind on Earth. The monument encompasses 6,155 acres.

Elevations at the monument vary from 8,100 feet in the Ashdown Gorge on the western boundary to 10,662 feet in the northeastern section above the amphitheater. The majority of the area below the amphitheater’s rim (4,830 acres of the monument) is managed as recommended wilderness and designated as a research natural area. Because the monument is at elevations over 10,000 feet, the weather can change dramatically and turn inclement at any time.

A large variety of plants and animals exist in the monument due to the wide range in elevation and micro-habitats. Mule deer and marmots are common, as well as porcupines, red squirrels, golden-mantled ground squirrels, long-tailed weasels, and chipmunks. Mountain lions, bobcats, elk, and other mammals live in the area but are seldom seen. The bristlecone pine can also be found in the high country, with some local specimens known to be more than 1,600 years old. The largest diameter bristlecone in the state of Utah is found near Spectra Point.

Subalpine meadows dot the canyon rim with beautiful wildflower displays during the summer.

The monument lies within the traditional homeland of the Southern Paiutes, a land area that spans southern Utah, Nevada, and northern Arizona. According to their oral traditions, they have always been here. Archeologists have documented sites of ancestral American Indians or their habitations within and surrounding Cedar Breaks dating back more than 10,000 years. More recent history is represented in the monument’s visitor center and ranger caretaker cabin, which demonstrate classic NPS rustic architecture. These structures are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and were built in the late 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a program that provided work for unemployed men during the Great Depression.

The monument attracts approximately 595,000 visitors each year. The monument’s visitor facilities, all of which are on the rim, include a visitor center, campground, picnic area, overlooks, and trails. Most visitors recreate during the summer months and hike the trails, sightsee along the scenic monument highway, participate in interpretive programs, camp, and picnic. In the summer, the wildflowers come alive and are celebrated with the annual Wildflower Festival. The fall colors are stunning, while the southern Utah winters attract outdoor enthusiasts who like to ski, snowshoe, and snowmobile on designated routes.

The main scenic drive closes to vehicular traffic after the first deep snowfall, usually in late November, and becomes the route for the groomed snowmobile trail. More than 167,000 visitors, or 25% of the monument’s annual visitation, enjoy a variety of winter recreational opportunities from mid-October through May.

The region surrounding the monument is a popular year-round vacation destination, offering a variety of exceptional recreational opportunities. Nearby gateway communities of Brian Head, Parowan, Cedar City, and Panguitch host tourists from around the world as they visit the monument and the adjacent Dixie National Forest. The monument is managed as one of the three NPS units of the Zion Park Group, including Zion National Park and Pipe Spring National Monument. The efforts of many partners and volunteers are essential to protecting and sharing the stories of the Cedar Breaks National Monument and its outstanding resources.

Park Purpose The purpose statement identifies the specific reason(s) for establishment of a particular park.

The purpose statement for Cedar Breaks National Monument was drafted through a careful analysis of its enabling legislation and the legislative history that influenced its development.

The park was established by presidential proclamation on August 22, 1933 (see appendix A).

The purpose statement lays the foundation for understanding what is most important about the park.

At 10,700 feet on the western edge of the Colorado Plateau, Cedar Breaks NatioNal

MoNuMeNt preserves the multicolored geologic spectacle of the Cedar Breaks amphitheater, scenic vistas, and natural and cultural resources of scientific interest for public appreciation, education, recreation, and enjoyment.

Park Significance Significance statements express why a park’s resources and values are important enough to merit designation as a unit of the national park system. These statements are linked to the purpose of Cedar Breaks National Monument and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Statements of significance describe the distinctive nature of the monument and why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. They focus on the most important resources and values that will assist in park planning and management.

The following significance statements have been identified for Cedar Breaks National Monument. (Please note that the sequence of the statements does not reflect the level of significance.)

1. Geology. The rugged escarpment or “breaks” for which the Cedar Breaks National Monument was named are the result of recent tectonic uplift in highly erosive limestone strata that continues to shape this striking landscape and its features. Geologic strata exposed in the monument represent some of the youngest, and therefore the highest and last, in a sequence of sedimentary rocks that characterize the Colorado Plateau and that accumulated over 600 million years to a thickness of 15,000 feet.

2. Physical geography. The 2,500 foot westward-facing escarpment of the Cedar Breaks amphitheater presents a magnificent scene in brilliant colors of towering hoodoos, terraced cliffs, arches, bridges, deeply cut canyons, and exposed strata. The combination of an exceptional rate of erosion, high elevation, and brilliantly colored formations is distinctive among NPS units.

3. High-elevation flora and fauna. Cedar Breaks National Monument protects a variety of distinctive flora and fauna, including intensely beautiful wildflower displays, ancient bristlecone pines more than 1,600 years old, and subalpine wildlife. These species have adapted to the severity of climate and weather on the high elevations of the Markagunt Plateau, contributing to the resilience and integrity of the greater subalpine ecosystem.

4. Peoples’ use of the land. Cedar Breaks protects evidence of some of the highest elevation prehistoric sites within the national park system, representing the astonishing ability of humans to adapt to extreme and at times harsh environments.

5. Visitor experience. Located at over 10,000 feet, Cedar Breaks offers opportunities to experience one of the most easily accessible high elevation units in the national park system. Visitors experience a diversity of recreational and educational opportunities within the quiet solitude, colorful beauty, dark night skies, and endless vistas of the monument, through cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling, viewing the spectacular summer wildflowers and watchable wildlife, backcountry hiking red rock canyons and streams below the amphitheater, or appreciating the changing colors of autumn. The designated research natural area within the monument provides an important venue for researchers to study a relatively pristine area of the rapidly developing American West.

Fundamental Resources and Values Fundamental resources and values (FRVs) are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to warrant primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. Fundamental resources and values are closely related to a monument’s legislative purpose and are more specific than significance statements.

Fundamental resources and values help focus planning and management efforts on what is truly significant about the monument. One of the most important responsibilities of NPS managers is to ensure the conservation and public enjoyment of those qualities that are essential (fundamental) to achieving the purpose of the monument and maintaining its significance. If fundamental resources and values are allowed to deteriorate, the park purpose and/or significance could be jeopardized.

The following fundamental resources and values have been identified for Cedar Breaks National Monument:

· Geologic Resources. Millions of years of sedimentation, followed by uplift and rapid erosion produced the exquisite landscapes of Cedar Breaks and continues to carve out the giant 2,500-foot-deep amphitheater that spans nearly 4 miles across. Visitors are drawn by the myriad spectacular rock shapes including columns, spires, hoodoos, windows, pedestals, bridges, alcoves, and canyons carved into the red, orange, and white fluvial and lacustrine strata of the Claron Formation. The processes that formed the breaks are continuing, fueled by tectonic uplift and the erosive forces of water, ice, and wind. Cedar Breaks is linked to other parks and monuments in the region by providing a bookend to the accumulation of sedimentary rock on the Colorado Plateau with the complementary bookend found at the bottom of Grand Canyon. The geologic processes illustrated at the edge of this plateau are an important piece of the larger geologic landscape of southwest Utah to which the monument’s many stories and features are tied.

· Plant and Animal Communities. The protected environment at Cedar Breaks provides a relatively undisturbed area for plants and animals. Visitors have the opportunity to view wildlife typically found in subalpine ecosystems. The rim and geologic amphitheater display a broad array of flora in a relatively small area, ranging from ancient bristlecone pines to rare and endemic high-elevation plants. Lush meadows present an annual explosion of colorful wildflowers.

· High-Quality Scenic Vistas, Dark Night Skies, and Soundscapes. Clean air and largely undeveloped viewsheds allow visitors to find beauty year-round in the vivid colors of the amphitheater, dramatic rock formations, stunning vistas of towering Brian Head Peak and the more distant ranges. On the high plateau, alpine meadows brimming with wildflowers and ancient forests provide a stark contrast with the ruggedness found in views of the breaks. The dark and brilliant night skies and natural soundscapes at Cedar Breaks are of superb quality in part due to the high elevation and remote location of the monument.

· Archeological Resources. Cedar Breaks protects remnants of humanity’s past. The Brian Head chert found in abundance within the monument has been an important resource for the many cultures that have utilized the landscapes of Cedar Breaks for millennia. The remnants of historic structures, prehistoric lithic scatters, tools, and other artifacts and features in the monument provide scientific value and insight into humanity’s use of high-elevation landscapes from the end of the last ice age through the early 20th century.

· Opportunities to Experience, Support, and Study the Resources. Outstanding scientific interest as well as the opportunity for public recreation and appreciation influenced the establishment of the monument. Through vital partnerships and a variety of programs, visitors experience recreational and educational opportunities that foster invaluable connections to this place. Continued scientific research within the monument bolsters the ability to understand, interpret, and protect resources at Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Other Important Resources and Values Cedar Breaks National Monument contains other resources and values that are not fundamental to the purpose of the monument and may be unrelated to its significance, but are important to consider in planning processes. These are referred to as “other important resources and values” (OIRV). These resources and values have been selected because they are important in the operation and management of the monument and warrant special consideration in park planning.

The following other important resources and values have been identified for Cedar Breaks National Monument:

· Recommended Wilderness. Seventy-eight percent of Cedar Breaks National Monument (4,830 acres) is protected as recommended wilderness, and this high-elevation landscape strongly exemplifies the qualities that comprise wilderness character. The largely pristine and primitive landscape provides opportunities for solitude and a natural haven for flora and fauna. The monument’s designated research natural area, which shares the same boundaries as the recommended wilderness, further demonstrates the special pristine naturalness of this area and its importance for scientific research and education.

· Historic Structures. Beginning with early 20th century tourism development through today, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Utah Parks Company, and now the National Park Service have provided facilities and access for visitors to experience the rich human history of this region. The visitor center and ranger cabin at Cedar Breaks are legacies of the Civilian Conservation Corps, still used by the monument to this day.

Both structures are used daily by personnel and monument visitors during the summer months. While the small 900 square foot visitor center is often inadequate to meet the needs of over 595,000 annual visitors, it is believed to be the only CCC-constructed visitor center in the National Park Service that is still in active use today. A single shed also remains from the Cedar Breaks Lodge complex and stands as a monument to the Utah Parks Company and early 20th century tourism in the southwestern parks.

Interpretive Themes Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a park—they define the most important ideas or concepts communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes are derived from, and should reflect, park purpose, significance, resources, and values. The set of interpretive themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary for park staff to develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all park significance statements and fundamental and other important resources and values.

Interpretive themes are an organizational tool that reveal and clarify meaning, concepts, contexts, and values represented by park resources. Sound themes are accurate and reflect current scholarship and science. They encourage exploration of the context in which events or natural processes occurred and the effects of those events and processes. Interpretive themes go beyond a mere description of the event or process to foster multiple opportunities to experience and consider the park and its resources. These themes help explain why a park story is relevant to people who may otherwise be unaware of connections they have to an event, time, or place associated with the park.

The following interpretive themes have been identified for Cedar Breaks National Monument:

· Solitude. The juxtaposition of the subalpine environment and the geologic amphitheater affords multiple opportunities to explore a wild place of solitude, beauty, and silence.

· Wildlife/Vegetation. Cedar Breaks provides opportunities to explore the intense struggle for life as the flora and fauna interact with this high-elevation environment in their efforts to survive.

· Beauty. The vibrant palette of colors in Cedar Breaks can be found in the interplay of rock and light, the explosion of wildflower blooms, the ever-changing weather, and other dynamic natural processes that contribute to the beauty of the monument.

· Physical Geography. As a result of geologic processes, the high elevation of Cedar Breaks offers a stark contrast from the surrounding desert and provides visitors with a different perspective as they experience the region.

· Peoples’ Use of the Land. Through such activities as lithic tool manufacturing, livestock grazing, recreation, and tourism, the way in which people value the land at Cedar Breaks and the surrounding region is inextricably linked to geologic and natural processes. (Possible subthemes include the roles of the Civilian Conservation Corps, Utah Parks Company, and National Park Service.)

· Geology. The colorfully layered mineral-imbued scenic amphitheater of Cedar Breaks National Monument provides opportunities to explore and discover the forces of erosion, uplift, deposition, and volcanic activities that have occurred over millions of years, and that uplift and erosion continues to this day.

· Wilderness. The remote location, solitude, natural sounds and views, and the pristine dark night sky of Cedar Breaks reveal the character and beauty of true wilderness and the benefits of preservation and stewardship.

· Night Sky. The dark night sky at Cedar Breaks has deep natural, cultural, and scenic importance, a vanishing resource prominent in many visitors’ values.

Part 2: Dynamic Components The dynamic components of a foundation document include special mandates and administrative commitments and an assessment of planning and data needs. These components are dynamic because they will change over time. New special mandates can be established and new administrative commitments made. As conditions and trends of fundamental and other important resources and values change over time, the analysis of planning and data needs will need to be revisited and revised, along with key issues. Therefore, this part of the foundation document will be updated accordingly.

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments Many management decisions for a park unit are directed or influenced by special mandates and administrative commitments with other federal agencies, state and local governments, utility companies, partnering organizations, and other entities. Special mandates are requirements specific to a park that must be fulfilled. Mandates can be expressed in enabling legislation, in separate legislation following the establishment of the park, or through a judicial process.

They may expand on park purpose or introduce elements unrelated to the purpose of the park. Administrative commitments are, in general, agreements that have been reached through formal, documented processes, often through memorandums of agreement. Examples include easements, rights-of-way, arrangements for emergency service responses, etc. Special mandates and administrative commitments can support, in many cases, a network of partnerships that help fulfill the objectives of the park and facilitate working relationships with other organizations. They are an essential component of managing and planning for Cedar Breaks National Monument.

For more information about the existing special mandates and administrative commitments for Cedar Breaks National Monument, please see appendix B.

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs Once the core components of part 1 of the foundation document have been identified, it is important to gather and evaluate existing information about the park’s fundamental and other important resources and values, and develop a full assessment of the park’s planning and data needs. The assessment of planning and data needs section presents planning issues, the planning projects that will address these issues, and the associated information requirements for planning, such as resource inventories and data collection, including GIS data.

There are three sections in the assessment of planning and data needs:

1. analysis of fundamental and other important resources and values

2. identification of key issues and associated planning and data needs

3. identification of planning and data needs (including spatial mapping activities or GIS maps)

The analysis of fundamental and other important resources and values and identification of key issues leads up to and supports the identification of planning and data collection needs.

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values The fundamental resource or value analysis table includes current conditions, potential threats and opportunities, planning and data needs, and selected laws and NPS policies related to management of the identified resource or value.

Fundamental Resource or Value

Geologic Resources

Related Significance Statements

Significance statements 1 and 2 .

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• Geologic features are intact and processes continue in a natural manner with negligible impacts from visitor activities . The processes include an exceptionally high rate of natural erosion . The roads have the greatest impact, which are minimized by the relatively gentle topography on the rim and the adjacent watershed divide .

• Water continues to naturally flow down through the amphitheater and its formations, unencumbered by dams or artificial augmentation . As a result, the tremendous transport of sediment that occurs through the breaks remains intact .

• Surface water on the rim is naturally uncommon in spite of the abundant snowfall due to the extensive karst development in the Claron Formation . As such, water supplies for administrative uses are limited .

• There is limited development around the natural features, largely due to the topography of the amphitheater, which limits access .

• The Wasatch Ramparts are a distinct feature, accessed and viewed from Ramparts Trail .

Trends

• Climate change is predicted to include alterations to the amount and timing of precipitation, as well as an increase in average temperatures . These changes will, and likely are already, altering the erosional forces that continue to shape the amphitheater although the exact character of these changes is not predictable at this time .

• The high degree of natural variability found in precipitation, flood events, and sediment transport in this setting will likely mask the impacts of climate change for some time .

• Natural geologic processes continue to occur within the natural range of variability, largely unhindered by NPS management or external land uses .

• In recent years there may be slightly increased visitation below the rim of the amphitheater where the majority of geologic formations exist; however, any impact appears to be slight .

Threats

• Given the rapid pace of erosion in the breaks, facilities near the rim will be threatened by failure of the cliffs and recession of the slopes along the rim . Decisions between hardening facilities against the erosion or moving them to or reconstructing them at a better location will be necessary .

• Construction of roads and trails in the future could also impact the stability of a slope .

Rock fall and slope failure is a potential hazard in places along the roads and trails of the monument .

• Natural seismic activity is a risk because the Hurricane Fault (a few miles west) is capable of producing rare earthquakes up to a magnitude 7 .

• Fractures and sinkholes inherent in the Claron Formation pose threats to overlooks and other visitor facilities .

• Climate change may pose a threat to the geologic features and processes in a number of ways, including alterations in the severity and frequency of the monsoons and winter storms (which would affect erosion rates and levels of snowfall), and changes in temperature and number of nights of freezing temperatures (which could alter freeze-thaw processes) .

• Changes in natural processes, such as fire, could affect the geologic features by reducing soil stability and snow capture and increasing runoff and erosion rates .

• Potential future increases in visitation below the rim could increase impacts to geologic formations .

Fundamental Resource or Value

Geologic Resources

Opportunities

• Increase collection of scientific data through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, other federal or state agencies, or educational institutions such as Utah State University, Dixie State University, and Southern Utah University .

• As few visitors experience the features from within the amphitheater, develop a small tactile walk-through model of the formations with appropriate textures and colors, or partner with the US Forest Service (USFS) to provide this experience at a more accessible nearby location .

• Increase Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility so visitors could view formations from the overlooks .

• Ensure that any future monument development will not negatively alter natural processes or features (i .e ., drainage problems from a newly constructed viewpoint) .

Data and/or GIS Needs

• LiDAR for viewshed analysis and geological formations in the monument .

• Monitoring weather parameters (temperature, precipitation, storm events) to document observed climate change and impacts on monument resources, and to validate projected climate change futures over time .

• Soil survey and GIS layers .

• A survey of cave resources .

• Spring inventory of lower Breaks .

Planning Needs

• Resource stewardship strategy .

• Climate change scenario plan .

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Clean Water Act of 1972

• Clean Air Act (42 USC 7470(2))

• 1988 Federal Cave Resources Protection Act

• Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended

• National Environmental Policy Act

• National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998

• Paleontological Resources Preservation (in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act) of 2009

• 36 CFR – Title 36 – Parks, Forests, and Public Property

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and other Natural and Cultural Resources”

• Cedar Breaks National Monument Water Rights Settlement Agreement

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (4 .6 .1, 4 .6 .2, 4 .6 .4 and 4 .8 .1 .1)

• Directors Order 77: Natural Resource Management

• Directors Order 77-1: Wetland Protection

• NPS A Call to Action: Preparing for a Second Century of Stewardship and Engagement

• NPS Natural Resource Management Reference Manual 77

Fundamental Resource or Value

Plant and Animal Communities

Related Significance Statements

Significance statement 3 .

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The monument has a fairly diverse plant population for a relatively small area, in part due to the elevational gradient within the monument .

• Plant communities include pinyon-juniper forests; ponderosa pine, blue spruce, and Douglas-fir overstory with Rocky Mountain maple, greenleaf manzanita, and/or Oregon grape understory; Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir overstory with monkshood, Oregon grape, and/or gooseberry understory; and subalpine meadows of grasses, sedges, and forbs .

• At the edges of the cliffs, ancient bristlecone pine trees thrive in the harsh exposed environment to which they are well adapted . The oldest bristlecone pine known in the monument is about 1,700 years old .

• A number of rare and endemic plants are found in the monument—most are naturally protected because they grow in areas that are hard to reach .

• A large portion of the monument has been affected by the spruce bark beetle epidemic that has killed thousands of acres of Engelmann spruce stands on the Markagunt Plateau .

This beetle kill has resulted in changes in the composition of the forest .

• The most widespread invasive nonnative plants are dandelion and smooth brome .

• Overall condition of the flora in the monument is good, with the vegetation at the bottom of the amphitheater being particularly healthy due to some recent understory burns .

• Elk, mule deer, mountain lion, and black bear are the monument’s dominant large animals, although sightings of mountain lions and bears are rare . The higher elevations provide habitat for marmot, badger, and porcupine . Middle elevations support gray fox and coyote . A large number of rodents and birds are also present .

• Condors are seen occasionally in the monument and may be more frequently sighted if they become established in the Kolob Canyons area of Zion National Park .

• The ephemeral ponds provide habitat for frogs and aquatic insects .

• Overall condition of the fauna in the monument is good, with pika being the exception .

Pikas are currently considered extirpated from the monument as habitat becomes marginalized due to climate change .

• To date, invasive birds (like cow birds or starlings) that compete with native bird species have not been sighted in the monument .

Trends

• NPS staff have made progress toward controlling smooth brome and reseeding affected areas with native plants .

• Animal populations are fairly stable, although some changes have been observed as to where animals are found seasonally within and around the monument .

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Monument ecosystems are highly vulnerable to upslope vegetation shifts (i .e ., plant species moving to higher elevations) due to projected climate change for the region, including changes in temperature and precipitation .

• Introduction and spread of invasive plants by visitors, other traffic passing through the monument, and connectivity to other nearby land with larger invasive plant problems .

Climate change may exacerbate the spread of some invasive species .

• Increases in mean annual temperature, storm frequency and intensity, and drought events projected for the region could impact hydrology, water chemistry, and associated habitat/species .

Fundamental Resource or Value

Plant and Animal Communities

Threats and Opportunities

Threats (continued)

• The many downed trees from beetle kill increase the risk of fire events and could cause changes in the vegetation community .

• Social trailing could locally affect some of the rare plants along the rim of the amphitheater .

• Some of the bristlecone pines may be adversely affected by many visitors touching or walking close to the trees .

• Human-wildlife interactions (i .e ., feeding wildlife or vehicle-animal collisions) increase with increased visitation .

• Dogs are not allowed on unpaved trails; however, there have been some cases of dogs interfering with wildlife .

• Increasing deer populations could have negative effects on vegetation .

• Illegal poaching, tree harvesting, and plant collecting in the monument may become issues .

Opportunities

• Continue working with county weed management groups, particularly building a relationship with Iron County to work toward larger landscape health against invasive species .

• Partner with Dixie National Forest to do invasive species control .

• Educate visitors to prevent the spread of invasive pest species by bringing wood for campfires into the monument .

• Work with local universities (like Southern Utah University flora class) to help assist in monitoring plants . Develop relationships with universities for students to do Master’s or PhD research in the monument .

• Provide opportunities for citizen science projects, where people can help discourage wildflower picking, record blooming times, etc .

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Continue monitoring pika population .

• Assessment/monitoring of bristlecone pine health .

• Continued invasive species monitoring and data collection .

• Information about the successional stage of the forest following the beetle kill .

• Phenology data for plants and animals .

• Information about diversity and abundance of pollinators .

• Monitoring population trends of rare and endemic plants .

• Update wildlife species checklist .

• Data on bat diversity and populations, including strategies for white nose syndrome prevention .

• Animal radio-collaring projects to gather data on range .

• Data on bird species presence and breeding bird species within the monument .

• Monitoring weather parameters (temperature, precipitation, storm events) to document observed climate change and impacts on monument resources, and to validate projected climate change futures over time .

• Climate change vulnerability assessment for select resources .

Planning Needs

• Resource stewardship strategy .

• Vegetation management plan .

• Climate change scenario plan .

Fundamental Resource or Value

Plant and Animal Communities

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended

• National Invasive Species Act of 1996

• Lacey Act of 1900, as amended

• Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974, as amended

• Clean Water Act of 1972

• Clean Air Act (42 USC 7470(2))

• 1988 Federal Cave Resources Protection Act

• Executive Order 13112, “Invasive Species”

• Secretarial Order 3206, “American Indian Tribal Rights, Federal-Tribal Trust Responsibilities, and the Endangered Species Act”

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources”

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• Director’s Order 18: Wildland Fire Management

• Director’s Order 77: Natural Resource Management

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (1 .6, 4 .1, 4 .1 .4, 4 .4 .1, 4 .7 .1, 4 .7 .2)

• NPS Wildland Fire Management Reference Manual 18

Fundamental Resource or Value

High-Quality Scenic Vistas, Dark Night Skies, and Soundscapes

Related Significance Statements

Significance statements 1, 2, 3, and 5 .

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• Scenic vistas are one of the top reasons people visit Cedar Breaks National Monument .

• The monument provides and maintains ample overlooks and interpretive waysides are currently being installed throughout the monument to inform visitors about visible features . This infrastructure is in good condition .

• Scenic vistas are currently impacted by the many trees downed due to beetle kill; Federal Aviation Administration radar installation; NPS water tanks; and the private inholding within Ashdown Gorge Wilderness . Cedar City is also visible from the monument .

• Although dependent on air quality on a given day, views of long distances are frequently available and of good quality .

• The scenic drive through the monument offers uninterrupted views of meadows, wildflowers, and other scenic views .

• The monument has a relatively low anthropogenic light ratio as compared to other NPS units and most areas of the country . The good quality of the night skies means that the Milky Way is visible from horizon to horizon and may show great detail . Many constellations are visible and Zodiacal light (the faint glow at the horizon just before dawn or just after dusk) can be seen under favorable conditions) .

• The monument provides important habitat for nocturnal wildlife, and with limited outdoor nighttime lighting, the monument helps to preserve the natural night sky conditions of southern Utah .

• To celebrate and share the beauty of the dark night skies, Cedar Breaks hosts a series of star parties throughout both the winter and summer seasons . NPS staff are also actively working with other nearby communities to educate them about the importance of night sky resources and how they can minimize light pollution to protect the night sky across the Colorado Plateau .

• Soundscapes at the monument are important to the natural and cultural resources and to the visitor experience (i .e ., minimizing noise to help better depict what the site would have been like previous to modern development) . The monument’s acoustic environment is predicted by the NPS Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division to be 1 .1 decibels above the natural ambient sound level, although this was likely measured in the absence of snowmobile traffic . This means that that the listening area for wildlife and visitors is reduced by 22%, and may be further reduced during the winter presence of snowmobiles . Compared to parks throughout the national park system, this is a low number and shows a prominence of natural sounds at the monument .

Trends

• Increasing development in Cedar City (some of which is visible from the monument) is expected to continue into the near future .

• Increasing frequency of fires and air pollution related to smoke and particulates .

• There have been slight but negligible increases in light pollution from nearby developments .

• The acoustic environment and soundscapes at the monument are gradually becoming more impacted by anthropogenic noise from slight increases in traffic .

Fundamental Resource or Value

High-Quality Scenic Vistas, Dark Night Skies, and Soundscapes

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Increased development and vehicle, snowmobile, and air traffic near the monument negatively impacts the viewshed, acoustic environment and soundscapes, and night skies .

• Air quality can be impacted by pollution from near and far urban centers and development and wildfires . Poor air quality negatively impacts scenic vistas from the monument .

• Visible beetle-kill trees within and outside the monument are altering scenic vistas .

• In the past, there has been some interest in leasing federal oil and gas to the west of the monument . Were development to occur, access roads, drill pads, facilities, and night lighting could impact monument viewsheds . The natural soundscape may also be impacted through potential construction of new access roads and associated increases in traffic and use of machinery .

Opportunities

• Work with local communities and regional groups to promote responsible and unobtrusive future development .

• Work with local communities and outfitters on using the quietest snowmobiles possible .

• Coordinate with Dixie National Forest fire management efforts to conduct prescribed burns in ways that would not impact the scenic vistas .

• Work with Southern Utah University to establish a long-term air quality and weather monitoring station at the monument with students collecting and analyzing the data .

• Investigate providing future trails that could allow visitors more diverse views from the monument, while ensuring the trail infrastructure does not negatively impact the viewshed or geologic features .

• Work with the NPS Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division for help interpreting the night sky, acoustic environment, and soundscapes at the monument, as well as continued technical assistance .

• Apply to the International Dark Sky Association for recognition as an International Dark Sky Park .

• Continue working with astronomy clubs and universities to attend night sky programs .

• Develop opportunities along existing trails to encourage visitors to enjoy natural sound/quiet .

• Encourage the USFS and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to recognize viewsheds from the monument in their land use planning, and in developing stipulations for mineral development .

Data and/or GIS Needs

• LiDAR for viewshed analysis and geological formations in the monument .

• Air quality monitoring .

• Continued soundscape monitoring .

• Continue monitoring night sky condition .

Planning Needs

• Viewshed management plan .

• Resource stewardship strategy .

Fundamental Resource or Value

High-Quality Scenic Vistas, Dark Night Skies, and Soundscapes

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• The Clean Air Act [42 USC 7470(2)]

• National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000

• National Parks Overflight Act of 1987 (Public Law 100-91)

• “Audio Disturbances” (36 CFR 2 .12)

• “What is the maximum noise level for the operation of a vessel?” (36 CFR 3 .15)

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• Director’s Order 47: Soundscape Preservation and Noise Management

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (1 .4) “Park Management”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (1 .6) “Cooperative Conservation Beyond Park Boundaries”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (4 .7) “Air Resource Management”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (4 .9) “Soundscape Management”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (4 .10) “Lightscape Management”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (5 .3 .1 .7) “Cultural Soundscape Management”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (8 .4) “Overflights and Aviation Uses”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (8 .2 .3) “Use of Motorized Equipment”

Fundamental Resource or Value

Archeological Resources

Related Significance Statements

Significance statement 4 .

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• An intensive survey of 2,318 acres within the monument, and additional acres surrounding the monument on lands administered by the Dixie National Forest, resulted in the discovery of 99 archeological sites and 32 isolated occurrences .

• The monument is considered 100% inventoried for archeological sites, with all known archeological sites (99) documented . A smaller number of sites (5–6) are in the recommended wilderness . The majority of sites are not in highly erosive portions of the monument .

• Current condition data exists for all sites . Sites, spatial data, and photographs are documented in the Archeological Sites Management Information System (ASMIS) . In general, the majority of sites are in fairly good condition .

• The majority of the sites appear to be associated with resource procurement and processing of locally available Brian Head chert, a high-quality lithic raw material used for making stone tools .

• X-ray fluorescence analysis of obsidian artifacts indicates a decidedly Great Basin connection .