ATT1_Coronado FMP.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southwestern Region

Facility Master Plan

Coronado National Forest

June 2020

2 0 2 0 C o r o n a d o N a t i o n a l F o r e s t F a c i l i t y M a s t e r P l a n P l a n

Coronado National Forest Facility Master Plan

Approved by: _________________ ________ Date

REGIONAL FORESTER

Recommended by: _________________ ________ __________________ ________ Kerwin S. Dewberry Date Danny R. Montoya Date

FOREST SUPERVISOR DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING

Reviewed by: ___________________ ________ __________________ ________ Doug T. Ruppel Date James D. Copeland Date

DISTRICT RANGER DISTRICT RANGER

Douglas RD Nogales RD

Celeste Kinsey Date George C. Garcia Date

DISTRICT RANGER DISTRICT RANGER

Sierra Vista RD Safford RD

Charles Woodard Date

DISTRICT RANGER

Santa Catalina RD

Edwin Monin Date

ENG & MINERALS STAFF

Contributor and Reviewer: ____________________ ________

Gerardo Pedrego Date

FACILITY ENGINEER

Prepared by:

Jerry Carlson, Team Leader jcarlsons@comcast.net 503-559-4855 mailto:jcarlsons@comcast.net

Contents

SECTION 1 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SECTION 2 – INTRODUCTION

SECTION 3 – FINANCIAL BALANCE SHEET

SECTION 4 - MANAGEMENT DIRECTION

SECTION 5 - REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE SITES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST SUPERVISORS OFFICE

5.1.1 Tucson Interagency Fire Center

5.2 DOUGLAS RANGER DISTRICT

5.2.1 Douglas Ranger Station

5.2.2 Portal Work Center/Cave Creek Visitor Center

5.2.3 Rucker Work Center

5.2.4 Pinery Cabin

5.2.5 East Cochise Administrative Site

5.2.6 Monte Vista Lookout

5.2.7 Rustler Park

5.2.8 Cima Park

5.2.9 Douglas Ranger District Miscellaneous Sites

5.3 NOGALES RANGER DISTRICT

5.3.1 Nogales Ranger Station

5.3.2 Florida Work Center – Santa Rita Experimental Range

5.3.3 Kentucky Camp

5.3.4 Juniper Flat

5.3.5 Nogales Ranger District Miscellaneous Sites

5.3.6 Ruby Road Hay Storage

5.4 SIERRA VISTA RANGER DISTRICT

5.4.1 Sierra Vista Ranger District Office

5.4.2 Canelo Work Center

5.4.3 Brown Canyon Ranch

5.4.4 Carr Barn

5.4.5 Carr Canyon

5.4.6 Libby Air Tanker Base

5.4.7 Sierra Vista Ranger District Miscellaneous Sites

5.4.8 Red Mountain Lookout

5.5 SAFFORD RANGER DISTRICT

5.5.1 Safford Ranger District Office

5.5.2 Safford Ranger District Work Center

5.5.3 Columbine Work Center and Visitor Center

5.5.4 Safford Ranger District Miscellaneous Sites

5.5.5 Knothe Site

5.5.6 Marijilda Site

5.5.7 Deer Creek

5.5.8 Heliograph Lookout

5.5.9 Jackson Cabin

5.5.10 Noon Creek

5.5.11 Power’s Garden

5.5.12 Webb Peak

5.5.13 West Peak

5.6 SANTA CATALINA RANGER DISTRICT / SABINO CANYON VISITOR CENTER

5.6.1 Santa Catalina Ranger Station

5.6.2 Sabino Canyon Visitor Center

5.6.3 District and Visitor Center Work Center

5.6.4 Lowell Administrative Site

5.6.5 Palisades Visitor Center and Work Center

5.6.6 Radar Base Site

5.6.7 Lemmon Rock

5.6.8 Santa Catalina Miscellaneous Sites

5.6.9 Mount Bigelow

5.6.10 Sollers

5.6.11 Mount Lemmon Fee Station

SECTION 6.0 - 2020 NF FACILITY MASTER PLAN SUMMARY

6.1 List of Coronado NF Admin Facilities with FMP Recommendations

6.2 List of Buildings to be Retained for Existing Use

6.3 List of Buildings to be Retained for Alternate Use

6.4 List of Buildings to be Decommissioned

6.5 List of Buildings to be Acquired

SECTION 7 - APPENDIX

7.1 Abbreviations and Definitions

7.2 Project Charter, Arizona Forests Facilities Master Plan Effort

7.3 National Facilities Study Summary

7.4 Team Bios

7.5 Organizational Charts

SECTION 1 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The purpose of a Facility Master Plan (FMP) is to guide the acquisition, upgrading, maintenance and disposal of a National Forests’ facilities portfolio required to support unit operations, including public service. This FMP covers only administrative sites and major visitor centers. It does not usually include recreational or special use sites but in the case of the Coronado there are two significant special use sites that are included due to the size and complexity of the sites and the obligation the Forest has for managing the permits for these sites.

The Arizona Forests of the Southwestern Region have taken a unique approach to update their FMPs. The six Forests collaborated on the process, developed a common charter, and contracted for a team of retired Forest Service experts with extensive experience in facilities management. The benefit is a comprehensive set of strategic recommendations for optimizing facilities management decisions given likely budget projections.

Nationwide, the reduction of the number of Forest Service facilities has not been commensurate with reductions in budgets and staffing. A recent national report concluded that approximately 20% of the funds needed to maintain facilities to standard were available for actual maintenance activities.

This is true for the Coronado National Forest (NF).

The Coronado NF has a facilities portfolio of 178 owned administrative and major visitor center buildings containing 179,570 gross square feet (GSF) and 9 leased buildings containing 69,168 RSF for a total of 248,738 GSF. The workforce is 199 Full Time Equivalents (FTE’s) which equates to 1250 GSF per FTE. The national recommended average is 500 GSF per FTE. The Coronado NF also exceeds the Region 3 average of 550 GSF per FTE which decreases the annual budget allocation by $60,000. The current replacement value (CRV) for the 178 buildings is $45.8 million.

Based on industry standards (3% of CRV) $1,373,230 is needed annually to maintain the facility portfolio to the national goal of "fair to good" condition. In FY 2018 and 2019, The Coronado NF initial allocation was $100,000 of which approximately $60,000 was available after overhead for actual maintenance on the ground or about 4.3% of the need. Twenty percent of the Forest’s buildings are under special use permit with the University which reduces the maintenance need raising the percentage of funds available to about 5.5% of the need, which is still not sustainable.

The result is increasing deferred maintenance (DM) every year, and a substantial devaluation of the assets, with more falling into the “poor” category every year. The effect of this reduction is detailed under Section 3.

Since maintenance budgets are not likely to increase sufficiently to cover the maintenance need, a more aggressive effort to reduce or manage existing facilities is necessary.

Of the 178 existing buildings, 106 are recommended to be retained for existing use, 60 to be retained for an alternate use and 12 to be decommissioned. A consolidated warehouse building at Safford is recommended for acquisition to replace buildings recommended for decommissioning at the 9th Street work center.

Following are three of the more significant recommendations:

SANTA CATALINA DISTRICT OFFICE - SABINO CANYON VISITOR CENTER

Issue: District office personnel occupy four modular buildings intended to be temporary ranging in age from 19 to 28 years old, the office has poor visibility to the public with no interior connectivity to restrooms and conference space and is not energy efficient

The combination of the District Office comingled with the busy visitor center appears dysfunctional.

The volume of business (1.3 million visitors per year on average) at the visitor center represents one of the heaviest contact points in the US Forest Service system. Sabino Canyon is a well-known popular destination. The parking lot is not large enough to handle peak crowds and is not well configured for shuttle buses and RV’s.

The District staff occupies 4 modular buildings behind the main visitor center which was developed from the remodeled District office. The buildings are connected by concrete walkways and canopies.

The employee restroom is situated down a hallway in the visitor center. Meeting space is marginal.

Parking for both visitors and employees is difficult due to the number of vehicles that fill the parking lot many days of the year. The entrance to the District office is around the outside of the building and is not well identified. The office and visitor center site, the original Lowell Ranger Station Site, the warehouse complex and a vacated shooting range are scattered over a wide area of the administrative site. The administrative footprint for all the sites occupies 50 plus acres of high value land bordered on the west and south by high end housing and commercial development.

Recommendations:

• Conduct a comprehensive Preliminary Project Analysis (PPA) for the entire complex using an outside multi discipline team with high use recreation experience to determine the long-range planning goals for this complex – the PPA should consider at a minimum the following:

o Relocation and construction of a new state of the art visitor center and district office closer to the canyon freeing up valuable real estate for conveyance to help fund the new complex – this will likely take special legislation o Incorporate the historic Lowell District buildings into an interpretive center o Consider location of a building for a new Supervisors Office in a campus setting utilizing lease savings to support funding o Determine if other agencies are interested in a collaborative effort (Park Service, County, etc.)

o Consider a public/private partnership in development of a new complex – how can concessionaires play a larger role – is private construction and lease back option possible – possibly a State/County partnership with local bond capability o Consider use of the old shooting range and existing work center location o Determine the maximum saturation point and number of visitors that should be allowed in the canyon at any one time

• In the interim, the action has been to provide a code compliant accessible restroom for District employees (contract to remedy this situation was completed)

• Enlarge and reconfigure the parking lot to accommodate RV and bus parking and develop a method to equitably charge bus passengers for use of the canyon

HIGH COST LEASES

Issue: The Forest has the highest total lease cost in the Region with 9 buildings totaling over $2 million a year which puts a severe strain on the Forest budget

The Forest has three leases that are not cost effective: The Supervisors Office lease rate is not out of line for downtown Tucson but the utilization rate of 456 RSF per FTE is over twice the USDA space standard. The Sierra Vista Ranger Station office is both a high cost at $36.10/RSF and the utilization rate is 380 RSF per FTE, again almost twice the USDA standard. The Safford Ranger Station office is in a leased facility collocated with the BLM. The Forest Service portion of the lease is both high cost at $43.75 per FTE and the utilization rate is 286 RSF per FTE. If these leases were reduced to the allowable standard at reasonable market rates, the Forest could realize a savings of about $660,000 per year.

Recommendations:

• Conduct an analysis and ranking of all leases on the Forest to determine which leases are coming up for renewal or expiration and which leases could have the most cost savings if terminated or renegotiated – see the lease summary table in Section 3

• Consider moving the Supervisor’s Office out of the downtown area to provide better public access at a lower cost – this may be difficult with this being a GSA managed Federal building

• Work with GSA to turn back excess space at the next renewal period

• Conduct a Preliminary Project Analysis to determine the feasibility of a collocated

Supervisors Office, the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center and the Santa Catalina Ranger District Office – this could be a campus concept and not necessarily one large building

SPECIAL USE PERMITED SITES

Issue: The Forest has two large sites under special use permit to the University of Arizona – even though the University is responsible for maintenance, the Forest still has oversight responsibilities since the site and the buildings remain in Federal ownership

The Coronado NF has two large sites under special use to the University of Arizona. One site is the Radar Base on Mt Lemmon which is used for the University’s Sky Center astronomy and observatory programs. The other site is the Florida Work Center which is the headquarters for the Santa Rita Experimental Range which is essentially managed by the University of Arizona. Both sites have numerous older buildings and require substantial investments to keep the site in good operating condition. The University as the permittee has willingly invested in both sites in the past to keep facilities in good condition and currently performs most of the building maintenance at both sites. The University is reluctant to make long term investments in the infrastructure since the permits are not long term and there is no guarantee they will always be renewed. This is especially true at the Florida Work Center. The Forest use at both sites is very limited and no increase in future Forest use is anticipated.

In addition to these large special use sites, the Forest has a significant number of remote sites with old cabins and other outbuildings. For instance, the Safford District has 24 miscellaneous buildings on remote sites that are likely in various stages of disrepair since many of them were built in the

1930’s. The I-web listing shows most of the buildings in good condition but the fact they are remote indicates they probably are not in good condition given the age of these buildings.

Recommendations:

• Determine if by special legislation, ownership of the sites or at least the buildings could be transferred to the State of Arizona under the management of the University of Arizona – a stipulation would be needed for the Forest Service to retain water rights during fire response operations

• The Forest needs to take an in depth look at the outlying sites with buildings with limited use that are costly to maintain and eliminate as many as possible making sure that proper procedures are followed for any historic structure

SECTION 2 – INTRODUCTION

Reason for the 2020 Facility Master Plan Update

FSM 7312.1 requires that each National Forest prepare an updated FMP on a 10-year cycle. The FMP should reflect management objectives established by the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. In addition to identifying those assets needed by the unit to perform its mission and house its employees, the FMP also needs to explore the financial feasibility of operating and maintaining a portfolio and look at options for acquiring this portfolio in the right mix of leased and owned facilities to fit its management environment, including reasonable projected future budgets.

Use of the Facility Master Plan

The FMP is a planning tool. FMP recommendations are intended to guide management of existing facilities and provide the basis for sound decisions regarding subsequent acquisition, management, or decommissioning activities.

Previous Facility Master Plans

The last FMP for the Forest was completed in 1992. Since then the Forest has undergone changes in management objectives, as well as in the political landscape, each of which has resulted in shifts in on the ground operations and management. These include shifts in personnel, declining facility budgets, aging of the facility portfolio and a subsequent decline in the overall condition and quality of the facilities. The need for certain types of facilities has changed and some facilities are no longer needed.

Process Used

This FMP is the result of a cooperative effort between the six Forests in Arizona; the Southwestern Region; and an independent contractor, NorthStar Technology Corporation, contracted by the Enterprise Technical Services Team (ETS). The Arizona Forests first created a charter which established goals, objectives, standards, timelines and deliverables necessary to accomplish the update. It was signed during the spring and summer of 2015 by each Forest Supervisor, the Regional Facilities Program Manager and the Director of Engineering for the Southwestern Region.

Four teams were created to gather data and represent the Forests during the FMP process. The four teams will review the DRAFT FMP and provide comments to the contractor for final editing of the FMP. For additional details see the charter which is included as Appendix 7.2.

This FMP consists of the contract team’s recommendations to the Forest that have been revised by the Forest, incorporating final decisions that were made. The recommendations follow Forest Service manual direction to categorize buildings as “retain for existing use”, “retain for alternate use”, “decommission” or “acquire”. Some recommendations may need further analysis and union involvement before a final decision is made.

In most cases, historic structures that have no existing use identified will be categorized as “retain for alternate use” until further evaluation is completed by the Forest and if necessary, consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). In a few instances where historic buildings have been significantly modified or the character of the site has been diminished, decommissioning will be recommended.

It is important to note that the contract team’s recommendations for decommissioning of facilities that are in use are long term recommendations and should not be entered into I-Web as such until a plan is in place to accommodate the occupants or the use. The designation in I-Web would be “Retain for Existing Use” until such time a plan is in place.

Once the final FMP is signed, amendments can be added at any time to document changes in management direction.

SECTION 3 – FINANCIAL BALANCE SHEET

OVERALL PORTFOLIO STATUS

Owned Facilities

The current FAO facilities portfolio is not financially sustainable at current budget levels. A review of the 2017 work plan indicates that approximately $507,000 was received annually in CP09 funding. After salaries, travel, training and supplies are covered, about $311,000 was available for actual maintenance to address the $1,373,000 need. In FY18 Congress eliminated the CP09 BLI and all routine facility maintenance funding was obtained by a combination of off the top of multiple forest program funding allocations and $100,000 allocated from the Region in CMFC funding. In FY19 the forest was allocated $100,000 in CMFC funds to perform routine facility maintenance forest wide. In FY20 the initial forest facility maintenance allocation was $175,000 and an additional $427,500 was allocated for large facility projects.

This level of funding is still insufficient to cover all annual deferred maintenance costs leading to increasing deferred maintenance (DM) every year, and a substantial devaluation of the assets, with more falling into the “poor” category every year. The above values represent the entire portfolio assuming the Forest is maintaining all 178 buildings which is not currently the case. Two large sites, Florida and the Mt. Lemon Radar sites are under special use permits to the University and the University is responsible for all maintenance. These two sites amount to about 20% of the owned square footage on the Forest. If this square footage is subtracted, this reduces the maintenance burden from $1,373,230 to about $1.1 million so the Forest still has a severe maintenance funding deficit.

The chart below shows the decrease of the administrative maintenance burden from the current condition to a post FMP condition by decommissioning 12 buildings and moving another 20% of the buildings from administrative use to an alternate use such as cabin rentals, special use permits or into a heritage asset category. Unfortunately, the Forest is still responsible for major repairs even though the buildings are moved out of the administrative use category.

The following graph shows the “Maintenance Gap” for the Coronado NF in FY17 and with all FMP recommendations implemented.

Note: $311,000 is approximate FMCP09 and QMQM available annually after overhead

Leased Facilities

The reduction in lease square footage is based on the amount of space that should be rented if the space could be reduced to the USDA standard for the SO, Sierra Vista and Safford offices that have the poorest utilization rates. This would equate to an annual savings of about $659,000 in lease payments.

Number Owned

Facilities

GSF

Owned

Number Leased

Facilities

RSF

Leased

Lease Cost CRV Owned AM Need 3% of CRV

DM

Pre-FMP Existing Condition

178 179,570 9 69,168 2,023,600$ $45,774,349 $1,373,230 $1,922,568

Retain for Alternate Use

-60 -68,645 -$19,026,643 -$570,799 -$890,042

Decommission -12 -21,653 -19,998 -$658,692 -$6,522,570 -$195,677 -$346,078

Retain for Existing Use

106 89,272 9 49,170 $20,225,136 $606,754 $686,448

Acquire 1 5,000 0 0 -$ 750,000$ 22,500$ 0

Post-FMP 107 94,272 9 49,170 1,364,908$ $20,975,136 $629,254 $686,448

Coronado NF Administrative Buildings - Pre and Post FMP Financial Comparison

Existing and Recommended Leases

• Since budget increases for building maintenance are not likely, the Coronado NF should consider identifying and decommissioning as many un-needed buildings as possible and replace major structures that are in poor condition with efficient buildings or leased facilities that meet standards

• The total lease costs for the Coronado are the highest in the Region – the Forest should analyze all existing leases to determine which leases are coming up for renewal and evaluate alternatives for leasing the right amount of space at a reasonable rate

• The Bisbee Douglass Helibase is in completely unacceptable condition with mold and other maintenance issues that have been difficult to resolve with the landlord. Currently an alternate location is being identified for this helibase.

SECTION 4 - MANAGEMENT DIRECTION

National Direction

The FMP responds to national direction found in FSM 7312 and to recent national initiatives, including Executive Orders related to "Freeze the Footprint” and “Sustainability”, and current USDA Space Policy found in USDA Circular 1620-1.

Forest Direction

The primary forest direction is to provide safe, clean, attractive, efficient, and accessible facilities for a workforce of approximately 199 permanent employees plus seasonal employees. Consideration should be given to workforce fluctuation through the next decade and to facilitate quality service to the visiting public.

Additional goals include reducing fixed costs through consolidation and decommissioning of unneeded buildings and sites, and identifying the proper mix of owned and leased facilities that will support the mission and can be maintained to standard within projected budgets.

Budget Trends and Sources of Funding for Project Implementation

This plan is based on the projection that budgets will not increase sufficiently to cover the maintenance need over the next decade. This includes the primary facility acquisition and maintenance fund code, CMFC.

Routine maintenance of administrative facilities (both annual and deferred) is generally funded with CMFC funds with the major projects (those in excess of $250,000) being paid for out of regional CMFC. Those projects require competing at the regional level. A regional project list is developed and prioritized about every 10 years. The list is reviewed and re-prioritized annually by a Regional Team. Through FY17, the amount available to the Region was typically approximately $1.0 - $1.5 million annually. However, in FY18 and FY19 CMFC funds were not provided to the Coronado for major projects. In FY20 $427,500 was provided to the Coronado by the RO for major projects ($100,000+).

Quarters are maintained with QMQM funds which accumulate through collection of rent from the occupants. Unfortunately, QMQM rarely collects enough to adequately maintain the Quarters facilities.

Leasing is an appropriate strategy to fund facilities that would add significant annual maintenance to the Forest portfolio where existing annual maintenance needs cannot be funded under current budgets. Leasing is also a viable strategy to cover temporary, fluctuating peaks, and seasonal needs.

SECTION 5 - REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE SITES AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST SUPERVISORS OFFICE

Workforce

The size of the Supervisor’s Office (SO) workforce has gradually increased over the past 20 years.

The number of FTE’s varies at approximately 53 Forest FTE’s and 11 hosted FTE’s that are assigned space in the SO. The workforce is expected to remain constant for this planning period.

Office

The Coronado NF Supervisor’s Office is located in the Federal Building in downtown Tucson, AZ.

Tucson has a population over 500,000 and is home to the University of Arizona. The location is in the commercial area of Tucson about 10 miles from the Tucson Airport and less than 1 mile from Interstate 10. The SO has been housed at this location for over 20 years. The SO occupies 26,000 RSF with an annual lease cost of $738,000.

The building is functional and secure but has limited parking nearby. It is not well signed and is difficult to find for the visiting public. The office has been updated with carpeting and systems furniture. Several private offices exceed 150 SF. The building does not fully meet current accessibility standards such as door clearances on restrooms. Based on a workforce of 64 FTE’s, the building is underutilized with a rate of 406 SF/FTE. The USDA standard is 150 SF/FTE plus circulation and special space for a total of 200 RSF for buildings over 10,000 RSF

CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST HEADQUARTERS LEASE – FEDERAL BUILDING

Recommendation: Consider Alternatives

RSF FTE PSE Other FTEO RSF/

FTEO

26,000 46 11 57 456

Other:

Lease Cost: $738,000 Cost/FTEO: $12,947

• Consider reconfiguring and reducing the cube sizes, improving utilization of private offices by sharing offices or removing walls and developing more open cubicle space – a reduction in space to 200 RSF/FTE x 64 FTE’s = 12,800 RSF at the same lease cost of $28.38/SF = $363,264 which is less than half of the current lease cost and a cost per FTE of $5,676 which is about the regional average

• Long term, complete a Preliminary Project Analysis to determine the feasibility of relocating near the Interagency Fire Center or collocation with the Sabino Canyon VC and Santa Catalina Ranger District at Sabino Canyon

Coronado National Forest Supervisor’s Office Site Map

Other buildings under the management of the SO:

5.1.1 Tucson Interagency Fire Center

The Tucson Interagency Fire Center occupies a new leased building near the airport. The fire center is shared by 6 agencies and is well utilized. A 3,000 SF dividable conference center is shared by the agencies and serves as a training center and expanded dispatch during heavy fire operations. The Forest Service share of the lease is $475,000. Due to the shared space with 6 other agencies and the shared training and conference facility, a utilization rate per FTE is not applicable.

TUCSON INTERAGENCY FIRE CENTER LEASE

Recommendation: Retain Existing Lease

8,250 10 N/A

Other:

Lease Cost: $475,000 Cost/FTEO: N/A due to shared operations and Use as training center

Due to the nature of the fire operations and the design of this building which is located near the airport, no changes are recommended.

Tucson Interagency Fire Center Site Map

5.2 DOUGLAS RANGER DISTRICT

Workforce

The current workforce varies at approximately 22 FTE’s. The workforce is expected to remain constant for this planning period. The District is not included in the Four Forest Restoration Initiative.

5.2.1 Douglas Ranger Station

The Ranger Station site is located on the east side of Douglas, Arizona. Douglas is approximately 101 miles southwest of Tucson. Douglas is within a large mining area and is a border crossing between the U.S. and Mexico. The City of Douglas has a population of about 17,000 and is just over 4,000 feet in elevation. Douglas is located in Cochise County.

The district office building is a modern leased facility constructed in 2005-6. The access is good with ample parking for visitors. The building is attractive, accessible, and secure and the site includes a fenced compound with a warehouse and a barn for pack animals. The site is surrounded by pastures.

The office is 5,000 GSF for 22 FTE’s or 227 GSF per FTE. The USDA standard is 150 GSF per FTE plus circulation and special space for an approximate total of 220 GSF per FTE for buildings less than 10,000 GSF. The utilization is reasonable for a small office building. The lease cost is $180,000 per year and includes approximately 5,000 SF of warehouse space.

Douglas Ranger District Office Lease

Recommendation: Retain Existing Lease

5,000 21 1 22 227

Other:

Lease Cost: $180,00 Cost/FTEO: $8,182

• Continue with current lease and long term seek opportunities to improve utilization with additional occupants such as Natural Resources Conservation Services or other Federal entities

• The lease cost is not excessive considering the 5000 SF warehouse is included in the office lease cost

Douglas Ranger Station Site Plan

5.2.2 Portal Work Center/Cave Creek Visitor Center

This site is formerly the Portal Ranger Station. The site is located on the east side of the Chiricahua Mountains at the entrance to scenic Cave Creek Canyon. The site is served with water from a Forest Service well. Sewage is handled by septic tanks and drain-fields. Commercial power and phone is available at the site. The elevation of the site is approximately 4,760 feet.

The Portal Work Center is a beautiful historic site in a spectacular forest setting. All the buildings are well maintained and in good condition. The historic significance and setting at this site is superior to most other sites in the state of Arizona.

The Cave Creek Visitor Center is located on the site as part of a conversion of the site from administrative use to recreation use. The visitor center is not listed as a major visitor center and does not receive any special funding. The visitor center serves as a gateway to the east end of Cave Creek Canyon. The visitor center is not part of this plan but is noted because it is located within the Portal Work Center. The local Rotary club has been active in the restoration and preservation of this site.

• Retain this site for current use and consider this site high priority for historical preservation

• Continue to pursue partners for support in operations and maintenance of this site

• Eliminate confusion created by conversion of one building on the administrative site to the

Cave Creek Visitor Center by proper signing at site and correction of I-web inventory names

PORTAL WC BUNK HOUSE 13102

Recommendation: Retain for Alt Use – Recreation Rental

GSF CRV DM COND Yr Const

685 $250,617 $25,145 FAIR 1934

Other: Cabin rental program

PORTAL WC TELEPHONE HOUSE (PORTAL CCC HOUSE) 21103

725 $265,251 $6,598 GOOD 1935

Other: Cabin rental program

PORTAL WC MAIN HOUSE VIC 10105

Recreation Visitor Center

1,543 $1,166,196 $23,998 GOOD 1935

Other:

PORTAL WC WELL HOUSE 21107

Recommendation: Retain for Alternate Use

80 $23,887 $0 GOOD 1997

PORTAL WC UPPER WHSE 22100

497 $59,839 $2,557 GOOD 1935

PORTALWC WORKSHOP 23106

345 $58,984 $2,887 GOOD 1959

PORTAL WC BARN 24104

251 $45,306 $2,819 FAIR 1957

PORTAL WC PAINT SHED 26105

Recommendation: Retain for Alt Use - Heritage

120 $53,717 $2,383 GOOD 1934

PORTAL WC REC STORE SHED 26106

134 $21,288 $3,633 POOR 1972

PORTAL WC TELEPHONE HOUSE (PORTAL CCC HOUSE)

STORAGE

26107

156 $18,584 $4,344 POOR 1930

Portal Work Center Site Plan

5.2.3 Rucker Work Center

The Rucker Work Center is a remote site approximately 2 hours from Douglas, AZ at the south end of the Chiricahua Mountains. The site is essentially flat and access is via a gravel road. The work center was built to support District helitack and fire suppression operations including a permanent hotshot fire crew in the early 1980s. In addition, the work center serves as a base for administration of three recreation areas in Rucker Canyon. The elevation of the site is 5759 feet.

Most of the buildings at the site were constructed between 1980 and 1982. The buildings include a helitack building, crew quarters, mess hall, and administration office. A metal warehouse was added in 1985. A flammable storage building was added in 1999. The site is approximately 1.5 miles from the nearest commercial power line. Currently the site is powered by diesel generators and propane.

Water is provided by a Forest Service well and storage tank. Sewage is handled by septic tanks and drain-fields and an evaporation lagoon.

The site is used primarily by fire crews and recreation staff but use is sporadic. The hotshot crew is no longer assigned to this site. The warehouse bays are not large enough to accommodate fire engines. There are several deficient above ground fuel tanks that serve both the generator and fuel for vehicles. An above ground diesel tank leaked and a clean-up was completed in the spring of 2017 The site is not well maintained with a large backlog of deferred maintenance.

There is an old CCC era barbershop building constructed in 1935 that has been moved to the site from the nearby Army installation. The building is intended to serve as a small museum. The barbershop building is in poor condition and plans are to refurbish the building with volunteer groups.

• Seek partners to share maintenance and improve utilization

• Consider extending commercial power to the site if partners can be found and to eliminate the costly, cumbersome maintenance of a generator system

• Study feasibility of solar/wind/propane systems in lieu of a diesel generator system

• Decommission the site if utilization is not kept at a reasonable level

RUCKER WC CREW QUARTERS 13103

Recommendation: Retain for Existing Use

GSF CRV DM AM Yr

2,232 $1,095,975 $331,652 POOR 1982

RUCKER WC MESS HALL 14100

1,680 $453,089 $0 GOOD 1982

RUCKER WC ADMIN OFFICE 20100

GSF CRV DM COND YR

400 $73,203 $0 GOOD 1995

RUCKER WC LIGHT PLANT 21104

Recommendation: Removed 2017

230 $68,676 $5,925 FAIR 1982

RUCKER WC WHSE/FIRE CACHE 22101

1,164 $199,007 $15,170 FAIR 1985

RUCKER WC PAINT SHOP 23107

96 $57,306 $0 GOOD 1988

RUCKER WC PROJ TOOL SHED 23112

64 $15,405 $15,405 POOR 1960

RUCKER WC BARN 24105

253 $30,461 $0 GOOD 1965

RUCKER WC BARN HAY STORAGE 24108

25 $3,010 $0 GOOD

RUCKER WC OLD BARBER SHOP 28104

393 $134,325 $33,402 POOR 1935

RUCKER WC HELITACK SHACK 26104

125 $30,088 $3,762 POOR 1980

RUCKER WC LAGOON STORAGE SHED 26110

96 $28,665 $1,829 FAIR 1976

RUCKER WC BONEYARD RAMADA 28103

480 $115,536 $5,450 GOOD 1982

RUCKER HILL HAZ MAT BLDG 21110

160 $47,775 $1,286 GOOD 1999

Rucker Work Center – Site Plan

5.2.4 Pinery Cabin

The Pinery Cabin was acquired by the Forest Service after construction in 1972. The building has T- 111 siding and is in poor condition. The building gets very little use and has no historical value.

There is a Forest Service well and commercial power at this site. There is a trailer pad with water, sewer, and power hook-ups adjacent to the cabin site. The trailer pad is used primarily by the road crew on a seasonal basis.

• Complete a comprehensive study of site to determine the viability of operating this site to include the maintenance of the water system

• Retain the water well for a tanker fill and the trailer pad for road crew use

PINERY CABIN 10104

Recommendation: Decommission*

1,160 $424,402 $58,188 POOR 1972

Other: *Cabin scheduled to be demolished Fall 2020/Spring 2021

PINERY WELL HOUSE 21102

55 $16,423 $3,846 POOR 1972

Other: Use as tanker fill

Pinery Cabin Site Plan

5.2.5 East Cochise Administrative Site

SHAW HOUSE 10100

2,057 $376,447 $19,083 GOOD 1934

SCHILLING HOUSE 10107

1,203 $440,134 $18,621 GOOD 1930

SHAW PUMP HOUSE 21100

50 $14,930 $0 GOOD 1974

SHAW FIRE CACHE 23101

19 $3,248 $0 GOOD 1974

SHAW BARN 24100

540 $65,016 $8,349 POOR 1934

SCHILLING STORAGE 26108

271 $32,628 $0 GOOD 1930

East Cochise Administrative Site – Site Map

5.2.6 Monte Vista Lookout

MONTE VISTA LO CABIN 10103

227 $54,920 $35,771 POOR 1930

MONTE VISTA LO FIRE CACHE 23105

66 $33,842 $6,553 POOR 1972

MONTE VISTA LOOKOUT 42101

196 $135,181 $11,941 FAIR 1966

Monte Vista Lookout Site Map

5.2.7 Rustler Park

RUSTLER WC KITCHEN CABIN 10106

288 $52,706 $0 GOOD 1935

RUSTLER PARK WC LIGHT HOUSE 21105

Recommendation: Removed

120 $35,831 $0 GOOD 1958

RUSTLER PARK WC BARN 24106

803 $96,681 $0 GOOD 1935

Rustler Park Site Map

5.2.8 Cima Park

CIMA CABIN 10101

832 $134,176 $9,538 FAIR 1935

CIMA FIRE CACHE 23102

160 $54,687 $4,769 FAIR 1935

Cima Park Site Map

5.2.9 Douglas Ranger District Miscellaneous Sites

ANTELOPE PASS COMM BLDG 21109

80 $60,464 $4,548 FAIR 1984

BEACON HILL COMM SHED 21108

36 $27,209 $4,697 POOR 1984

5.3 NOGALES RANGER DISTRICT

The projected workforce varies at approximately 27 FTE’s. The District may have additional zoned employees that have primary duty stations at other locations. The District is not included in the Four Forest Restoration Initiative and expects the workforce to remain constant for this planning period.

5.3.1 Nogales Ranger Station

The Ranger Station site is located in Nogales, AZ. Nogales is located approximately 71 miles southeast of Tucson, AZ. Nogales’ economy is based on agriculture and is a major trade and border crossing point between the U.S. and Mexico. The population of Nogales is approximately 21,000 and is at an elevation of 3,832 feet. Nogales is located in Santa Cruz County.

The Ranger Station site is approximately13 acres and is conveniently located adjacent to Interstate 19 at the Ruby Road exit. The site was acquired as part of a three-way land exchange with BLM and Santa Cruz County in the early 1990s. The site has its own water system and treatment building.

Municipal water is now available near the site. Sewage is handled by the local municipal system.

The office is a 7,500 SF building with a large reception area and was completed in 1995. A large visitor asphalt parking lot is adjacent to the office. The site also includes a 5,600 SF warehouse/shop, 7 covered parking structures, a building for hay storage, a trailer canopy, and the Ruby House. The Ruby House was built in 1940 and has been converted to a fire exercise room with two bedrooms being used for seasonal fire and road crew sleeping quarters. All the buildings are well maintained and in good condition.

Utilization of the office space is approximately 500 GSF per FTE. The USDA standard is 150 GSF per FTE plus special space for a total recommended space of 220 GSF per FTE for buildings less than 10,000 GSF. The District has been seeking partners to move into the existing office building to improve the utilization of the space.

• Continue efforts to find partners to occupy the office and improve the utilization of the building

• Conduct analysis to determine if connecting to the local municipal water system and elimination of water treatment is feasible

• Retain the well for future fire needs if applicable

• Reconfigure and reduce the asphalt visitor parking lot to reduce maintenance costs – include

RV parking in the reconfiguration

• Evaluate the feasibility and benefits of mounting solar panels on the office roof and vehicle parking canopies to reduce energy needs

NOGALES AD OFFICE 20202

GSF CRV DM Cond Yr

7,500 $2,666,888 $103,252 GOOD 1995

Parking Lot is Oversized for Typical Use

RUBY HOUSE 10202

1,800 $493,848 $0 GOOD 1940

NOGALES AD PUMPHOUSE 21200

168 $75,204 $2,247 GOOD 1962

NOGALES AD WATER SYSTEM BUILDING 21204

600 $268,584 $668 GOOD 1999

NOGALES AD WAREHOUSE 22200

5,600 $1,435,336 $60,907 GOOD 1995

NOGALES AD VEHICLE CANOPY 1 28203

2,500 $302,338 $10,650 GOOD 1996

NOGALES AD VEHICLE CANOPY 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 28204, 28205, 28206, 28207,

28209

1,950 $235,823 * GOOD 1996

Other: *Canopies 2 thru 9 are identical in size, CRV, Condition, Year Const. DM varies from $3,749 to $8,307 (see building list for actual DM)

NOGALES AD TRAILER CANOPY 28210

1,750 $211,636 $12,275 FAIR 1996

Nogales Ranger Station Site Plan

5.3.2 Florida Work Center – Santa Rita Experimental Range

The 52,000-acre Santa Rita Experimental Range has evolved since the establishment in 1902 on land carved out of the Santa Rita Forest Reserve. From 1902 through 1928 the management of the Range fell under several agencies including the Department of Interior. The NcNary Forest Research Act of 1928 created the Southwestern Forest and Range Experiment Station based in Tucson and placed the management of Experimental Forests and Ranges under the jurisdiction of the USDA Forest Service. Through consolidations and reorganizations, the Range was managed by the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station until 1988 when legislation transferred management to the Coronado NF and State of Arizona. The site is in Pima County approximately 45 miles south of Tucson, AZ.

The site has been under special use permit to the University of Arizona since 1987. The permit includes requirements for the University to maintain all the buildings except the fire cache, barn, and one storage building. Most of the buildings were built in the 1930s and have been determined to be eligible of the National Register of Historic Places. A tack room/fire cache building was added in 1979.

The permittee recently completed a comprehensive Master Plan for the site. Several improvements were made recently using America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding including a new flush toilet building. The permittee has also made investments in building upgrades through private fund raising. Fund raising is somewhat restricted by the federal ownership of the site. The site has a water well, commercial power, and telephone service. The administrative site is approximately 23 acres and is at an elevation of 3,700 feet.

• Seek legislation to transfer the administrative site or at least ownership of the buildings to the University of Arizona to relieve the Forest from further maintenance at this site

• Determine if a Granger-Thye permit would be more advantageous for the State – the site manager indicated the University (the State) was reluctant to make large capital improvements due to the short-term nature of the permit

• The Forest is taking some responsibility for a portion of the site as indicated by the use of Federal ARRA funds to construct a new toilet and shower building – determine what level of responsibility each party has in management of the site

FLORIDA WC CLASSROOM C17 15200

Recommendation: Retain for Alt Use - SUP

1,025 $185,012 $0 GOOD 1934

Other: Used as a conference room

FLORIDA TOILET/SHOWER 33223

366 $209,419 $0 GOOD 2010

FLORIDA WC DWELLING C6 10204

814 $223,329 $0 GOOD 1931

FLORIDA WC DWELLING C9 10205

1,384 $379,714 $0 GOOD 1931

FLORIDA WC DWELLING C13 10206

1,030 $282,591 $0 GOOD 1931

FLORIDA WC DWELLING C24 10207

604 $165,713 $0 GOOD 1934

FLORIDA WC DWELLING C25 10208

1,004 $275,457 $0 GOOD 1934

FLORIDA WC DWELLING C29 10209

464 $127,303 $0 GOOD 1934

FLORIDA WC BUNKHOUSE C5 13200

1,381 $508,512 $0 GOOD 1931

FLORIDA WC OFFICE C14 20203

1,224 $435,236 $0 GOOD 1933

FLORIDA WC WAREHOUSE C23 22202

800 $144,400 $15,523 POOR 1934

Other: Building Removed Spring 2020.

FLORIDA WC TACK ROOM/FIRE CACHE 23200

880 $225,553 $5,491 GOOD 1979

Other: Building used and maintained by the Forest

FLORIDA WC STORAGE C7 23204

1,235 $222,918 $15,523 FAIR 1931

Other: *This building is a safety hazard and should be removed after documentation and clearance from SHPO.

FLORIDA WC GARAGE C18 23205

1,221 $220,391 $6,390 GOOD 1934

Florida Work Center Site Plan

5.3.3 Kentucky Camp

KENTUCKY CAMP HEADQUARTERS 56200

3,682 $1,010,194 $21,457 GOOD 1904

KENTUCKY CAMP CABIN A 10201

580 $159,129 $0 GOOD 1904

KENTUCKY CAMP CABIN C / STETSON CABIN 10200

883 $242,260 $5,884 GOOD 1902

KENTUCKY CAMP GOLD PROCESSING BUILDING 20201

530 $145,411 $20,495 POOR 1904

KENTUCKY CAMP PUMPHOUSE 21201

64 $28,649 $0 GOOD 1991

Kentucky Camp Site Plan

5.3.4 Juniper Flat

JUNIPER FLAT CABIN 10203

576 $105,413 $0 GOOD 1956

Juniper Flat Site Plan

5.3.5 Nogales Ranger District Miscellaneous Sites

OLD MISSILE SITE HELIBASE/FIRE C 23201

Recommendation: Decommissioned in Place

1,460 $374,213 $1,278 GOOD 1961

Other: Steel lid welded shut

MURPHY CABIN 20903

Recommendation: Unknown to Forest

144 $26,353 $0 NR 1930

Other: Building unknown to Forest Archeologist

5.3.6 Ruby Road Hay Storage

RUBY ROAD HAY STORAGE 24202

960 $173,280 $0 GOOD 1995

Other: Hay storage for Nogales RD, near Nogales

Ruby Road Hay Storage Site Plan

5.4 SIERRA VISTA RANGER DISTRICT

The District has a variable and approximate workforce of 25 permanent FTE’s, 3 hosted FTE’s plus 15-20 seasonal employees. The workforce is expected to remain about the same over the 10-year planning period.

5.4.1 Sierra Vista Ranger District Office

The office is collocated with BLM in a leased building in Sierra Vista, AZ about 75 miles southeast of Tucson. The population is approximately 45,000 and the city is at 4,623 feet elevation. The U.S.

Army Post of Fort Huachuca is in the northwest part of the city. Sierra Vista is in Cochise County.

The office is adjacent to State Highway 92. Included in the lease is 8,580 SF of warehouse and a parking lot. The building is a functional and modern district office building. The visitor parking lot is narrow and although it is signed for RV use, the configuration is difficult for RVs to navigate.

The US Forest Service share of the annual lease cost is $384,000.

The City of Sierra Vista is located approximately 75 miles southeast of Tucson, AZ.

BLM is collocated at the building and after recent downsizing has 6 permanent FTEs using space in the leased office. The District workforce is expected to remain constant for this planning period.

The utilization rate for the 10,638 SF (Forest Service share) of leased office is 380 SF per FTE. The current UDSA standard is 150 SF per FTE plus circulation and special space for a total of 200 SF/FTE for buildings over 10,000 GSF. The cost per FTE of $1,371/FTE is the highest in the Region but when the warehouse space is factored in, the rate is likely around $8,000/FTE.

• Evaluate the utilization of the office and seek additional partners to improve utilization as BLM downsizes – if a partner could be found to share the lease and reduce the lease based on 220 RSF (for buildings under 10,000 SF) per FTE x 28 FTE’s = actual space need of 6,160 RSF @ the current rate of $36.10/RSF = $222,376 for a savings of $161,624 annually

• Consider new colocation opportunities when the current lease expires

• Explore options to share administrative positions between agencies under a service first agreement

SIERRA VISTA RANGER DISTRICT OFFICE LEASE = L030507

10,638 25 3 28 380

Other: Lease Cost: $384,000 (includes warehouse) Cost/FTEO: $13,714 (includes warehouse)

SIERRA VISTA RANGER STATION WAREHOUSE LEASE

8,580

Lease Cost: (Included in Office Lease)

Sierra Vista Ranger District Office Site Map

5.4.2 Canelo Work Center

The Canelo work center is located west of the Fort Huachuca Army Base approximately 12 miles from the Sierra Vista District office. The site is about 4,800 feet elevation. Travel from Canelo to almost any point on the District is generally less than 1 hour. In the past, this site was strategic for fire response because of its location. There is commercial power to the site. Water is provided by a Forest Service well and sewage is handled by septic tanks and drain-fields.

There are two historic residences on the site that have been vacant for about 2 years. The residences have been modified but are listed on the Register of Historic Places. There is a shop/fire cache, storage building, operations shed, 2 hay storage buildings, tack room for horses, and a pump house located on the site. The hay storage and tack room are shared by the US Border Patrol who manage horses at the site. A new helipad and trailer pads were planned for the site in the past but never constructed.

The two historic residences are being considered for the recreation rental program. There is significant deferred maintenance at the site. Electrical upgrades have been made to the warehouse to address health and safety violations. The site has good access but is remote. Without access through the Fort Huachuca Army Base, it takes approximately 45 minutes to travel to Sierra Vista. If the base gate is open, travel time is less than 20 minutes.

• Develop a sound business plan to determine whether the two residences would be financially viable recreation rentals o Consider the compatibility of the mixed use at the site if recreation rentals are viable and the current resource operations continue

• Consider decommissioning of the residences in coordination with the SHPO if not viable recreation rentals

• Do not upgrade the residences for employee housing as the cost and distance to a full-service community do not support employee housing at this site

• Seek partnership funds from the US Border Patrol or other users of the site to help pay for building maintenance and operations

• Determine if the Border Patrol would have use for the houses and would take over all maintenance responsibility

CANELO WC BIG HOUSE 10300

Recommendation: Retain - Alt Use - Rec Rental

1,480 $406,053 $59,899 POOR 1935

Other: If supported by a sound business plan

CANELO WC SMALL HOUSE 10301

Recommendation: Retain - Alt Use - Rec Rental

615 $168,731 $73,735 POOR 1935

CANELO WC SHOP/FIRE CACHE 22300

1,000 $256,310 $8,878 GOOD 1935

CANELO WC HAY STORAGE 24301

1,271 $229,416 $19,019 FAIR 1935

CANELO WC CARPORT 23300

461 $55,751 $12,516 POOR 1970

CANELO WC WATER OPERATION SHED 21307

87 $38,945 $0 GOOD 2011

CANELO WC TACK ROOM 24300

338 $61,009 $0 GOOD 1935

CANELO WC STORAGE BUILDING

700 $51,926 $515 GODD 1935

CANELO WC SMALL HAY STORAGE 24306

90 $10,722 $0 GOOD 1995

Canelo Work Center Site Plan

5.4.3 Brown Canyon Ranch

BROWN CANYON RANCH HOUSE 10303

2,485 $0 $33,393 NR 1912

Other: Maintained by volunteers

BROWN CANYON HAY/FEED STORAGE 24303

289 $0 $0 GOOD 1912

BROWN CANYON SHED/STABLES 24304

561 $0 $0 GOOD 1912

Brown Canyon Ranch Site Map

5.4.4 Carr Barn

CARR BARN WATER OPERATION SHED 21305

87 $25,978 $0 GOOD 2011

CARR BARN 24305

1,200 $216,600 $2,547 GOOD 1978

Carr Barn Site Map

5.4.5 Carr Canyon

CARR CANYON HOUSE INTERP SITE 10302

Recommendation: Retain for Alternate Use – Recreation

2,336 $1,323,974 $10,862 GOOD 1940

CARR CANYON GARAGE 15300

709 $127,975 $2,876 GOOD 1940

CARR CANYON PUMPHOUSE 21302

80 $35,811 $0 GOOD 1960

CARR CANYON STABLES 24302

317 $57,219 $0 GOOD 1982

Carr Canyon Site Map

5.4.6 Libby Air Tanker Base

The Libby Air Tanker Base is located at the joint Sierra Vista Municipal Airport and the Libby Army Airfield.