Final Report, September 1998 Vegetative Cover Monitoring, Public Perception Survey, and Public Outreach Programs for Chino Winds Demonstration Project (Phases I and II): Use of BMPs on Arizona Rangelands to Minimize NPS Discharges from Grazing Activities

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND EDUCATION

A copy of the report, "Chino Winds Demonstration Project: A Baseline of Public Perceptions" by Marshall A. Worden (Drachman Institute) and Deborah Young (Yavapai County Cooperative Extension) is included as Appendix O. A summary of the report is presented in the following paragraphs.

One objective of the Chino Winds Demonstration project was to establish a baseline of public perception relative to the current erosion and water quality derived from the project area. In the fall of 1992, a survey was conducted of Yavapai County residents' attitudes, perceptions, and opinions about their use and the management of rangelands in Yavapai County. The questionnaire was initially developed by the Drachman Institute for Land and Regional Development Studies, University of Arizona following a "focus group" meeting with public sector resource managers in Yavapai County.

Telephone interviews were done by volunteers at the Yavapai County Extension office and by students at the U of A in Tucson. The questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 286 individuals in Yavapai County. They were asked a series of questions to determine their general impressions and uses of rangelands. Approximately 90 percent perceived the rangelands in Yavapai County as both interesting and appealing. The most frequently expressed negative perception of rangelands was that they were eroded (42 percent). Positive perceptions of the rangelands greatly outnumbered negative perceptions.

The central focus of the survey concerned attitudes and opinions about land use practices. While 85 percent of those interviewed know that some rangelands (i.e. public lands) are managed by federal and state governments, it should be noted that there is a significant lack of agreement among residents as to whether the state and federal governments have been good managers of these lands, with only 34 percent agreeing that government has managed the rangelands well. It appears that relatively strong opinions are held about fencing public lands, with almost one-third believing public lands should never be fenced and 54 percent disagreeing with the position.

Each person interviewed was asked to react to five statements broadly related to human uses of rangelands. While 42 percent perceived rangelands as eroded, only 35 percent saw a specific connection between erosion and water quality in local streams. Forty-nine percent of the respondents believe that grasses are more effective than trees and shrubs in preventing soil erosion, but one-third of the residents had no opinion. Finally, most residents (81 percent) understood the concept that upstream activities affect downstream users.

Monitoring

Spring and fall monitoring from spring of 1992 to spring of 1998 provided the opportunity for many individuals to participate in the monitoring program. Ten to 15 individuals participated at each monitoring date. A core of a few regulars, representing the organizations involved with the Yavapai Ranch Coordinated Resource Management Plan, participated at every monitoring date, but there were always some new, interested individuals present at most of the monitoring dates. Individuals belonging to a variety of community organizations (Friends of Prescott National Forest, Community Nature Center, Yavapai College, Prescott Audubon Society, and Yavapai County Master Gardeners) were involved. International visitors from Australia, Egypt, and England also participated.

Group instruction on the specific monitoring techniques to be used and a discussion of data collected at previous monitoring dates were a regular part of each seasonal monitoring session. The monitoring groups also were encourage to provide their comments and observations at each monitoring site. Common assumptions frequently were questioned, and these questions helped to make "honest" data interpretations. These discussions provided an opportunity to stimulate thought and increase communication about the resources being monitored on the Yavapai Ranch as well as for other projects.

Public Outreach

The goal of Cooperative Extension educational programs in natural resources is to educate diverse people in making decisions and taking actions to improve the quality, productivity, and sustainability of natural resources. The audience consists of producers, university researchers, communities, and schools. In the fall of 1993, Yavapai County Extension, in cooperation with the School of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Arizona, presented a six-hour workshop for 44 participants. The morning session of the "Healthy Grasslands" workshop was held at the U.S. Forest Service Fire Station in Prescott to train participants in plant identification and monitoring techniques. The afternoon session, a field trip to rangelands north of Prescott and to Yavapai Ranch (Fig. 35) provided observations and discussion of a variety of ecological sites and current status of health. Participants also experienced hands-on training in vegetation monitoring, using the experimental plots on the Chino Winds Demonstration Project area.

Training in natural resource management has been conducted annually through the Yavapai County Extension office. Information, illustrations, and data from the Chino Winds Project have been distributed. For example, the "Changing grasslands in central Arizona" workshop, in cooperation with agency personnel and School of Renewable Natural Resources, was held in February, 1995 at Red Rock State Park, Sedona. A tour of the V Bar V Ranch, call "Ranch Explorers" was held in September 1996 and 1997. More than 300 persons have attended these events.