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ERDC/CRREL SR-02-2
land fires, forest pests and disease, noxious weeds, game and fisheries manage-
ment, nuisance wildlife, and erosion and sedimentation.
Encroachment. Along with security problems and noise issues, encroach-
ment of suburban development creates a loss of biological diversity and contri-
butes to some erosion and sedimentation problems. Residential and industrial
development, particularly along the eastern and northern boundaries of the base,
will likely increase the problem of bird and wildlife strike hazards (BASH) as
more wildlife will be forced onto the base as natural habitats are disturbed and
additional wildlife, including waterfowl, may be attracted by landscaping and
recreational facilities associated with developments.
Threatened and endangered species. Two federally listed species occur
on the base: Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse (PMJM) and Greenback Cutthroat
Trout (GBCT). Field surveys by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program in
19931995 identified 10 rare or imperiled vertebrates, five rare or imperiled
invertebrates, and six rare or imperiled plants on Academy property, including
Farish Recreation Area.
The Academy property supports the largest population of Preble's Meadow
Jumping Mouse in the Arkansas Basin and one of the larger populations range-
wide for the species. It occurs in Monument Creek and all of its major tributaries,
and its habitat is disturbed by erosion and sedimentation. The base is implement-
ing a Conservation Agreement and Conservation Plan with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service to protect the habitat.
Greenback Cutthroat Trout were introduced in the 1990s to non-potable
reservoirs as experimental populations for assessing their compatibility with a
catch-and-release recreational fishing program, but the population has declined
in both reservoirs as a result of problems with high pH and periodic low reservoir
levels.
Wildland fire. The Academy uses controlled burns for weed control and to
maintain open spaces for security. Prescribed burns in the fall, winter, and spring
are used on weed-infested rangeland to stimulate native vegetation and reduce
the weed seed bank. The plan is to burn about 1,000 acres per year, but typically,
approximately 100 acres are actually burned annually. A range-management goal
calls for increased use of prescribed burning in grassland and shrubland habitats
to facilitate healthy plant communities, quality wildlife habitat, and fire protec-
tion.
Forest pests and diseases include the mountain pine beetle and dwarf
mistletoe. Some pine mortality has also occurred from the use of road deicers.
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