Red Mountain Ranch Social Club’s March guest speaker was Patti Fenner, executive director of the volunteer group, Friends of Tonto National Forest (FOTNF).
During her 33-year career with Tonto National Forest, Patti worked as a range conservationist, then as a noxious weed program manager during her last 10 years. Upon retiring five years ago, she founded the non-profit organization Friends of the Tonto National Forest.
This organization assists the forest in its critical mission to sustain and manage our natural desert and cultural resources for future generations. Friends of Tonto National Forest Volunteers organize and participate in community outreach, projects and outings to promote this worthy cause.
Tonto is the seventh largest national forest in the United States. Vegetation communities range from Sonoran Desert, to grasslands, to ponderosa pine forest. Resources managed on the Tonto include wildlife habitat, archaeological sites, rangelands used for permitted domestic livestock grazing, recreation, wilderness and minerals.
The forest holds unparalleled opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing and exploration. Most important, it’s right outside your back door. Roosevelt Dam, which was completed in 1911, was the reason Tonto National Forest was created by President Theodore Roosevelt.
Weeds spread very rapidly throughout the desert and crowd out native plants. Presently, two South African plants, Fountaingrass and Buffelgrass are threatening the long-term survival of many Arizona Sonoran Desert species, including our saguaro.
Fountaingrass is a close relative of Buffelgrass, the most problematic invasive species in Saguaro National Park. Fountaingrass is present in much of the western United States and is a big problem in Arizona.
Regrettably, Fountaingrass has escaped to Tonto National Forest. Moving rapidly, dangerous Fountaingrass and Buffelgrass fires burn at 1,400 degrees.
These plants alter the fire cycle to the detriment of native plants and animal species. During wet winters, invasive annual grasses flourish. Desert summer begins and the grass dries. When lightning strikes the Sonoran Desert, devastating fires have resulted from these dry invasive grasses.
FOTNF have been mapping out areas of non-native dangerous plants. Volunteers remove grass by digging it out. Additionally, the Tonto uses contractors who are certified to apply herbicides to control larger infestations.
If you notice any Fountaingrass in the desert and would like to help map, Friends of the Tonto use a smartphone app that can be downloaded for free, called Collector. If you would like to help with mapping these two invasive grasses in Central Arizona, contact Friends of the Tonto at friendsoftontonf@gmail.com.
They can provide brief training, so you are able to definitively identify Fountaingrass and Buffelgrass, download and use the Collector app on your phone, and provide passwords to be able to contribute to their electronic maps.
Every fall, volunteers restore the monarch butterfly habitat.
In addition to this project, there are several more that are helping Tonto National Forest in its mission, including:
- Riparian photo point monitoring of more than 1,000 sites forest wide.
- Range and wildlife water development inventory.
- Adopt-a-Trail and Adopt-a-Site.
Patti encouraged anyone to become a member of FOTNF by checking out friendsofthetonto.org, a 501 (c)(3) organization.
Because of the increase in fires, limited budget and reduced staffing, Tonto National Forest highly values this volunteer organization to aid in the conservation of our natural resources.
RMRSC extends a warm welcome to anyone who would like to attend our next meeting on Thursday, April 11, at 9:30 a.m., at Red Mountain Ranch Country Club, 6425 E. Teton Circle. Information about RMRSC and events can be searched at rmrsc.com.