Managing the Centennial ForestAn agreement signed by Arizona Governor
Jane D. Hull in April, 2000 establishes a new paradigm of cooperation for land
stewardship in Arizona. Agencies and community groups actively participate by
serving on the Centennial Forest Advisory Committee which provides oversight and
helps develop a management plan for the Forest. Northern Arizona University’s
School of Forestry and the Arizona State Forestry Division coordinate to manage
the 47,500 acre area to provide research and education opportunities, reduce the
risk of wildfire, provide ecosystem services such as clean water, carbon
storage, wildlife habitat, timber, and livestock forage.
Location The Centennial
Forest is divided roughly in half: one half north of Flagstaff, Arizona, just
west of Wupatki National Monument, and the other half southwest of town
interspersed in a checkerboard pattern within the Coconino National Forest.
Geology and LandformsThe Centennial Forest sits atop the southern edge
of the Colorado Plateau. Several million years ago lava began to flow over this
sedimentary plateau in the vicinity of Williams, Arizona. The zone of active
volcanism slowly migrated northeastward to the area around Sunset Crater which
erupted during the 11th century. One of the newest and most striking volcanic
features on the Centennial Forest is S P Crater which erupted a little over
70,000 years ago. The sharp "ah ah" lava flows associated with this cinder cone
have been used by NASA to test the robustness of space suits.
Climate and Vegetation Annual
precipitation ranges from an average of 10 to 15 inches in the northern
grasslands to over 25 inches in the higher elevation areas southwest of
Flagstaff. Intense monsoon thunderstorms account for most of the precipitation
north of Flagstaff. Snowfall becomes increasingly important with the 2000 ft
elevation gain to the southwest. Differences in elevation, topography and
regional wind patterns help create a variety of vegetation types. Most common
are the extensive ponderosa pine forests southwest of Flagstaff. Some of these
forests have high concentrations of Gambel oak and New Mexican locust while
others are pure ponderosa. Wetlands, meadows, and aspen can also be found. The
northern portion of the Forest is home to extensive grasslands, shrub-grassland
communities, open juniper woodlands, and pinyon-juniper forests.
Land UseThe Centennial Forest has been home to Native Americans for
several thousand years. Evidence of hunting and gathering can be found almost
anywhere in the Forest, but two areas contain evidence of large settlements
including petroglyphs and Sinaguan pit houses. 
Euro-American settlement in the late 1800s brought timber harvesting and
domestic livestock to the region. Since these activities began relatively
recently, timber and grazing records are available for the entire duration of
Euro-American settlement. Logging activity touched much of the southwestern
portion of the forest, but a few areas were uncut or only lightly affected by
logging.
Today, portions of the Centennial Forest are being thinned for the purpose of
restoring damaged ecosystems, and protecting community values from the risk of
catastrophic fire. Most of the Centennial Forest is leased for commercial
grazing operations.
Research Several
research projects are under way to study forest and grassland ecosystems on a
landscape level and over a very long period of time. Furthermore, the rich
historical, geological, and archaeological resources, and the unique stewardship
agreement of the Centennial Forest are attracting researchers from across the
country, and even internationally. Investigating how forest management affects
the ability of forests to capture an store carbon is a rapidly growing field of
study on the Forest.
To apply for a research or teaching permit, please fill out an activity
application found on our Documents page. If you have questions on access to the
Centennial Forest for research or education, contact JJ.Smith@nau.edu .
EducationThe educational opportunities are just as exciting. Hands-on
experience in many disciplines is very difficult to come by because of the time
and expense of traveling to field sites. On the Centennial Forest, students can
conduct archaeological surveys within minutes of campus. Forestry field
laboratories occur on the Forest, and some of the student-collected data are
even used to help manage the Forest. What better way to challenge students to
learn than to let them actually participate in the entire process of natural
resource management from data collection to decision making?
In addition to providing an outdoor lab for university students, the
Centennial Forest provides educational opportunities to students, families,and
groups of all ages. School age students can participate in week-long camps
focused on natural resource management, outdoor leadership, and environmental
science. Family-centered programs create an opportunity to combine an
educational adventure into a vacation, and Centennial Forest staff can even
create custom educational programs and experiences for Centennial Forest
visitors. For more information on our summer environmental education programs,
visit our website or contact Cheryl Miller at Cheryl.Miller@nau.edu
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Overview 
