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The New ModelThe agreement signed by Arizona Governor Jane D. Hull in
April, 2000 establishes a new paradigm of cooperation for land stewardship in
the United States. In addition to ASLD and NAU, other agencies and community
groups actively participate by serving on the Centennial Forest Advisory
Committee which provides oversight and helps develop the management plan. The 75
year agreement establishes NAU as a national leader in field education and
research, showcases ASLD's sound management practices, and benefits the
community through increased participation and education opportunities. Another
unique aspect of the Centennial Forest is the shift from a "forestry department
forest" to an interdisciplinary teaching and research laboratory. Disciplines
such as anthropology, geology, geography and public planning, biology and many
others make use of the Centennial Forest.
Location The nearly 50,000 acres of the Centennial forest are 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 VegetationAnnual precipitation ranges from an average of 10
to 15 inches in the northern grasslands to almost 30 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 several 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. Portions of the Centennial Forest are under lease for
commercial grazing operations.
ResearchSeveral research projects are already under way to study forest
and grassland ecosystems on a landscape level and over a very long period of
time (see Forest Health Research at
NAU). Furthermore, the rich historical, geological, and archaeological
resources, and the unique stewardship agreement of the Centennial Forest are
attracting researchers from all over the NAU campus.
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
.
Some of the best examples of ancient ponderosa pine forests remaining in the
Southwest occur on the Centennial Forest.
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. Plans are already
underway to move forestry field laboratories to the Forest, and some of the
student-collected data will even be 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?
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| Last Updated (
Tuesday, 28 August 2007 ) |
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Overview 
