Water Resources Research on Forest and Rangelands in Arizona (invited)

Abstract

A progressive and coordinated effort is underway to provide a sound technical basis for managing water resources on forest and rangelands in the Southwest. An in-house Forest Service (USDA) research program including pilot testing and economic evaluations of multiple-use alternatives provides information necessary for this purpose. Demands for other goods and services also are increasing on these lands in the face of a burgeoning population. homeseekers, vacationers, and recreationists seek a variety of recreational. experiences that require open space and a relatively undisturbed environment. Frequently these uses conflict, and the combined pressure from too many activities can damage the environment. A new research effort has been organized in the central and southern Rocky Mountain Region to cope with these problems. Nine Western universities including Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, and University of Arizona have joined forces with the Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station to form the Eisenhower Consortium for Western Environmental Forestry Research. Simply stated, the consortium seeks to better our understanding of the relationships between man and his open-space environment in order that its quality might be maintained.