2009 ORV monitoring results: Pyramid Peek Trail, Windy Creek Trail, and Cantwell Creek Floodplain Route, Cantwell Traditional Use Area, Denali National Park and Preserve
Dates
Year
2010
Citation
Roland, Carl, 2010, 2009 ORV monitoring results: Pyramid Peek Trail, Windy Creek Trail, and Cantwell Creek Floodplain Route, Cantwell Traditional Use Area, Denali National Park and Preserve: National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center National Park Service: Fort Collins, Colorado, v. NPS/CAKN/NRDS—2010/092.
Summary
The Final Determination for the Cantwell Traditional Use Area (TUA) allows subsistence users to operate off-road vehicles (ORV) within the Cantwell TUA for subsistence hunting purposes. Following this decision, Denali National Park and Preserve (DNP&P) established an ORV monitoring program to determine annual ORV use levels, track damage to resources and monitor the condition of open trails and routes with the Traditional Use Area. Of particular interest were identifying any severe impacts affecting trail sustainability or incursions beyond open established trails, as well as the amount of use on the open trails. We also seek to monitor the recovery of areas previously disturbed by ORVs upon closure to determine the rates of recovery [...]
Summary
The Final Determination for the Cantwell Traditional Use Area (TUA) allows subsistence users to operate off-road vehicles (ORV) within the Cantwell TUA for subsistence hunting purposes. Following this decision, Denali National Park and Preserve (DNP&P) established an ORV monitoring program to determine annual ORV use levels, track damage to resources and monitor the condition of open trails and routes with the Traditional Use Area. Of particular interest were identifying any severe impacts affecting trail sustainability or incursions beyond open established trails, as well as the amount of use on the open trails. We also seek to monitor the recovery of areas previously disturbed by ORVs upon closure to determine the rates of recovery of native vegetation in selected areas.Since 2005, annual monitoring has occurred on three ORV routes: the Windy Creek Trail, the Pyramid Creek Trail, and the Cantwell Creek Floodplain Route. Methods used include aerial survey, GPS mapping of trail segments and characteristics (trail type, vegetation stripping class, degree of rutting and total trail depth), photography at repeat photo points, and the use of ORV traffic counters. This report presents our 2009 monitoring results. ORV monitoring continues to provide data to support timely and appropriate management decisions for the Cantwell TUA.
