Tourism and Recreation

Case in Point: Valued recreational areas within the Chiricahua Mountains study area were lost in 1994 as a result of the Rattlesnake fire. The 27,500 acre fire destroyed much of Southern Arizona's black bear habitat, torched nesting sites in an internationally known bird haven (the Chiricahuas are home to species such as the threatened Mexican spotted owl and the northern goshawk), and killed all the trout in the upper South Fork of Cave Creek. Rucker Lake, the only fishing lake in the Chiricahua Mountains and a popular fishing spot for rainbow trout, was completely eliminated. About three-quarters of the 100 miles of wilderness trails -- used heavily by hikers, backpackers, and birders, were destroyed by the fire subsequent erosion.