IMPLEMENTING THE FEDERAL UNSTABLE SLOPE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR GEOHAZARDS AT CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MONUMENT

Chiricahua National Monument (CHIR) experiences significant erosion due to the semi-arid climate paired with seasonal monsoons, posing a potential safety risk for park employees and visitors. The goals of the Unstable Slope Management Program (USMP) project at CHIR are to evaluate the potential of slope failures near major roads and trails and provide comprehensive data on hazardous slopes. In this project, unstable slopes are identified, categorized, and rated along Bonita Canyon Road and CHIR trails. These evaluations are conducted using USMP rating criteria for rockfall and landslides. Slope evaluations are uploaded to the USMP website, and this data is used to produce a nationwide geohazard database. The resource management team at CHIR rated 72 hazardous slopes along Bonita Canyon Road and 96 hazardous slopes throughout CHIR trails. Of these, 49 hazardous slopes threaten the main road and 46 threaten the trails. In order to maintain safety, reduce maintenance costs, and prevent road closures, it is recommended that these slopes be the focus of continued evaluation, monitoring, and prioritized mitigation.