National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

February 2011

Dear Friends, Neighbors, and Partners of Montezuma Castle and 

Tuzigoot National Monuments,

The Monument staff and I are pleased to present to you the Montezuma 

Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments General Management Plan 

Summary. This document is a condensed version, containing the key 

information of the larger General Management Plan/Environmental 

Assessment. The completion of the document depended on public 

participation and reflects valued input. Before selecting the preferred 

alternative, we considered all comments and suggestions.

The National Monument units in the Verde Valley — Montezuma Castle, 

Montezuma Well, and Tuzigoot — protect and interpret the legacy of 

the Sinagua culture, a native people who flourished in the area 

for centuries. The valley offered a home site with ample riparian 

resources and diversity in the biological transition of desert, 

grassland, and forest vegetation zones. The mission of the National 

Park Service requires us to manage these special places in a way that 

allows them to be enjoyed not just by those who are here today, but 

also by generations that follow. 

We wish to extend our appreciation to those who worked with 

us during this long-term vision planning process. Together we 

developed a final plan that maintains a variety of interpretation 

and educational experiences while continuing to preserve 

and protect the nationally significant cultural resources in the 

riparian setting. Thank you for your ongoing interest, support, and 

participation in the future of Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well, 

and Tuzigoot national monuments. We could not have done this 

without public interest.

Kathy M. Davis

Superintendent 

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 — INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 5

Overview of Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments................................7

Purpose and Need for the General Management Plan / Environmental Assessment....10

Planning Issues and Opportunities........................................................................................11

CHAPTER 2 — BACKGROUND................................................................................................... 13

Foundation for Planning and Management .........................................................................15

Purpose .......................................................................................................................15

Significance.................................................................................................................16

Fundamental Resources and Values .......................................................................17

Primary Interpretive Themes ...................................................................................19

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments ..........................................20

Servicewide Mandates and Policies ........................................................................20

Guiding Management Principles and Strategies Management...........................................22

Manage and Protect Cultural Resources................................................................22

Manage and Protect Natural Resources.................................................................24

External Influences - Private and Public Partners, 

Owners of Adjacent Land, and Government Agencies....................................30

Ensure Sustainability by Employing User (Carrying) Capacity...........................30

Provide Orientation, Interpretation, and Education ............................................31

CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ................................................. 33

Management Zones .................................................................................................................35

Interpretive Historic..................................................................................................36

Park Operations .........................................................................................................36

Resources and Research...........................................................................................37

Interaction and Discovery........................................................................................37

Description of the Plan ...........................................................................................................40

Concept and General Management Strategies ......................................................40

Conditions and Actions Common to All Three Sites............................................40

Boundary Adjustments, Land Purchases, And Easements ..................................41

Cost Estimates............................................................................................................41

Affected Environment and Implementation Impacts .........................................................42

Cultural Resources ....................................................................................................42

Natural Resources .....................................................................................................44

Visitor Use and Experience......................................................................................46

Socioeconomics.........................................................................................................46

Monument Operations ............................................................................................46
Mitigation Measures................................................................................................................47

General........................................................................................................................47

Natural Resources .....................................................................................................49

Visitor Safety and Experiences ................................................................................52

Hazardous Materials.................................................................................................52

Scenic Resources .......................................................................................................52

Socioeconomics.........................................................................................................52

Sustainable Design and Aesthetics ..........................................................................52

User (Carrying) Capacity........................................................................................................53

Park Operations Zone...............................................................................................54

Interpretive Historic Zone .......................................................................................54

Interaction and Discovery Zone..............................................................................55

Resources and Research Zone.................................................................................56

Plan Implementation and Future Studies / Plans Needed..................................................56

Conclusion................................................................................................................................58

APPENDIXES AND INDEX............................................................................................................ 59

Appendix A: Legal Mandates .................................................................................................61

Appendix B: Parcel Maps........................................................................................................66

Index..........................................................................................................................................69

Maps

Alternative B – Castle Site, Montezuma Castle National Monument ...............................66

Alternative B – Well Site, Montezuma Castle National Monument ..................................67

Alternative B – Tuzigoot National Monument .....................................................................68

Figures

1: Vicinity Map of Montezuma Castle National Monument, Montezuma Well Site, 

and Tuzigoot National Monument. .........................................................................................8

Tables

1: Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments Management Zones ........... 38-39

2: Cost Summary for Preferred Plan...........................................................................................43
CHAPTER 1 — INTRODUCTION

7

OVERVIEW OF MONTEZUMA CASTLE 

AND TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

Montezuma Castle National Monument (including 

Montezuma Well) and Tuzigoot National Monument are 

National Park Service (NPS) units in central Arizona. The 

monuments are within a 30-minute drive of each other and are 

managed collectively under a single administrative 

organization (see FIGURE 1 for a vicinity map).

Hundreds of species of 

insects, arachnids and other 

invertebrates find a home 

in the unique ecosystems of 

Montezuma Castle National 

Monument. These include 

harmless tarantulas as well 

as highly venomous black 

widow spiders and bark 

scorpions. However, these 

often misunderstoood desert 

inhabitants pose little threat 

to humans. The invertebrates 

found at Montezuma Castle 

and Montezuma Well reveal 

extraordinary evolutionary 

adaptations for survival in an 

arid desert environment. 

Montezuma Well

Bark scorpion

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1 — INTRODUCTION

8

Figure 1. Vicinity Map of Montezuma Castle National Monument, Montezuma Well Site, and Tuzigoot National Monument.

Montezuma Castle National Monument 

was established in 1906 by presidential 

proclamation under the authority of the 

Antiquities Act (Presidential Proclamation 

No. 696, December 8, 1906, 34 Stat. 3265; 

see Appendix A). Since then, Congress 

passed legislation in 1937, 1959, 1978, 

and 2003 expanding the boundary of the 

monument to better protect the natural 

and cultural resources adjacent to the cliff 

dwellings. The legislation states it “is of the 

greatest ethnological value and scientific 

interest.” Today, Montezuma Castle National 

Monument contains 1,004 acres within its 

boundary. This includes the 940-acre castle site 

and the 278-acre well site. 

Montezuma Castle National Monument is 

approximately 3 miles east of I-17 exit 289. 

The monument preserves a prehistoric 

structure known as Montezuma Castle, 

which is a 20-room, five-story cliff dwelling 

built by the prehistoric Sinagua culture. It is 

one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in 

North America. The National Monument has 

a visitor center, a bookstore, and a museum 
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

9

Turquoise

that include exhibits and artifacts depicting the lifestyle, history, and 

culture of the Sinaguan, who built Montezuma Castle. The Castle 

itself is not open to the public, but a trail below the Castle offers many 

panoramic viewpoints. The monument also contains restrooms, a picnic 

area, and a parking facility for cars, buses, and recreational vehicles. An 

administrative building housing ranger operations and housing are south 

of the parking facility. 

Montezuma Well, located approximately 4 miles east of I-17, exit 293, 

was added in 1943 as a 261-acre detached unit of Montezuma Castle 

National Monument through an act of Congress (October 19, 1943, 

57 Stat. 572; see Appendix A). In 1959, 17 acres were authorized 

by an act of Congress (June 23, 1959, 73 Stat. 108; see Appendix A) 

“to facilitate the administration and protection” of the monument. 

Montezuma Well preserves an unusual example of a spring-fed, large, 

limestone sink and archeological sites representing the prehistoric 

Sinagua as well as Apache and Yavapai people. Montezuma Well 

contains a picnic area, restrooms, hiking trails, a visitor contact station, 

bulletin boards displaying visitor information, a small parking area, an 

administrative building and two ranger houses. 

Tuzigoot National Monument was established by Presidential 

Proclamation No. 2344 on July 25, 1939 (see Appendix A). The 

boundary was expanded by an act of Congress in 1965 and again in 

1978. Additional lands were conveyed through a land exchange in 

2005.The establishing presidential proclamation states that “certain 

Government-owned lands (43 acres) in the state of Arizona have situated 

thereon historic and prehistoric structures and other objects of historic 

or scientific interest, and... it would be in the public interest to reserve 

such lands as a national monument to be known as Tuzigoot National 

Monument.” This 382-acre monument is approximately 20 miles 

northwest of I-17 exit 287 (Arizona Highway 260), near the town 

of Clarkdale, Arizona. Tuzigoot contains a visitor center and museum 

with a collection of Sinaguan artifacts, a nature trail, restrooms, an 

administrative building, a parking facility, and a 110 room 

prehistoric pueblo. 

See Appendix B for maps 

of the national monuments.
CHAPTER 1 — INTRODUCTION

10

PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT 

PLAN / ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

G

eneral management plans are needed to 

meet the requirements of the National 

Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 and 

NPS policy, which mandate development of 

a general management plan for each unit in 

the national park system. As the responsible 

agency, the National Park Service prepared 

the general management plan to establish 

and articulate a management philosophy and 

framework for long-term (15 to 20 years) 

decision-making and problem solving in 

units of the national park system. The general 

management plan provides comprehensive, 

integrated guidance for preserving cultural 

resources, perpetuating natural systems, 

providing opportunities for visitor enjoyment 

and understanding, and establishing the 

organizational mechanism to accomplish 

the plan. The General Management Plan for 

Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national 

monuments was needed because the last 

comprehensive planning effort for these 

national monuments was completed in 

1975. Since this time, the population of the 

Verde Valley has increased substantially and 

continues to grow. This growth has resulted 

in changes in land use near the monuments. 

Visitation to the monuments also has increased 

over the past 30 years, although some declines 

have occurred within the past decade. Each 

of these changes has major implications for 

visitor expectations, how visitors access 

and use the monuments, facilities needed 

to support visitor uses, how resources are 

managed and protected, and how the National 

Park Service conducts its operations.

In the alternatives 

that are based on 

the monuments’ 

mission, purpose, 

and significance, the 

plan determines the areas 

to which resource protection 

and desired visitor use conditions are applied 

to achieve the management goals of the 

monuments. It also serves as the basis for later, 

more detailed implementation plans, which 

tier from the general management plan.

The environmental assessment was prepared in 

compliance with the National Environmental 

Policy Act to provide the decision-making 

framework that 1) analyzes a reasonable 

range of alternatives to meet objectives of the 

proposal, 2) evaluates potential issues and 

impacts to the monuments’ resources and 

values, and 3) identifies mitigation measures to 

lessen the degree or extent of these impacts. 

Resource topics were included because 

impacts that may be greater than minor include 

cultural resources, natural resources, visitor 

use and experience, socioeconomics, and 

monument operations. Other resource topics 

were dismissed because the plan would result 

in negligible or minor effects.

This document is a summary of the approved 

General Management Plan / Environmental 

Assessment. For more details, refer to the 

full, 324-page document by visiting http://

parkplanning.nps.gov. 

Hackberry
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

11

PLANNING ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES

A

n issue is an opportunity, conflict, 

or problem regarding the use or 

management of public lands. The 

general public, NPS staff, and other agencies 

and organizations helped identify issues and 

concerns during scoping (early information 

gathering) for the general management plan. 

The general management plan helps determine 

the best mix of resource protection and visitor 

use beyond what is prescribed by law and 

policy to preserve the monuments’ cultural 

and natural resources while encouraging 

visitors and employees to understand and 

appreciate their value. The following issues and 

opportunities were identified for Montezuma 

Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments:

•	 The plan needs to evaluate whether 

additional opportunities exist to expand 

the stories being told at the monuments 

to link the prehistoric cultures with 

contemporary people and whether to 

expand the areas available within the 

monuments for visitors to explore.

•	 The plan needs to evaluate how the visitors 

should interact with the resources of the 

monuments, including the variety and 

locations of monument resources that 

are accessible to visitors and the means of 

accessing resources. 

•	 The plan needs to evaluate the 

character and level of development 

within the monuments and whether to 

expand existing facilities or construct 

additional facilities at the monuments to 

accommodate visitors and monument 

operations.

•	 The monuments’ existing headquarters

and maintenance facilities were outside

the monument boundaries. There are two

distinct General Services Administration

leases on the headquarters and

maintenance facilities. The plan needs to

examine how best to accommodate these

monument management functions.

•	 The monuments are a small portion 

of the Verde Valley. The National Park 

Service needs to work in partnerships 

with the other land management 

entities, local communities, tribes, and 

organizations within the Verde Valley 

on resource management and visitor use 

issues and opportunities.

•	 There are lands within the existing 

legislated boundaries that have not been 

acquired. Some of these contain significant 

resources that, if acquired, would protect 

additional resources associated with the 

monuments’ purpose. The plan needs 

to provide guidance for managing these 

lands if they are acquired. A boundary 

adjustment study, still under consideration, 

is beyond the scope of the general 

management plan.

Arizona Grape
CHAPTER 1 — INTRODUCTION

12

•	 The legislated boundary of Tuzigoot 

National Monument contains 

approximately 300 acres of mine tailings 

and other land disturbed by mining 

activities. The mine tailings do not 

contain resources related to the purpose 

and significance of the monument, are 

recontoured and revegetated but highly 

disturbed by mining activity, and are 

contaminated by hazardous substances. 

The plan needs to evaluate whether the 

monument boundary should be adjusted 

to eliminate these tailings areas, while 

retaining remaining suitable lands. 

•	 Tavasci Marsh, acquired in 2006, is in 

a degraded condition and actions to 

restore the marsh are underway. The 

long-term objectives for restoration need 

to be supported within the management 

framework of the plan.

•	 Visitation at the monuments has generally 

increased since the 1940s, peaking at 1.2 

million visitors in the mid-1990s. Although 

visitation has declined since the late 1990s, 

the population of the surrounding region 

is growing rapidly, and development of 

tourism in the area is expected to continue. 

The present visitor contact station at 

Montezuma Well is small, outdated, 

and limited in its ability to serve visitors. 

Expanded visitor contact would improve 

Montezuma Well’s ability to interpret 

early regional land use. Each unit is readily 

accessible from Camp Verde, Cottonwood, 

Clarkdale, Jerome, and Sedona.

•	 Currently, there is limited general 

orientation to all three sites, resulting in 

a lack of connectedness of the sites and 

their stories. If visitor interaction with 

monument resources increased, cultural 

and natural resources could experience 

additional effects. New wayside exhibits 

are being developed to better connect sites 

with interpretive information.

•	 The plan analyzes developing new 

onsite administrative and storage space 

because the current General Services 

Administration lease with the Yavapai 

Apache Nation for maintenance space was 

expiring. Construction of workspace and 

storage at the three sites would improve 

monument operations because it would be 

more efficient to provide workspace and 

store equipment within the units that use 

them most frequently rather than in one 

central area. 

•	 The National Park Service could 

acquire private land holdings within the 

monument boundaries, including land 

owned by Freeport McMoRan Copper 

and Gold, Inc. (except for the mine 

tailings at Tuzigoot, which the monument 

does not wish to acquire), or work with 

Freeport McMoRan and other entities to 

protect the land for public use rather than 

development. 

•	 The population of and land uses within 

the Verde Valley are changing. During 

the life of the general management plan, 

these changes could have an effect on 

visitation and resource conditions of the 

monuments.
CHAPTER 2 — BACKGROUND

In 1933, “Castle A,” 

a 45-50 room, pueblo ruin 

was excavated uncovering a 

wealth of artifacts and greatly 

enhancing our understanding 

of the Sinagua people who 

inhabited this riparian “oasis” 

along Beaver Creek for over 

400 years. 

15

Purpose

P

urpose statements reaffirm the reasons for which the 

monuments were set aside as units of the national park 

system and provide the foundation for management 

and use of the monuments. The statements below are 

based on the monuments’ legislation and legislative 

history and on NPS policies.

The purposes of Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot 

national monuments are as follows: 

•	 Preserve and manage prehistoric and historic structures and their

related resources within Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well,

and Tuzigoot

•	 Protect and manage ecological processes and conditions related

to the mix of desert and riparian habitats to maintain sustainable

cultural and natural landscapes

•	 Promote stewardship through education and interpretation of

continuing cultural adaptations to a desert environment

FOUNDATION FOR PLANNING AND MANAGEME NT

Beaver Creek. 

Desert tarantula

BACKGROUND
CHAPTER 2 — BACKGROUND

16

Significance

Significance statements build on the 

monument’s purpose and clearly state why, 

within a national context, the monument’s 

resources and values are important enough 

to warrant the designation as a national park 

unit. These statements identify the resources 

and values central to managing the area and 

express the importance of the area to our 

natural and cultural heritage. 

The primary significance of Montezuma 

Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments is 

summarized as follows: 

•	 Montezuma Castle is one of the largest, 

most accessible, and best-preserved 

Sinaguan cliff dwelling in the Southwest.

•	 Tuzigoot is one of the largest 

known pueblos.

•	 The excavation, restoration, and 

development of Tuzigoot illustrate 

Depression-era (Civilian Works 

Administration, Works Project 

Administration, and Civilian Conservation 

Corps) pioneering archeological efforts in 

the Southwest and were instrumental in 

the preservation and accessibility of this 

and other national monuments.

•	 The monuments’ archeological 

collections constitute 

one of the 

largest artifact 

assemblages, 

including trade ware, 

of the Southern Sinagua 

culture of the Verde Valley.

•	 Montezuma Well is a unique, spring-fed, 

limestone sink connected to remnants of 

an extensive prehistoric irrigation system 

via a natural outlet.

•	 Because of its unique environment, 

Montezuma Well has substantial scientific 

value and contains species not found in 

any other waters in the world.

•	 The monuments represent a continuum 

of land use from pre-Columbian cultures 

through the present and have enormous 

learning potential about the relationship 

between humans and their environment.

•	 The natural and cultural resources within the 

monuments are significant to native tribes, as 

evidenced by oral histories, the archeological 

record, and continuing practices and 

beliefs. To this day, eight tribes maintain an 

association with the monuments.

•	 Montezuma Castle was among the 

first four national monuments created 

through the Antiquities Act of 1906, 

affording the first federal protection of 

archeological resources.

Processing a western diamondback rattlesnake outside the Montezuma Castle 

Visitor Center.

Amaranth
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

17

Fundamental Resources and Values

Fundamental resources and values are 

a monument’s attributes — its features, 

systems, processes, experiences, stories, 

scenes, sounds, smells, opportunities for 

visitor enjoyment, or others — that are 

critical to achieving the monument’s purpose 

and to maintaining its significance. Other 

important resources and values are additional 

monument attributes that are noteworthy but 

not related to the monument’s 

purpose and significance. 

Fundamental resources 

and values warrant 

primary consideration 

during planning and 

management or are 

important to monument 

management and planning.

The fundamental resources and values for 

the Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national 

monuments are grouped into the following 

three categories: cultural connectivity, 

structures and related resources and values, 

and natural features.

Cultural Connectivity. The cultural 

connectivity category lists the fundamental 

resources and values that support an 

understanding of the monuments’ role within 

larger geographic networks of exploration, 

settlement, resource development, and 

trade from prehistoric time to today. The 

fundamental resources and values in this 

category also support an understanding of 

continuing cultural adaptation to the desert 

environment.

•	 The vistas at the monuments that allow 

visitors to experience and understand 

the line-of-sight relationships among the 

prehistoric pueblos that were regularly 

spaced, approximately 1.8 miles apart, 

along the major drainages of the Verde 

Valley. The vistas make it possible to 

see pueblos (e.g., Sacred Mountain and 

Thoeny at Montezuma Well, the Salt 

Mine Pueblo at Montezuma Castle, and 

Bridgeport Pueblo, Tuzigoot Extension, 

and Hatalacva at Tuzigoot).

•	 The connection of structures within 

the monuments boundaries that reveal 

patterns in prehistoric land use and 

the related opportunity to contrast the 

similarities and differences in land use to 

human’s relationship with the environment 

from prehistoric to modern times.

•	 The resources and opportunities to 

understand the role of the Verde Valley 

as a major trading hub and an exporter of 

argillite, salt, and copper derivatives. 

•	 The stories, oral histories, and resources 

revealing the role of the Verde River, 

Montezuma Well, Tavasci Marsh, Beaver 

Creek, and Wet Beaver Creek in prehistoric 

and historic trade, travel, exploration, and 

settlement of the area.

Olla at the Tuzigoot Museum.

Buckwheat kernals
CHAPTER 2 — BACKGROUND

18

Structures and Related Resources and 

Values. The structures and related resources 

and values category lists the fundamental 

resources and values that support preservation 

and understanding of the prehistoric and 

historic structures and related resources and 

values of the monuments.

Montezuma Castle — The prehistoric Sinagua 

structures and related resources of the Castle, 

including four cliff dwellings and five rock 

shelters on the limestone face of the north 

bank of Beaver Creek, three agricultural sites 

evidenced by small stone structures in the 

floodplain of Beaver Creek, one or two room 

masonry structures, a bedrock mortar site 

southeast of the Castle in the inner channel of 

Beaver Creek, and two lithic scatter sites above 

the Castle and between the Castle’s access road 

and Highway 17. 

The high degree of architectural integrity of the 

Castle cliff dwelling including the adobe-andcobble masonry building construction, vigaand-latilla roof construction, and the threesided alcove niche carved into the limestone 

cliffs sheltering the cliff dwelling.

Montezuma Well — The prehistoric Hohokam 

and Sinagua structures and related resources, 

including 22 rock shelters sites within the 

inside rim of Montezuma Well and the 

limestone cliffs overlooking arable land or 

prehistoric irrigation ditches, two pueblos 

sites on the south rim of Montezuma Well, 

several one or two room masonry structures, 

agricultural features including well-preserved 

segments of a prehistoric irrigation canal 

system, artifact scatters, a burial ground, and a 

prehistoric cobble concentration at the edge of 

a cliff overlooking the irrigation canal. 

Tuzigoot — The prehistoric Sinagua structures 

and archeological evidence used to understand 

the sociopolitical organization of this large 

cluster settlement, including Tuzigoot Pueblo 

on the crest of Tuzigoot Hill and the site of a 

two-to-five-room masonry structure on the 

eastern slope of Tuzigoot Hill.

Natural Features. The natural features 

category lists the following fundamental 

resources and values that support protection and 

understanding of the significant natural features 

and ecological processes of the monuments:

•	 The unique hydrology and geology of the 

monuments, including the spring-fed, 

large, limestone sink of Montezuma Well; 

the spring-fed Tavasci Marsh draining onto 

the fields below; the limestone formations 

of the monuments; Beaver Creek; Wet 

Beaver Creek; and the Verde River.

•	 Special species at Montezuma Well, including 

Kinosternon sonoriense (Sonoran mud turtle), 

Hyalella montezuma (amphipod), and 

Erpobdella montezuma (leech).

•	 The ecological processes and conditions 

related to the integration of dessert and 

riparian landscapes. 

Montezuma Castle.
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

19

Other Important Resources and Values. The 

monuments also have the following noteworthy 

resources and values that are less than 

“fundamental,” but that remain important. 

For cultural connectivity, one noteworthy 

resource and value is the partnerships with 

tribes, adjacent land owners, and local private 

and public agencies.

For structures and related resources and 

values, additional and important structures 

include the structures (museum and offices, 

storage tool house, pump house, and 

retaining wall) and pioneering archeological 

technologies developed at Tuzigoot by the 

Works Progress Administration and Civilian 

Conservation Corps. They also include 

structures and site features associated 

with 19th century homesteading activities, 

including the Back Cabin, the smokehouse 

structure, and irrigation ditch.

In addition, important natural features include 

the following:

•	 The Verde River, Beaver Creek, and Wet 

Beaver Creek that function as wildlife 

corridors and habitat for birds and mammals

•	 Mesquite bosques found at the 

Montezuma Well and Tuzigoot sites

•	 Night sky vistas at the Montezuma Well 

and Castle sites

•	 Open space for recreation at 

Montezuma Well

Primary Interpretive Themes

Primary interpretive themes are the key ideas 

through which the monuments’ resource 

values are conveyed to the public. They 

connect monuments’ resources and values 

to the purpose and significance, providing 

the building blocks on which the interpretive 

program is based. The primary interpretive 

themes for Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot 

national monuments are the following:

•	 Land use patterns and human settlement 

of the Verde Valley illustrate the 

continuum of occupation in the Southwest 

and demonstrate how contemporary 

cultures are linked to, and identify with, 

this place.

•	 Riparian areas of the Verde Valley support 

a diversity of plants and animals and serve 

an important role in scientific discovery 

and species survival as habitat is lost to 

development worldwide.

•	 Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national 

monuments serve as benchmarks of 

pioneering archeological efforts in the 

Southwest and demonstrate evolving 

scientific inquiry, methods, and 

interpretations that help us understand 

past human experiences and how they 

inform the present.

•	 The experiences of people in the Verde 

Valley demonstrate how, through 

migration, travel, and trade along natural 

corridors, cultures influence and affect 

one another.

•	 The preservation and interpretation of 

Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national 

monuments illustrate the NPS mission of 

protecting exemplary sites that contribute 

to our national identity while providing 

authentic places and experiences for 

people to connect to their heritage.
CHAPTER 2 — BACKGROUND

20

Special Mandates and 

Administrative Commitments 

Special mandates and administrative 

commitments refer to monument-specific 

requirements. These formal agreements 

are often established concurrently with the 

creation of a unit of the national park system 

and include the following:

•	 The Beaver Creek Road crosses through

the Montezuma Well site of Montezuma

Castle. This road is on federal land but is

partially maintained by Yavapai County.

The National Park Service and the county

work collaboratively to ensure that this

road is maintained for public transit.

•	 The National Park Service has a

partnership with Western National

Parks Association to manage the sales of

interpretation-related merchandise, such

as books, at the Montezuma Castle and

Tuzigoot visitor centers. This partnership

is governed by the laws of the state of

Arizona and NPS policy. The sale of

merchandise provides a service to visitors

and provides funds for management of

the monuments.

Servicewide Mandates and Policies

Many management directives are specified in 

laws and policies guiding the National Park 

Service and, therefore, are not subject to 

alternative approaches. For example, there are 

laws about managing environmental quality 

(such as air quality, threatened and endangered 

species, and wetlands), laws governing the 

preservation of cultural resources (such as 

the National Historic Preservation Act), and 

laws about providing public services (such as 

barrier-free access). A general management 

plan is not needed to decide, for example, that 

it is appropriate to protect endangered species, 

control exotic species, protect archeological 

sites, conserve artifacts, and provide access to 

people with impaired mobility. 

The National Park Service Organic Act (16 

United States Code, section 1) provides the 

fundamental management direction for all 

units of the national park service. In this act, 

the National Park Service is charged to:

Promote and regulate the use of the Federal 

areas known as national parks, monuments, 

and reservations...by such means and 

measure as conform to the fundamental 

purpose of said parks, monuments and 

reservations, which purpose is to conserve 

the scenery and the natural and historic 

objects and the wild life therein and to 

provide for the enjoyment of the same in 

such manner and by such means as will 

leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of 

future generations.

The National Park System General Authorities 

Act (16 United States Code, section 1a-1 et seq.) 

affirms that while all national park system 

units “though distinct in character, are united 

through their inter-related purposes and 

resources into one national park system as 

cumulative expressions of a single national 

heritage.” The act makes it clear that the 

Park staff deploying turtle traps at Montezuma Well.
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

21

Organic Act and other protective mandates 

apply equally to all units of the system. Further, 

it states that NPS management of park units 

“shall not be exercised in derogation of the 

values and purposes for which these various 

areas have been established.”

The Organic Act and the General Authorities 

Act prohibit any impairment of monument 

resources. Therefore, the general management 

plan includes determinations of whether the 

actions associated with the alternatives would 

result in impairment of the resources that 

collectively compose the monuments’ “scenery 

and the natural and historic objects and the 

wild life therein.” 

Unless an activity is required by statute, the 

National Park Service cannot allow visitor uses 

in the monuments that would involve or result 

in any of the following, which are listed in 

section 8.2 of NPS Management Policies 2006:

•	 Be inconsistent with a park’s purposes 

or values 

•	 Impede the attainment of a 

park’s desired conditions for natural and 

cultural resources as identified through the 

park’s planning process 

•	 Create an unsafe or unhealthy 

environment for visitors or employees

•	 Diminish opportunities for current or 

future generations to enjoy, learn about, or 

be inspired by park resources or values

•	 Unreasonably interfere with 

» park programs or activities

» an appropriate use

» the atmosphere of peace and

tranquility, or the natural soundscape

maintained in wilderness and natural,

historic, or commemorative locations

within the park

» NPS concessioner or contractor 

operations or services

The National Park Service has established 

policies for all units under its stewardship. 

These are identified and explained in the 

guidance manual, NPS Management Policies 

2006. All of the alternatives considered in 

the general management plan, including the 

no-action alternative, incorporate and comply 

with the provisions of these mandates 

and policies.

Arizona black rattlesnake.

Cattails
CHAPTER 2 — BACKGROUND

22

GUIDING MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND 

STRATEGIES MANAGEMENT

G

uiding management principles and 

strategies shape the ways that 

monument staff manage the fundamental 

resources and values, within the limitations imposed 

by servicewide and special mandates, to preserve 

the monuments’ significance, fulfill the monuments’ purpose, and 

achieve the monuments’ mission. These principles and strategies guide 

management under all three alternatives described in the general 

management plan document.

Some of these principles and strategies describe approaches that 

the monuments are currently taking; others are not currently 

being implemented but are consistent with NPS policy and are not 

controversial. As appropriate, the National Park Service would provide 

National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation 

Act compliance documentation for the implementation of actions 

under these principles and strategies and of actions taken under the 

selected alternative.

Manage and Protect Cultural Resources

The protection of cultural resources is essential for understanding 

the past, present, and future relationship of people with the area. 

Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments are part of the 

NPS Vanishing Treasures Initiative, which provides emergency measures 

to protect structures in imminent danger, evaluates structures to 

determine treatment priority, and trains a younger workforce in the craft 

skills needed for archeological preservation. 

The strategies enable the National Park Service to preserve unimpaired 

the monuments’ cultural resources while encouraging visitors and 

employees to understand and appreciate their value.

Western black widow
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

23

Archeological, Historic Structures, 

Cultural Landscapes, and Ethnographic 

Resources. The strategies for managing the 

archeological, historic structures, cultural 

landscapes, and ethnographic resources are 

as follows:

•	 Continue to survey and document or 

inventory cultural resources in accordance 

with the National Historic Preservation 

Act and other applicable regulations 

and policies.

•	 Gather field data regarding archeological 

resources to develop a more accurate 

predictive model of prehistoric site 

distribution and address related 

research questions.

•	 Continue to evaluate all identified 

resources to determine their eligibility 

for listing in the National Register of 

Historic Places.

•	 Use avoidance techniques and other 

measures to prevent impacts on known 

significant sites from visitors and projectrelated disturbances. 

•	 Continue to support research and 

consultation to increase the understanding 

of all cultural resources.

•	 Consistent with Director’s Order 75A, 

continue to consult with and seek to 

improve working relations with federally 

recognized tribes and the state historic 

preservation officer on surveys, studies, 

excavations, and actions that potentially 

could affect cultural resources.

•	 Continue the preservation and 

stabilization of prehistoric and historic 

structures when necessary.

Museum and Archival Collections. The 

strategies for managing museum and archival 

collections are as follows:

•	 Continue to maintain a diverse museum 

collection according to NPS policies. 

While the collection will continue to 

contain primarily archeological artifacts 

and archival documents, managers should 

look for opportunities to expand holdings 

of ethnographic, historic biological, 

paleontological, and geological specimens.

•	 Continue to improve the conditions of 

artifact and specimen exhibits and storage 

according to NPS museum standards.

•	 Maintain and continue to expand 

opportunities for researchers to use the 

artifacts, specimens, and archival materials 

in the museum collection.

Relationships with Native Americans. The 

National Park Service recognizes that the 

monuments have long occupied a prominent 

position for Native Americans in the Verde 

Valley. NPS staff members will work to ensure 

that traditional Native American ties to the 

monuments are recognized and will strive to 

maintain positive, productive government-togovernment relationships with tribes that are 

culturally associated with the monuments. The 

viewpoints and needs of tribes will continue 

to be respected, and issues that arise will be 

promptly addressed. Native American values 

will be considered in the management and 

operation of the monuments. To enhance its 

relationship with the tribes, the National Park 

Service will carry out the following strategies 

and actions:
CHAPTER 2 — BACKGROUND

24

•	 Consult regularly and maintain 

government-to-government relations 

with federally recognized tribes that 

have traditional ties to resources within 

the monuments to ensure productive, 

collaborative working relationships.

•	 Continue to identify and deepen the 

understanding of the significance of the 

monuments’ resources and landscapes 

to Native American people through 

cooperative research and sharing.

•	 Once they have been identified, protect 

and preserve the sites, resources, 

landscapes, and structures of significance 

to the federally recognized tribes 

as required under federal laws and 

Management Policies 2006.

•	 Encourage the participation of tribes in 

protecting the monuments’ natural and 

cultural resources of interest and concern 

to them.

•	 Involve tribes in the 

monuments’ interpretation 

program to promote 

accuracy of information 

about Native American 

cultural values and enhance 

public appreciation of 

those values.

•	 Support the continuation 

of traditional Native 

American activities in the 

monuments to the extent allowed by 

applicable laws and regulations.

•	 Continue to consult and collaborate with 

tribes concerning issues and proposed 

actions that might affect Native Americans.

Manage and Protect 

Natural Resources

The protection, study, and management of the 

monuments’ natural resources and processes 

are essential for achieving the monuments’ 

purposes and mission goals. The following 

principles and strategies will help the National 

Park Service retain the ecological integrity 

of Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national 

monuments, including natural resources and 

processes. These actions will help ensure 

that the monuments’ natural features are 

unimpaired; the areas continue to be dynamic, 

biologically diverse environments; and the 

monuments are recognized and valued as an 

outstanding example of resource stewardship, 

conservation, education, and public use.

Inventory and Monitoring. Knowing the 

condition of natural resources in a 

national park unit is fundamental to the 

National Park Service’s ability to protect 

and manage that unit. Montezuma Castle 

and Tuzigoot national monuments are 

confronted with increasingly complex 

and challenging issues, and the National 

Park Service needs scientifically credible 

data to make management decisions. 

Inventories involve compiling existing 

information and collecting new 

information. Inventories contribute to 

the accurate statement of the condition 

of the monuments’ resources, especially the 

natural or unimpaired state. 

Desert jackrabbit.
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

25

A long-term ecosystem monitoring program is 

necessary to enable managers to:

•	 Make better informed decisions

•	 Provide early warning of changing

conditions in time to develop and

implement effective mitigating measure

•	 Persuade individuals and other agencies to

make decisions benefiting the monuments

•	 Satisfy certain legal mandates

•	 Provide reference data for relatively

pristine sites for comparison with areas

outside the monuments

•	 Evaluate the effectiveness of management

actions and obtain more accurate

assessments of progress towards

management goals

Using monitoring information will increase 

confidence in managers’ decisions and improve 

their ability to manage natural resources. 

Strategies for inventorying and monitoring 

include the following:

•	 Continue to develop inventories and longterm monitoring programs to address the 

status and health of the resources. Identify 

key indicators of resource or ecosystem 

conditions and monitor them over the long 

term to record changes in ecosystem health.

•	 Conduct inventories to identify vertebrate 

and invertebrate animal species, vascular 

and nonvascular plant species, and air, 

water, and geologic resources in the 

monuments.

•	 Continue to participate in the Sonoran 

Desert Inventory and Monitoring 

Network. Work with partners and 

collaborators to inventory resources 

and monitor vital components of the 

ecosystem. This will make it possible to 

better assess the condition of monuments’ 

resources and trends and to develop 

databases, data analyses, and retrieval tools 

so that the usefulness of natural resource 

information can be improved.

Redwinged blackbird at Tavasci Marsh.
CHAPTER 2 — BACKGROUND

26

Air Quality. Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot 

national monuments are designated class II areas 

under the Clean Air Act. The National Park 

Service has a responsibility to protect air quality 

under both the 1916 Organic Act and the Clean 

Air Act. Accordingly, the National Park Service 

will seek to achieve the best possible air quality in 

the monuments to (1) preserve natural resources 

and systems; (2) preserve cultural resources; and 

(3) sustain visitor enjoyment, human health, and 

scenic vistas. 

Vegetation, visibility, water quality, wildlife, 

historic and pre-historic structures and 

objects, cultural landscapes, and most other 

elements of the monuments’ environment 

are sensitive to air pollution. The National 

Park Service will actively promote and pursue 

measures to protect resource from the adverse 

impacts of air pollution. 

The National Park Service will use the 

following strategies to address air quality in 

the monuments:

•	 Eliminate or reduce emissions associated 

with administrative and recreational use of 

the monuments.

•	 Continue to participate in regional air 

quality planning and research, and the 

implementation of air quality standards.

•	 Protect the monuments’ noteworthy 

night sky and scenic vistas as natural and 

cultural resources as an inspiration for 

visitor enjoyment.

Natural Sounds. Visitors have the 

opportunity in portions of the monuments 

to experience natural sounds, and the 

experience of reverence for cultural resources 

and other experiential qualities of a cultural 

monument are sensitive to intrusions of 

human-caused noise. It is important to 

protect the natural soundscape for wildlife 

species as well. A natural, intact soundscape 

is important for animal communication, 

territory establishment, courtship and mating, 

nurturing young, and effective use of habitat. 

The sounds of modern society are generally 

confined to the developed areas in the 

monuments. Guiding principles and strategies 

will include protecting the monuments’ 

natural sounds as a contribution to visitor 

enjoyment and protecting natural sounds for 

the benefit of wildlife.

Fire Management. Prescribed and wildland 

fire will be used as a tool to meet resource 

management objectives. The following 

strategies will ensure that wildland fire will be 

used effectively to protect resources:

•	 Develop and maintain a current fire 

management plan for the monuments. 

•	 Cooperate with adjacent communities, 

groups, state and federal agencies, and 

tribes to manage fire in the monuments 

and the region. 

•	 Use fire as appropriate to maintain and 

restore native plant species and control 

nonnative plant species.

Geologic Features. Montezuma Castle and 

Tuzigoot national monuments contain unique 

landforms. The National Park Service will 

implement the following policies and strategies 

to ensure that the geologic features are not 

substantially degraded and the scenic views 

remain unimpaired:
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

27

•	 Inventory, map, and monitor geologic 

features to assess their condition. 

•	 Allow natural geologic processes to 

proceed unimpeded. Intervention in 

natural geologic processes will be permitted 

only when directed by Congress, when 

necessary in emergencies that threaten 

human life and property, or when there is 

no other way to protect cultural resources 

or critical monument facilities. 

•	 Develop interpretive and educational 

programs to educate visitors and the 

public about geology.

•	 Actively seek to understand and preserve 

soil resources and prevent to the extent 

possible its removal or contamination. 

•	 Monitor high-impact visitor use areas 

and take actions to reduce impacts on 

geologic resources.

Paleontological Resources. Montezuma 

Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments 

contain paleontological resources. The 

following strategies will be implemented to 

better understand and protect these resources:

•	 Expand inventorying and monitoring to 

ensure that these nonrenewable resources 

are not lost.

•	 Manage and study paleontological 

resources in their geologic context, 

which provides information about the 

ancient environment. 

•	 Partner with federal, state, and local 

agencies and with academic institutions to 

conduct paleontological research. 

•	 Manage fossils collected in accordance 

with the monuments’ collection 

management plan.

Threatened or Endangered Species.

The Endangered Species Act mandates that 

agencies, including the National Park Service, 

promote the conservation of all federally 

listed threatened or endangered species and 

their critical habitats within the monuments’ 

boundaries. Several special-status species, 

including those that are listed at the federal or 

state levels, are known to exist in and around 

the monuments and to use habitats in the 

monuments. The following actions will be 

taken to protect special-status species:

•	 Continue to work with the United States 

(U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 

and Arizona Game and Fish Department 

to ensure that the National Park Service’s 

actions help special status species to 

recover. If any state- or federally listed 

or proposed threatened or endangered 

species are found in areas that would be 

affected by construction, visitor use, or 

restoration activities proposed under any 

of the alternatives in this plan, the National 

Park Service will consult with the above 

agencies and will then try to avoid or 

mitigate any potential adverse impacts. 

•	 Cooperate with the above agencies 

to inventory, monitor, protect, and 

perpetuate the natural distribution and 

abundance of all special-status species 

and their essential habitats in Montezuma 

Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments. 

These species and their habitats will 

be specifically considered in ongoing 

planning and management activities.
CHAPTER 2 — BACKGROUND

28

Vegetation. Whenever possible, natural 

processes will be relied on to maintain native 

plants and plant communities. Communities 

will include the diverse species, genetic 

variability, plant associations, and successional 

stages representing an ecologically functioning 

system. The following actions will be taken to 

manage the monuments’ vegetation:

•	 Inventory plant communities to 

determine the species present and monitor 

communities to identify changes in 

their condition. Continue to inventory 

rare plants.

•	 Continue efforts to control invasive plants 

in the monuments. Continue to work with 

other federal, state, and local agencies 

and with private landowners to prevent 

the spread of invasive plant species across 

monument boundaries. 

•	 Restore extirpated native species where 

suitable habitat exists and restoration 

is compatible with social, political, and 

ecological conditions.

Wildlife and Fish. The following policies and 

strategies will ensure that native wildlife and 

fishes are protected:

•	 Determine the condition of native wildlife 

and fish through baseline inventories and 

use long-term monitoring to identify and 

evaluate changes. 

•	 Perpetuate the native animal life as part 

of the natural ecosystem. Emphasize 

minimizing human impacts on native 

animals and minimizing human influence 

on naturally occurring fluctuations of 

animal populations. Rely on ecological 

processes to control populations of native 

species to the greatest extent practical. 

•	 Ensure the preservation of populations 

and habitats of migratory species, such as 

birds, that use the monuments. Cooperate 

with others to enhance the preservation of 

the populations and habitats of migratory 

species outside the monuments. 

Prickly pear cactus.
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

29

•	 Develop educational programs to inform 

visitors and the general public about 

wildlife issues and concerns. 

•	 Manage populations of invasive animal 

species whenever such species threaten 

monument resources or public health and 

when control is prudent and feasible.

•	 Restore extirpated native species where 

suitable habitat exists and restoration 

is compatible with social, political, and 

ecological conditions. 

Ecosystem Management. To achieve desired 

future conditions for monument resources, a 

regional perspective must be considered, and it 

must be recognized that actions taken on lands 

outside the monuments directly and indirectly 

affect the monuments. Many of the threats to 

monument resources, such as invasive species 

and water pollution, come from outside the 

boundaries. Therefore, an ecosystem approach 

is required to understand and manage the 

monuments’ natural resources, and must be 

based on an understanding of the health and 

condition of the ecosystem. 

Cooperation, coordination, and partnerships 

with agencies and neighbors are crucial to meet 

or maintain the desired future conditions for 

the monuments. This approach to ecosystem 

management may involve many parties and 

could include cooperative arrangements with 

federal and state agencies, tribes, or private 

landowners to address trans-boundary issues.

The following strategies will allow the National 

Park Service to lead in resource stewardship 

and the conservation of ecosystem values 

within and outside the monuments. They 

also will allow the National Park Service 

to maintain good relations with owners of 

adjacent property, surrounding communities, 

and private and public groups that affect and 

are affected by the monuments. The strategies 

involve active involvement of monument 

staff members to resolve external issues and 

ensure that the monuments’ values are not 

compromised:

•	 Continue to seek agreements with the 

U.S. Forest Service, Arizona State Parks, 

Arizona Game and Fish Department, 

Native American tribes, and other owners 

of adjacent property to protect and 

enhance the ecosystem. 

•	 Work cooperatively to manage nonnative 

species in the region. 

•	 Continue to partner with the research 

community to further the knowledge 

of ecosystem processes that affect the 

monuments. 

•	 Continue to work with partners to protect 

species of concern and reintroduce 

extirpated native species when practical.
CHAPTER 2 — BACKGROUND

30

External Influences - Private and 

Public Partners, Owners of Adjacent 

Land, and Government Agencies

The National Park Service recognizes that 

Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national 

monuments are part of a greater area and that 

actions in the monuments affect the social, 

political, ecological, and historical condition 

of the surrounding environment and society. 

The management of the monuments influences 

local economies through tourism expenditures 

and the goods and services the National Park 

Service purchases to support operations. 

To ensure that the National Park Service 

continues to have good relations with area 

landowners and communities, and to ensure 

that the monuments are managed actively 

to resolve external issues and concerns, the 

following strategies will be implemented:

•	 Continue to establish partnerships with 

public and private organizations to 

achieve the purposes and missions of 

the monuments. Seek partnerships for 

resource protection, research, education, 

visitor enjoyment, visitor access, and 

management. 

•	 Foster a spirit of cooperation with 

neighbors and encourage compatible 

uses of adjacent lands by keeping 

landowners, land managers, tribes, local 

governments, and the public informed 

about monument management activities. 

Consult periodically with landowners and 

communities that affect or potentially are 

affected by the monuments’ visitors and 

management actions. 

•	 Work closely with local, state, and federal 

agencies and tribal governments. In 

particular, to meet mutual management 

needs, maintain a close working 

relationship with the federally recognized 

tribes, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Arizona State Parks, 

Arizona Game and Fish Department, and 

owners of adjacent private land.

Ensure Sustainability by Employing 

User (Carrying) Capacity

General management plans must identify and 

implement commitments for user capacities for 

all areas of the monument. The National Park 

Service defines user capacity as the type and 

level of visitor use that can be accommodated 

while sustaining the quality of a monument’s 

resources and visitor opportunities consistent 

with the purposes of the monument. It is not 

necessarily a set of numbers or limits, but rather 

a process involving monitoring, evaluation, 

actions (managing visitor use), and adjustments 

to ensure monument values are protected.

The premise behind this process is that with 

any use of public lands comes some level of 

impact that must be accepted. Therefore, the 

National Park Service has the responsibility 

to decide what level of impact is acceptable 

and what actions are needed to keep impacts 

within acceptable limits. Instead of solely 

tracking and controlling user numbers, the 

monument staff manages the levels, types, 

behaviors, and patterns of visitor use and other 

public uses as needed to manage the condition 

of the resources and quality of the visitor 

experience. Monitoring user capacity helps 

test the effectiveness of management actions 

and provides a basis for informed adaptive 

management of public use. 
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

31

The described desired conditions related 

to resource protection, visitor experiences, 

and general levels of development form 

the foundation for user capacity decisions. 

Specific indicators and standards will be 

monitored to confirm that the desired 

conditions are achieved or maintained. 

Actions that could be implemented if the 

standards are exceeded are included in either 

the general management plan or subsequent 

action plans. An indicator is used to track 

desired conditions to determine whether 

they are being met. A standard is basically 

the minimum acceptable desired condition. 

User capacity decision-making, which 

continues indefinitely, involves monitoring 

the indicators, determining whether 

standards are met, and taking management 

actions to minimize impacts when needed. 

At Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national 

monuments, managers initially will monitor 

facility-wide use levels and patterns. At 

the Castle, where crowded conditions that 

could affect sustainability occasionally 

occur, managers will apply more specific 

monitoring and focused management to 

achieve desired conditions. Adjustments in 

the type of monitoring at specific sites and 

throughout the monuments will be made as 

needed. Additional information on ensuring 

sustainability is provided in the “User 

(Carrying) Capacity” section in chapter 3.

Provide Orientation, Interpretation, 

and Education

A variety of methods are used to orient visitors 

at Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national 

monuments, provide information about the 

monuments, and interpret the monuments’ 

resources. The National Park Service will 

continue to pursue strategies to ensure that 

information is available so that visitors can 

plan a rewarding visit to the monuments. 

Increasing outreach and educational programs 

will help connect diverse audiences to the 

monuments’ resources, build a local and 

national constituency, and gain public support 

for protecting the monuments’ resources. 

Continuing to provide interpretation 

opportunities will build emotional, intellectual, 

and recreational ties with the monuments and 

their cultural and natural heritage. 

The strategies for managing orientation, 

interpretation, and education will be as follows:

•	 Continue to emphasize providing effective 

information, orientation, and interpretive 

services. Use appropriate techniques 

and technologies to increase the visibility 

of the National Park Service and its 

programs and to make people aware of 

issues facing Montezuma Castle and 

Tuzigoot national monuments.

•	 Ensure that interpretive and education 

programs include key resource issues, 

management priorities, public safety, and 

demonstrate standards for interpretive 

competencies identified and outlined by the 

NPS Interpretive Development Program. 

Sacred datura, an evening blooming plant.
CHAPTER 2 — BACKGROUND

32

•	 Enhance cooperative efforts and 

partnerships with local communities, 

public and private agencies, organizations, 

stakeholders, and land managers in the 

region so that visitors can better learn about 

the abundance, variety, and availability 

of the region’s cultural, recreational, 

and interpretive opportunities. This will 

orient visitors about what to do and which 

attractions to see. 

•	 Provide visitors with the tools and 

information they need for selfmanagement and how to enjoy the 

monuments in a safe, low-impact manner. 

•	 Strengthen partnerships with state parks, 

national parks, educational institutions, 

and other organizations to enrich 

interpretive and educational opportunities 

regionally and nationally. 

•	 Ensure accessibility of opportunities 

for visitors to form their own intellectual 

and emotional connections to resource 

meaning for as many audiences as practical 

and possible by providing a variety of both 

personal and non-personal interpretive 

services.

A few desert animals are 

primarily active during the day, 

or “diurnal.” These include rock 

squirrels, chipmunks, lizards, 

snakes, hawks, and eagles. Many 

animals have a temperature 

range in which they are active, 

so their active times of day 

adjust to the season. Snakes and 

lizards go into an active state 

of torpor during the winter, are 

active during the day during the 

late spring and early fall, and 

become crepuscular during the 

heat of summer. Many insects 

also alter their times of activity, 

which in turn influences the 

activity of insect eaters.

King snake.
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

35

MANAGEMENT ZONES

Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments are defined 

in the establishing legislation, the national monuments’ purpose 

and significance statements, and the servicewide mandates and 

policies described earlier. Within these parameters, the National Park 

Service solicited input from the public, NPS staff, other government 

agencies, tribal officials, and other organizations regarding issues and 

desired conditions for the national monuments. Planning team members 

gathered information about existing visitor use and the condition of the 

national monuments’ facilities and resources. They considered which 

areas of the national monuments attract visitors, and which areas have 

sensitive resources. Using this information, the planning team developed 

four management zones and alternatives to reflect the range of ideas 

proposed by NPS staff and the public.

This chapter describes the management zones and the preferred plan 

for managing the national monuments for the next 15 to 20 years. Also 

it describes the affected environment and user carrying capacity.

Management zones define specific resource conditions and visitor 

experiences to be achieved and maintained in specified areas of 

the national monuments under each action alternative. Each zone 

includes the types of activities and facilities that are appropriate in that 

management zone. The management zones were developed as part of 

this planning effort and, therefore, are not applied or mapped for the 

no-action alternative. 

In formulating the alternatives, the management zones were placed 

Although Montezuma Castle 

is small in size, many species 

of animals live here. Birds, 

mammals, lizards, and insects 

are seen most frequently, though 

seasons and weather play a 

large role in determining what 

animals are active.

Montezuma Castle.

THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

36

in different locations or configurations on 

a map of the monuments according to the 

intent (concept) of each alternative. That is, 

the alternatives represent different ways to 

apply the management zones to the national 

monuments. 

Interpretive Historic

In this management zone, formal, structured 

education and visitor services are emphasized 

with high use and resources in good condition.

Location examples include: existing facilities 

for visitor services (Montezuma Castle), 

existing roads and two parking lots at Well and 

picnic area (Montezuma Well), and existing 

visitor center and trails at pueblo (Tuzigoot).

Tuzigoot’s Tavasci Marsh and Black Hills.

Park Operations

In this management zone, park operations are 

emphasized with substantial levels of resource 

modification and little or no visitor use. 

Location examples include: staff housing and 

sewage lagoons (Montezuma Castle), current 

housing and maintenance area east of Back 

cabin (Montezuma Well), and the current 

housing and maintenance area north of the 

pueblo (Tuzigoot). Work at the Experimental Kochia Plot to remove the invasive plant. 

Source: Case Griffing, NPS.

Table 1 presents the management zones for 

Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national 

monuments. Resource conditions, visitor 

experiences, and appropriate activities and 

facilities are described for each management 

zone. Appendix B shows the locations of the 

management zones for the monuments.
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

37

Resources and Research

In this management zone, resource protection 

and research are emphasized with limited 

use and resources in improving or 

pristine condition.

Location examples include most of the three 

sites of the national monuments.

View of Montezuma Castle.

Interaction and Discovery

In this management zone, self-exploration 

and interactive education are emphasized with 

moderate use and resources in good condition.

Location examples include: corridor along 

Montezuma Castle Road (Montezuma 

Castle), area south and west of the picnic area 

(Montezuma Well), and areas east, north, and 

south of the pueblo (Tuzigoot).

View of Tuzigoot Pueblo.
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

38

Feature

Park

Operations

Interpretive

Historic

Interaction 

and Discovery

Resources

and Research

Zone concept Operations are emphasized 

with substantial levels of 

resource modification and 

little or no visitor use.

Formal, structured education 

and visitor services are 

emphasized with high use 

and resources in good 

condition.

Self-exploration and 

interactive education are 

emphasized with moderate 

use and resources in good 

condition.

Resource protection and 

research are emphasized 

with limited use and 

resources in improving or 

pristine condition.

Natural resource 

conditions

Natural resources may be 

modified for NPS operational 

needs.

Natural resources may be 

manipulated in small areas to 

minimize impacts relating to 

visitor use.

Natural resources may be 

manipulated to include 

features to tell the history of 

the area.

Management is limited 

to moving toward selfsustaining communities and 

ecological systems of native 

plants and animals.

Cultural resource 

condition

Properties eligible for or 

listed in the National Register 

of Historic Places or that fit 

the Archeological Resources 

Preservation Act definition 

of archeological resources 

are preserved. Additions or 

modifications are allowed 

only if they do not adversely 

affect resource integrity.

Stabilization and intensive 

preservation maintenance of 

all resource fabric associated 

with the National Registereligible or – listed properties 

or that fit the Archeological 

Resources Preservation Act 

definition of archeological 

resources is a high 

management priority. Some 

modifications to cultural 

resources to support visitor 

activities may be appropriate.

Stabilization and intensive 

preservation maintenance of 

all resource fabric associated 

with National Registereligible or – listed properties 

or that fit the Archeological 

Resources Preservation Act 

definition of archeological 

resources is a high 

management priority.

Archeological sites and other 

cultural resources that are 

eligible for or listed in the 

National Register or that fit 

the Archeological Resources 

Preservation Act definition of 

archeological resources are 

managed for their protection 

and research.

Hydrologic processes Natural hydrologic processes 

are likely to be disturbed 

to protect infrastructure, 

but mitigation is used to 

minimize off-site impacts.

Natural hydrologic processes 

and water features may be 

stabilized to control erosion 

and deposition to protect 

cultural sites and landscapes.

Natural hydrologic processes 

and water features are an 

important component of the 

historic scene and, to the 

extent practical, are managed 

to reflect period conditions.

Natural hydrologic processes 

are primarily undisturbed 

except for management 

needed to repair past 

damage or protect cultural 

resources.

Natural sights and 

sounds

Natural sights and sounds 

may be compromised by the 

presence of vehicles and high 

levels of human activity.

A moderate noise level often 

occurs, including noise from 

vehicles and voices. Humanrelated sights predominate. 

Natural conditions are less 

important to the visitor 

experience than in other 

zones.

Natural sounds and scenic 

quality are important to 

the visitor experience and/

or protection of wildlife. 

Periodic, low-intensity noise 

comes from vehicles and 

human voices. Natural sights 

predominate.

Natural sounds and scenic 

quality are important. 

Natural sounds and sights 

predominate. Intrusions are 

rare, of low intensity, and 

mainly from outside the zone 

(such as vehicle noise).

Tolerance for impacts 

from human use

Area has a high tolerance for 

resource impacts.

Area has a moderate 

tolerance relating to 

development and visitor use.

Area has a low tolerance 

relating to development and 

visitor use.

Area has a very low 

tolerance to development 

and visitor use. Resource 

protection takes precedence.

Visitor experience Visitor access is restricted. Amenities and services 

are available to welcome 

and orient visitors to the 

monuments and to support 

day-use activities. Visitors 

have a formal, structured, 

educational experience. Most 

time spent in this zone is on 

a hardened, designated route 

with numerous interpretive 

message highlighting 

monument themes.

Visitors experience resources 

and education opportunities 

that represent time periods 

from the Sinaguan culture 

to the 1860s. Contact with 

cultural and natural resources 

provides opportunities for 

visitor learning, mostly 

through self-discovery and 

exploration. Some structured 

learning aids may be 

provided, such as trails, signs, 

and programs.

Access by visitors is highly 

regulated because of the 

sensitivity of resources. 

Guided walks may provide 

limited access and an indepth learning opportunity.

Table 1: Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments Management Zones
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

39

Feature

Park

Operations

Interpretive

Historic

Interaction 

and Discovery

Resources

and Research

Interpretation, 

education, and 

orientation

These activities do not occur 

in this zone.

Formal, structured 

opportunities are greatest in 

this area and could include 

guided programs and contact 

with roving interpreters. 

Opportunities for all ages 

and abilities to learn about 

monument resources are a 

high priority. All monument 

themes are introduced.

Opportunities primarily are 

self-directed with signs 

and brochures. Cultural 

demonstrations linking 

prehistoric to contemporary 

cultures could occur. To 

the extent permissible 

under section 5.3.5.2.4 of 

Management Policies 2006, 

recreated land use scenes, 

such as prehistoric or historic 

farming, could be provided 

to illustrate the historic 

landscape.

Primarily, these areas would 

be interpreted indirectly 

in other areas of the 

monuments.

Use levels, density, 

and encounters

Visitor use does not occur in 

this zone.

High levels of activity 

predominate with a very high 

probability of encounters 

with other visitors and NPS 

staff. Group activities are 

handled effectively.

Moderate levels of activity 

occur in this zone with a 

moderate probability of 

encountering other visitors 

and NPS staff.

Except for a limited number 

of guided walks, this zone 

has very low levels of visitor 

use, low visitor density, and 

few encounters with others.

Appropriate activities Visitor use does not occur in 

this zone.

Activities include walking, 

natural and cultural resource 

observation, guided walks, 

picnicking, and photography. 

Special events could be 

allowed with a permit.

Activities include resource 

education, interpretive walks, 

natural and cultural resource 

observation, and sightseeing.

Activities include guided, 

interpretive hikes; 

photography; resource 

observation, and research.

Level of challenge, 

adventure, and time 

commitment

Visitor use does not occur in 

this zone.

This zone provides a low level 

of challenge and adventure. 

A short time commitment is 

needed to experience this 

zone.

This zone provides a 

moderate level of challenge 

and adventure, and requires a 

moderate time commitment.

A moderate to high time 

commitment is needed 

to access and experience 

this zone. Challenge 

and adventure are not 

appropriate users.

Types of facilities Monument administration 

facilities in this zone include 

headquarters, maintenance 

areas, housing, and other 

facilities necessary for 

the management of the 

monuments.

This zone includes visitor 

centers, fee stations, comfort 

stations, picnic areas, roads, 

parking lots, paved or 

hardened trails, benches, 

wayside exhibits, kiosks, 

and education facilities. 

Commercial visitor service 

and facilities could be based 

in this area. Regulatory 

and interpretive signs are 

common.

Facilities in this zone include 

interpretive signs and naturalsurface trails that reflect 

historic conditions as much 

as possible. Other facilities, 

such as farm plots, represent 

periods of significance.

Improvements that facilitate 

interpretation and safety are 

small and blend with the 

environment.

This zone does not have any 

development for visitor use.

Visitor management Visitor activities do not occur 

in this zone.

Physical controls, such as 

fencing and barriers, and 

providing tools for visitor 

self-management, such 

as prohibiting climbing, 

restrict visitor access and 

accommodate high use while 

protect resources.

Providing tools for visitor 

self-management, such as 

prohibiting climbing, ensure 

resource protection while 

accommodating moderate 

use.

Regulatory controls on visitor 

access, such as allowing only 

guided trips or access for 

approved research, results in 

low use and ensure resource 

protection.

Threshold for 

triggering visitor 

management actions

Visitor activities do not occur 

in this zone.

Thresholds are low for safety 

issues, moderate for resource 

protection, and moderate for 

visitor experience.

Thresholds are moderate for 

safety issues, low for resource 

protection, and low for visitor 

experience.

Thresholds are moderate 

for safety issues, low for 

resource protection, and high 

for visitor experience.

Table 1: Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments Management Zones, Cont.
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

40

DESCRIPTION OF 

THE PLAN

Concept and General 

Management Strategies

T

he main emphasis of the 

plan is to connect the three 

sites (Montezuma Castle, Montezuma 

Well, and Tuzigoot) with improved regional 

orientation to the Verde Valley. Visitors 

would be introduced to all three sites and 

their related interpretive themes through 

coordinated messaging among the three sites. 

Visitors would travel to the sites to learn about 

the prehistoric and historic stories associated 

with human settlement of the Verde Valley.

•	 The Castle would highlight the architecture

of the structure and offer the perspective

of life in a cliff dwelling. This alternative

would provide spectacular views from

below the Castle along Beaver Creek.

•	 Montezuma Well would highlight the

prehistoric and historic farming activities

that were possible in the area because of

the presence of water.

•	 Tuzigoot Pueblo would highlight the

perspective of daily life in a hilltop pueblo,

providing demonstrations and programs

associated with the socioeconomic

activities of the area.

•	 Partnerships would be developed and

enhanced with Verde Valley organizations,

land owners, and government agencies to

ensure awareness of the significance of the

monuments and the important role that

regional activities and land uses can play in

the protection of monument resources.

Managers would continue to follow the special 

mandates, administrative commitments, and 

servicewide mandates and policies that were 

described in “Foundation for Planning and 

Management” in chapter 2.

Conditions and Actions Common to 

All Three Sites

Features of the plan that would apply at 

Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well, and 

Tuzigoot include the following.

•	 Resource management activities would 

be increased through expansion of 

the monuments’ resource stabilization 

program and active participation in the 

NPS inventory and monitoring program.

•	 Formal interpretive and education 

opportunities would be expanded. 

•	 Orientation to the sites and other 

opportunities in the Verde Valley would be 

improved through partnerships that focus 

on coordinated wayfinding, marketing, 

increased information dissemination, and 

pre-trip planning services. Visitors would 

learn about prehistoric and historic human 

settlements in the Verde Valley and how 

each of the monument sites and other sites 

in the region provides opportunities to 

experience these stories first hand. 

Copper
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

41

•	 At each site, interpretation through signs, 

programs, and cultural demonstrations 

would highlight the major themes. 

•	 The National Park Service could acquire 

most of the privately owned lands within 

the legislated boundaries through trade 

or purchase from willing sellers, except 

for the mine tailings at Tuzigoot, which 

would be removed from the legislated 

boundary. The mine tailings do not 

contain resources related to the purpose 

and significance of the monument, 

and are highly disturbed by mining 

activity. The monument is particularly 

interested in acquiring the relatively 

intact acreage on the bench northwest of 

the ruins, which has archeological sites. 

Operational efficiency would be improved 

through the development of workspace 

and storage among the three sites to 

replace offsite workspace and storage 

lost with the expiration of the General 

Services Administration lease with the 

Yavapai Apache Nation for the current 

maintenance facility. (The administrative 

headquarters under a different General 

Services Administration lease from that of 

the maintenance facility would remain in 

Camp Verde.)

•	 Where possible, new facilities, such as 

trails, would be constructed in already 

disturbed areas or on existing pathways, 

social trails, or management use trails. 

Trails would be clearly marked and would 

avoid archeological sites. Disturbance to 

sensitive areas, such as archeological sites 

or habitat for threatened or endangered 

species, would also be avoided whenever 

possible or mitigated.

Boundary Adjustments, Land 

Purchases, And Easements

The boundary of Tuzigoot National 

Monument was expanded by Congress in 

1978. However, until 2005, when it received 

324 acres in a land exchange, the National 

Park Service did not own any of the land in the 

boundary expansion. 

Because the mine tailings area does not 

contain resources related to the purpose and 

significance of the monument, and is highly 

disturbed by mining activity, it would be 

removed from Tuzigoot National Monument’s 

legislated boundary. 

The National Park Service would look to 

acquiring the other land suitable within the 

monument boundary, including that owned 

by Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold, Inc. 

(minus the tailings), or work cooperatively 

with Freeport McMoRan and other entities to 

protect the land for public use consistent with 

the general management plan zoning intent.

Cost Estimates

The cost figures presented are intended only 

to provide an estimate of the relative costs. 

The National Park Service and industry cost 

estimating guidelines were used to develop 

the costs (in 2008 dollars) to the extent 

possible, but the estimates should not be used 

for budgeting purposes. Specific costs will 

be determined in subsequent, more detailed 

planning and design exercises, and considering 

the design of facilities, identification of 

detailed resource protection needs, and 

changing visitor expectations. Actual costs to 

the National Park Service will vary depending 
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

42

on if and when the actions are implemented, 

and on contributions by partners and 

volunteers. The implementation of the 

approved plan will depend on future NPS 

funding levels and servicewide priorities, and 

on partnership funds, time, and effort. The 

approval of a general management plan does 

not guarantee that funding and staffing needed 

to implement the plan will be forthcoming. 

Full implementation of the plan could be many 

years in the future. 

Table 2 presents the plan’s cost summary.

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

AND IMPLEMENTATION 

IMPACTS

Cultural Resources

A

rcheological. Montezuma Castle and 

Tuzigoot national monuments were 

established to preserve the important 

and unique archeological resources present 

within the monuments. The installation of 

new facilities in areas of previous disturbance 

and following site-specific archeological 

surveys would result in very low levels of 

impacts on archeological resources. The 

actions of the preferred alternative will have 

no adverse effect on archeological resources 

and will contribute to beneficial cumulative 

effects through expanded archeological site 

monitoring programs. Therefore, there will be 

no impairment of archeological resources.

Prehistoric and Historic Structures and 

Buildings. Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot 

national monuments were established to 

preserve important prehistoric and historic 

structures. Potential impacts would be 

beneficial to the resource because of continued 

monitoring efforts and intensive preservation 

treatments and stabilization of the monuments’ 

principal prehistoric and historic structures. 

The actions of the preferred alternative will 

have no adverse effect on prehistoric and 

historic structures and buildings and will 

contribute a small increment to beneficial 

cumulative effects. Therefore, there will be 

no impairment of prehistoric and historic 

structures and buildings.

Mountain lion / Puma
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

43

Table 2: Cost Summary for Preferred Plan

Annual operating costs (ONPS)a $1,802,000

Additional staff b

1 GS9 ranger – community outreach

1 GS9 ranger – interpretation

2 WG7 maintenance mechanics

1 GS11 biologist

Currently planned costs (one-time costs)c $1,034,000

Montezuma Castle – Castle Unit

Expand parking lot (25 cars) $65,000

Expand parking lot (35 cars) $0

Construct park headquarters $0

Rehabilitate historic maintenance building $200,000

Designated trails $50,000

Relocate picnic area $0

Construct vehicle access/parking on plateau $0

Operations Facility $1,000,000

Montezuma Castle – Well Unit

Contruct visitor ramada $250,000

Construct visitor centerc 0

Designated trails $50,000

Construct modest work space and storage building $490,000

Tuzigoot

Designated trails $150,000

Construct marsh boardwalk (1000 feet) $270,000

Construct modest work space and storage building $490,000

Restore and rehabilitate Tavasci Marsh $953,000

Total Costsd $6,804,000

Total one-time costse $5,002,000

Facility costs $3,015,000

Non-facility costs $963,000

a. The base year for all estimates is 2007. Annual operating costs are the total costs per year for maintenance and operations associated with each alternative, including utilities, 

supplies, staff salaries and benefits, leasing, and other materials. Cost and staffing estimates assume that the alternative is fully implemented as described in the narrative.

b. The total number of full-time equivalents (FTE) is the number of person-years of staff required to maintain the assets of the monuments in good level, provide acceptable 

visitor services, protect resources, and generally support the monuments’ operations. The FTE number indicated ONPS-funded NPS staff only, not volunteer positions or 

positions funded by partners. FTE salaries and benefits are included in the annual operating costs.

c. The visitor center would be no more than 4,000 square feet. It would include parking, an upgraded access road, and development of a new water supply.

d. Total costs are the sum of facility costs, non-facility costs and annual operating cost.

e. Total one-time costs are sum of facility costs and non-facility costs.
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

44

Cultural Landscapes. The cultural 

landscapes, including the vistas between 

structures, have been identified as one of the 

fundamental resources of the monuments. 

There is some potential for impacts as a result 

of human activities and natural processes, 

such as vandalism and erosion. The National 

Park Service would continue efforts to reduce 

the impacts on cultural landscapes through 

law enforcement, public education, and 

implementation of the secretary’s standards. 

The actions of the preferred alternative will 

have no adverse effect on cultural landscapes 

and will contribute a small increment to 

beneficial cumulative effects. Therefore, there 

will be no impairment of cultural landscapes.

Ethnographic Resources and Traditional 

Cultural Properties. Montezuma Castle and 

Tuzigoot national monuments were established 

to preserve cultural and ethnographic resources 

and traditional cultural properties. Although 

no ethnographic resources or traditional 

cultural properties have been evaluated at the 

monuments, resources within the monuments 

are treated as eligible for consideration. 

Therefore, ongoing consultation with Native 

American tribes is expected to have a beneficial 

impact. The actions of the preferred alternative 

will have no adverse effect on traditional 

cultural properties or ethnographic resources, 

and will contribute to a beneficial cumulative 

effect. Therefore, there will be no impairment 

of ethnographic resources and traditional 

cultural properties.

Natural Resources

Floodplains. The unique hydrology and 

geology of the monuments was identified as 

a fundamental resource for the monuments 

because the hydrology was one of the reasons 

for the settlement in the Verde Valley. Impacts 

to floodplains will be negligible due to a mix 

of beneficial and adverse effects from erosion 

control, and construction of a boardwalk at 

Tavasci Marsh that may include potential 

increased visitor use and access through trails. 

However, the relatively small areas impacted 

and the mitigation methods (including closure 

of trails to allow for recovery of the understory 

and appropriate design of the boardwalk) 

will also reduce the impacts to floodplains. 

Therefore, no impairment will occur.

Soils. Soil was not identified specifically as 

a fundamental resource, but the association 

of the soils to the unique geology of the 

monuments identifies it as an important 

resource for protection. Impacts to soils 

will be very slight and adverse due to trails

construction and expansion of the visitor 

center, but the level of impact will be low due 

to the relatively small area impacted and the use 

of soil erosion control methods. The impacts 

will not rise beyond the negligible range. 

Therefore, no impairment of soils will occur.

Vegetation. Special plant communities are 

identified as an important resource because 

of the interpretive themes and the importance 

to understanding the role of the Verde River, 

Montezuma Well, Tavasci Marsh, Beaver 

Creek, and Wet Beaver Creek in prehistoric 

and historic trade, travel, exploration, and 

settlement. Impacts on vegetation will include 

minor, short-term, adverse impacts during 

construction efforts, but impacts will be 

mitigated through methods such as closure 

of trails to allow recovery of the understory, 

revegetation in certain areas, and control 

methods employed for nonnative species. 

Impacts to vegetation will be very low. 

Therefore, there will be no impairment 

of vegetation.
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

45

Wetlands. The hydrology of the area was 

identified as a fundamental resource for the 

monuments. The nature of the impacts to 

wetlands include marsh restoration to maintain 

existing hydrologic functions in Tavasci 

Marsh at Tuzigoot National Monument and 

a proposed boardwalk to provide education 

and interpretation of the marsh resource. 

The marsh restoration activities as well as 

trail construction will contribute a negligible 

adverse impact to wetlands, but the relatively 

slight impacts will be mitigated through trail 

closure to allow for vegetation to recover and 

the proper design of the boardwalk to limit 

impacts to a very small footprint that requires 

no removal of vegetation. The adverse impacts 

will be very slight. Therefore, there will be no 

impairment of wetlands.

Wildlife. The natural resources, including 

wildlife, were identified as part of the 

fundamental resources for the monuments. 

The nature of the impacts would be potential 

disturbance to the areas from the development 

and access of trails. Impacts to wildlife may 

rise to a level of minor, short-term, adverse 

impacts due to construction activities, but 

the impacts will be mitigated by timing 

construction to avoid nesting seasons, and 

in the long term the impacts from visitors 

will return to a very low level. Therefore, no 

impairment of wildlife will occur.

Threatened and Endangered Species. 

The natural resources, including wildlife, 

and threatened and endangered species were 

identified as part of the fundamental resources 

for the monuments. The nature of the impacts 

would be potential disturbance to the area 

from the development and access of trails. 

The impacts on threatened and endangered 

species will primarily be minor and beneficial 

due to habitat restoration, with some negligible 

adverse impacts on habitat during construction 

that will be mitigated by timing construction 

activities to avoid impacts. The National Park 

Service made a determination and received 

concurrence from the USFWS that may 

affect but not likely to adversely affect all 

threatened, endangered, candidate species, and 

critical habitat. The impact will not exceed a 

negligible level during construction and habitat 

restoration effort. Therefore, no impairment 

will occur. 

Bobcat.

Most desert animals are nocturnal, meaning they are active primarily 

at night. This can be an adaptation to both predation and hot summer 

daytime temperatures. Nocturnal animals include small desert rodents, 

skunks, ringtails, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, bats, and owls.
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

46

Visitor Use and Experience

Moderate to major, beneficial effects 

would result from the increased diversity 

in opportunities to view and learn about 

the monuments’ prime cultural resources. 

Connecting the three sites in the monuments 

via a central orientation facility in the Verde 

Valley would increase exposure of visitors to all 

three sites and provide a better understanding 

of each site’s unique role in settlement of the 

Verde Valley. Providing more trail opportunities 

and cultural programs would make visits to 

each site more exciting, interesting, and inviting 

for repeat visitation. Cumulative effects on 

visitor use and experience would be beneficial 

and moderate to major. In conclusion, the 

plan would contribute to moderate to major 

cumulative benefits.

Socioeconomics

The effects of the plan on socioeconomic 

conditions in the Verde Valley would be shortterm, beneficial, and minor. Cumulative effects 

would be short and long-term, minor, and 

beneficial, except that land use changes could 

result in long-term, minor to moderate, adverse 

impacts to groundwater resources connected 

to Montezuma Well.

Monument Operations 

Implementation of the plan would result in 

long-term, minor to moderate, beneficial 

effects on monument operations because of 

increased and improved space for monument 

operations, and improved capability to manage 

visitors and resources. There would be longterm, minor, adverse impacts due the addition 

of facilities that would require increased 

operations and maintenance. In conclusion, 

the plan would contribute long-term, minor 

beneficial effects on monument operations, 

resulting in cumulative negligible to minor 

benefits for monument operations.

Montezuma Castle Visitor Center.
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

47

MITIGATION MEASURES

C

ongress charged the National Park 

Service with managing the lands under 

its stewardship “...in such manner and 

by such means as will leave them unimpaired 

for the enjoyment of future generations” 

(NPS Organic Act, 16 U.S. Code 1). As a result, 

NPS staff routinely evaluates and implements 

mitigation whenever conditions occur that 

could adversely affect the sustainability of 

national park system resources.

The following mitigation measures and best 

management practices will be applied to 

avoid or minimize potential impacts from 

implementation of the plan.

General

•	 Subject projects to site-specific planning 

and compliance, and make efforts to 

avoid adverse impacts through use of the 

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for 

Archeology and Historic Preservation 

and by using screening and/or sensitive 

design that will be compatible with 

historic resources. If adverse impacts 

cannot be avoided, mitigate those 

impacts through a consultation process 

with all interested parties. 

•	 Inventory all unsurveyed areas in the 

monuments for archeological, historical, 

and ethnographic resources and for 

cultural and ethnographic landscapes. 

Conduct archaeological surveys in 

unsurveyed areas where development 

will occur to determine the extent and 

significance of archeological resources. 

•	 Document cultural and ethnographic 

landscapes in the monuments and identify 

treatments to ensure their preservation. 

•	 Conduct additional background research, 

resource inventory, and National Register 

of Historic Places evaluation when 

information about the location and 

significance of cultural resources is lacking, 

including development of a multiple 

property historic context for National 

Register eligibility for archeological 

resources in the Verde Valley. Incorporate 

results of these efforts into site-specific 

planning and compliance documents. 

•	 Should archeological resources be 

discovered during any construction, stop 

work in that location until the resources 

are properly recorded by the National 

Park Service and evaluated under the 

Archeological Resources Protection Act 

and the eligibility criteria of the National 

Register of Historic Places. Because 

stopping construction can be expensive, 

preconstruction resourse inventories and 

assessments will be conducted to minimize 

the probability of work stoppage. If, in 

consultation with the Arizona state historic 

preservation officer, the resources are 

determined eligible for listing, implement 

appropriate measures either to avoid 

further resource impacts or to mitigate the 

loss or disturbance of the resources. 

•	 Avoid or mitigate impacts on ethnographic 

resources. Mitigation could include 

identification of and assistance in accessing 

alternative resource gathering areas, 

continuation of access to traditional use 

and spiritual areas, and screening new 

development from traditional use areas. 
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

48

•	 Conduct additional background research, 

resource inventory, and National Register 

of Historic Places evaluation where 

information about the location and 

significance of cultural resources is lacking. 

Incorporate the results of these efforts 

into site-specific planning and compliance 

documents. 

•	 Mitigation measures include 

documentation according to standards 

of the Historic American Building 

Survey/Historic American Engineering 

Survey as defined in the Re-engineering 

Proposal (October 1, 1997). The level 

of this documentation, which includes 

photography, archeological data recovery, 

and/or a narrative history, will depend 

on significance (national, state, or local) 

and individual attributes (such as an 

individually significant structure or 

individual elements of a cultural landscape) 

and be determined in consultation with the 

state historic preservation officer (SHPO).

When demolition of historic structure 

is proposed, architectural elements and 

objects may be salvaged for reuse in 

rehabilitating similar structures, or they 

may be added to the monuments’ museum 

collections. In addition, the historical 

alteration of the human environment 

and reasons for that alteration will be 

interpreted to monument visitors. 

•	 Wherever possible, locate projects and 

facilities in previously disturbed or existing 

developed areas. Design facilities to 

avoid known or suspected archeological 

resources. 

•	 Whenever possible, modify project 

design features to avoid effects on cultural 

resources. New developments will be 

relatively limited and will be located on 

sites that blend with cultural landscapes 

and are not adjacent to ethnographic 

resources. If necessary, use vegetative 

screening to minimize impacts on cultural 

landscapes and ethnographic resources. 

•	 Encourage visitors through interpretive 

programs to respect, and leave 

undisturbed, tribal offerings and 

archeological resources. 

•	 Strictly adhere to NPS standards and 

guidelines on the display and care of 

artifacts. This will include artifacts used in 

exhibits in the visitor center. Irreplaceable 

items will be kept above the 500-year 

floodplain. 

Snow at Montezuma Well, by Greg Webb.
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

49

Natural Resources

Air Quality. Mitigation measures to minimize, 

avoid, and offset adverse effects on air quality 

could include implementation of a dust 

abatement program for any construction. 

Standard dust abatement measures could 

include the following elements:

•	 Water or otherwise stabilize soils

•	 Cover haul trucks

•	 Employ speed limits on unpaved roads

•	 Minimize vegetation clearing

•	 Revegetate after construction 

Nonnative and Exotic Species. Implement 

a noxious weed abatement program. Standard 

measures could include the following 

elements:

•	 Ensure that construction-related 

equipment arrives on site free of mud and 

seed-bearing material 

•	 Certify all seed and straw material as 

weed-free 

•	 Identify areas of noxious weeds prior 

to construction 

•	 Treat noxious weeds or noxious weed 

topsoil before construction by methods 

such as topsoil segregation, storage, or 

herbicide treatment 

•	 Revegetate with appropriate native species 

Natural Sounds. Standard noise abatement 

measures that will be implemented during 

construction to mitigate impacts to natural 

soundscapes could include the following 

elements:

•	 Schedule work to minimize impacts on

nearby noise-sensitive uses

•	 Use the best available noise control

techniques wherever feasible

•	 Use hydraulically or electrically powered

impact tools when feasible

•	 Locate stationary noise sources as far from

sensitive uses as possible

•	 Site and design facilities to minimize

objectionable noise

Soils

Mitigation measures to minimize, avoid, and 

offset adverse effects on soils could include the 

following elements:

•	 Build new facilities on soils suitable

for development

•	 Minimize soil erosion by limiting the

time that soil is left exposed and by

applying other erosion control measures

in construction areas, such as erosion

matting, silt fencing, and sedimentation

basins, to reduce erosion, surface scouring,

and discharge to water bodies

•	 Once work is completed, revegetate

construction areas with native plants in a

timely manner
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

50

Rare, Threatened, and Endangered 

Species and Species of Concern. Mitigation 

actions will occur during normal monument 

operations as well as before, during, and 

after construction to minimize immediate 

and long-term impacts to rare, threatened, 

and endangered species. These actions will 

vary by specific project and area. Many of 

the measures listed below for vegetation and 

wildlife also will benefit rare, threatened and 

endangered species by helping to preserve 

habitat. Mitigation actions specific to rare, 

threatened, and endangered species will 

include the following:

•	 Conduct surveys for rare, threatened, and

endangered species as warranted.

•	 Design and site facilities and actions to

avoid adverse effects on rare, threatened,

and endangered species. If avoidance is

infeasible, minimize and compensate for

adverse effects on rare, threatened, and

endangered species as appropriate and in

consultation with the appropriate resource

agencies.

•	 Develop and implement restoration

and/or monitoring plans as warranted.

Plans should include methods for

implementation, performance standards,

monitoring criteria, and adaptive

management techniques.

•	 Implement measures to reduce adverse

effects of nonnative plants and wildlife on

rare, threatened, and endangered species.

•	 Manage visitor use and access in rare,

threatened, or endangered species’ habitats

to avoid, offset, and minimize potential

adverse effects on the habitat or species.

This could include trail or area closures,

temporary or seasonal restrictions, or

rerouting of visitor access.

Vegetation. Mitigation measures to minimize, 

avoid, and offset adverse effects on vegetation 

could include the following:

•	 Monitor areas used by visitors, such

as trails, for signs of native vegetation

disturbance. Use public education,

revegetation of disturbed areas with native

plants, erosion control measures, and

barriers to control potential impacts on

plants from trail erosion or the creation of

social trails.

•	 Designate river access and crossing points,

and use barriers and closures to prevent

trampling and loss of vegetation in other

riparian areas.

•	 Develop revegetation plans for disturbed

areas, including construction sites,

and require the use of native species.

Revegetation plans should specify such

features as seed and plant sources, seed

and plant mixes, and soil preparation. Use

salvaged vegetation to the extent possible.

Southwestern willow flycatcher.
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

51

Water Resources. To prevent water pollution 

during construction, mitigation will include the 

following:

•	 Use erosion control measures.

•	 Minimize discharge to water bodies.

•	 Regularly inspect construction equipment

for leaks of petroleum and other chemicals.

•	 During ongoing operation of the

monuments, it may be appropriate to build

runoff filtration and sedimentation systems

to minimize water pollution from larger

parking areas.

Wildlife. Mitigation measures to minimize, 

offset, or avoid adverse effects on wildlife 

could include the following:

•	 Employ techniques to reduce impacts

on wildlife, including visitor education

programs, restrictions on visitor activities,

and monument ranger patrols.

•	 Implement a natural resource protection

program. Standard measures will include

construction scheduling, biological

monitoring, erosion and sediment

control, use of fencing or other means

to protect sensitive resources adjacent to

construction, removal of all food-related

items or rubbish, topsoil salvage, and

revegetation. This could include specific

construction monitoring by resource

specialists as well as treatment and

reporting procedures.

Wetlands. To avoid adverse effects on 

wetlands, the National Park Service will do the 

following:

•	 Delineate wetlands and apply protection

measures during construction. Wetlands

will be delineated by qualified NPS staff

or certified wetland specialists and clearly

marked before construction work.

•	 Design and install boardwalks for

interpretive purposes and to minimize

impacts on vegetation and wildlife.

•	 Perform construction activities cautiously

to prevent damage caused by equipment,

erosion, and siltation.

•	 Actively work to remove nonnative plants/

animals and restore natural water flows.

Barn owl.
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

52

Visitor Safety and Experiences

Visitor safety, use, and experience will be 

protected and enhanced with the following:

•	 Implement measures to reduce adverse

effects of construction on visitor safety

and experience.

•	 Continue using directional signs

and education programs to promote

understanding among visitors.

•	 Implement adaptive visitor use

management, as outlined in the user

capacity section in the environmental

assessment, when resource and visitor

experience conditions trend toward or

violate a user capacity standard.

•	 Employ management strategies such as

visitor education, site management, visitor

use regulations, rationing or reallocation

of visitor use, and enforcement.

Hazardous Materials

Mitigation measures to minimize, offset, 

or avoid potential exposure to or adverse 

effects from hazardous materials will include 

the following:

•	 Implement a spill prevention and pollution

control program for hazardous materials.

•	 Employ best management practices for

hazardous materials storage and handling,

and for spill containment, cleanup,

and reporting.

•	 Limit refueling and other activities

involving hazardous materials to upland

and or nonsensitive areas.

Scenic Resources

Mitigation measures are designed to minimize 

visual intrusion. These include the following:

•	 Where appropriate, use facilities such as

boardwalks and fences to route people

away from sensitive natural and cultural

resources while still permitting access to

important viewpoints.

•	 Design, site, and construct facilities to

avoid or minimize adverse effects on

natural and cultural resources and visual

intrusion into the natural viewshed

and/or landscape.

•	 Provide vegetative screening

where appropriate.

Socioeconomics

During the future planning and 

implementation of the approved management 

plan for the monuments, the National Park 

Service will work with local communities 

and county governments to further identify 

potential impacts and mitigation measures 

that will best serve the interests and concerns 

of both the National Park Service and the 

local communities. Partnerships will be 

pursued to improve the quality and diversity of 

community amenities and services. 

Sustainable Design and Aesthetics

Projects will avoid or minimize adverse impacts 

on natural and cultural resources. Development 

projects, such as buildings, utilities, roads, 

bridges, and trails, or reconstruction projects, 

such as road improvements, building 

rehabilitation, and utility upgrades, will 

be designed to work in harmony with the 
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

53

surroundings, particularly in historic districts. 

Projects will reduce, minimize, or eliminate air 

and water nonpoint source pollution. Projects 

will be sustainable whenever practicable, by 

recycling and reusing materials, minimizing 

materials, minimizing energy consumption 

during the construction, and minimizing 

energy consumption during the construction, 

and minimize energy consumption throughout 

the lifespan of the project.

USER (CARRYING) 

CAPACITY

G

eneral 

management plans for 

national park system units 

must address user capacity management. 

The National Park Service defines user 

capacity as the type and level of use that 

can be accommodated while sustaining the 

quality of a park unit’s resources and visitor 

opportunities consistent with the purposes 

of the park unit. User capacity management 

involves establishing desired conditions, 

monitoring, evaluating, and taking actions 

(managing visitor use) to ensure that park unit 

values are protected. The premise is that with 

any use on public lands comes some level of 

impact that must be accepted; therefore it is 

the responsibility of the National Park Service 

to decide what level of impact is acceptable 

and what management actions are needed 

to keep impacts within acceptable limits. 

Instead of just tracking and controlling user 

numbers, NPS staff manage the levels, types, 

and patterns of visitor use and other public 

uses as needed to preserve the condition of the 

resources and quality of the visitor experience. 

The monitoring component of this process 

helps NPS staff evaluate the effectiveness of 

management actions and provides a basis for 

informed management of public use.

This section includes potential indicators, 

standards, and potential management actions 

for each management zone that would be 

implemented as needed during the life of 

this plan. The recommended indicators 

and standards help translate the broader 

descriptions of desired conditions, which 

are qualitative in nature, into something 

measurable. The potential indicators were 

suggested for monitoring key aspects of 

visitor experiences and resources at 

the monuments. As indicators 

are identified in the future, 

standards that represent 

the points where visitor experience 

and resource conditions become 

unacceptable in each zone 

would be defined based on 

management goals. 

Existing facilities generally provide good visitor 

opportunities, protect monument resources, 

and, based on projected trends, will continue 

to function well. However, high volumes of use 

in the peak season can cause crowding in the 

visitor center at Montezuma Castle and along 

the main trail to the Castle viewing area. If 

use increases, or the patterns or timing of use 

changes, crowding may get worse. 

Because of the occasional problems of 

crowded conditions at the Castle, the 

indicator for “number of people per hour” is 

being developed for the general management 

plan. This indicator and standard will ensure 

that staff take appropriate action to disperse 

use throughout the monument or during the 

day or season to mitigate crowded conditions, 

as needed. 

Bat
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

54

The monument staff is already monitoring bus 

arrivals. In the future it may be appropriate 

to actively disperse bus use throughout the 

day by requiring buses to arrive and depart 

at defined times and reduce use during the 

mid-day, peak hours. The increases in trail 

opportunities and educational programming in 

the action alternatives should improve visitor 

opportunities and may disperse use away from 

current high-use areas. 

The monument staff will continue monitoring 

use levels and patterns. If these change 

significantly in any of the zones, the staff will 

initiate more systematic monitoring of user 

capacity indicators to ensure protection of 

desired conditions. 

The potential indicators include, but are not 

limited to the topics of vandalism, looting, 

or theft of resources; crowding at attraction 

points; litter; user-created trails; human-caused 

noise; and introduction of invasive plants. 

Before new areas of the monuments in the 

interaction and discovery zone are opened 

to visitors, the staff will select key indicators 

to monitor like those proposed in the zone 

description. Since use patterns were not 

established in these areas, it is important for 

the monument staff to monitor conditions to 

ensure that new use in these areas does not 

have unexpected or unintended consequences. 

The selection of any indicators and standards 

for monitoring or for implementation of any 

management actions that affect use would 

comply with the National Environmental 

Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation 

Act, and other laws, regulations, and policies as 

needed. The National Park Service would also 

inform the public of progress and proposed 

revisions to indicators and standards through 

regular reporting on the user capacity program.

Park Operations Zone

No indicators are identified for user capacity 

because public use is not generally permitted in 

this zone.

Interpretive Historic Zone

This zone includes high levels of development 

and physical controls on visitor movement, 

which should substantially control visitor use 

impacts. Use levels and patterns would be 

continually monitored in this zone to identify 

trends based on data collected at the entrance 

gate, on traffic counters, and through regular 

observations by monument staff. 

The indicator and standard for the number 

of people per hour for entry to Montezuma 

Castle would be implemented. The indicator, 

related monitoring, and management actions 

are below. Monument staff are developing the 

standard for this indicator. 

Hairpin exhibit at the Tuzigoot Museum.
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

55

The indicator will be the number of people per 

hour entering the monument. Other indicators 

that may be considered in this zone for future 

monitoring at any of the popular sites in the 

monuments might include:

•	 The number of people at a given time at

other major points of attraction, such

as the Castle’s visitor center, the rim

overlooks at Montezuma Well, or inside or

on top of the Tuzigoot Pueblo

•	 Litter along main pathways

•	 Vegetation trampling in high use areas,

such as the Montezuma Well picnic area

•	 The condition of archeological resources

close to public use, such as the walls of

the Tuzigoot Pueblo or the walls of the

dwelling structures at Montezuma Well

Monument staff will periodically monitor 

the indicator using methods that may include 

traffic counters, cash-register receipts, and 

observations at select times throughout the 

day during both peak and off-peak season. 

If monitoring indicates that the indicator 

is approaching the standard, future 

management actions could include any or 

all of the following:

•	 Implement voluntary redistribution of

visitor use throughout the day, week, or

season. For example, this could include

visitor education to alert visitors to less

busy times of the day, week, or season to

plan their trips; and the use of intelligent

transportation system (ITS) signs in town

that indicate that the Castle is full to

encourage visitors to delay their arrival.

•	 Require mandatory redistribution of visitor

use during peak times. Under this approach,

visitor reservations may be required to visit

the Castle during peak hours of peak days,

or tour bus operators may be required to

manage the arrival of their vehicles to offpeak times, days, or months.

•	 Restrict visitor use. This could include

actions such as the closure of the parking

lot and/or loop trail during peak hours of

peak-season days.

Other potential management actions to 

address changes in conditions could include 

expanding education and orientation 

messages, restoring disturbed sites, redirecting 

use to less busy areas, regulating visitor use 

(for example, reducing parking capacity), and 

increasing physical controls on use, such as 

installing fencing or other barriers.

Interaction and Discovery Zone

This zone includes low levels of development 

and physical controls on visitor movement. 

Use levels and patterns will be monitored to 

identify trends in use through data collected 

as part of regular monument staff patrols. 

Other indicators that may be considered in 

this zone for future monitoring might include 

user-created trails, litter, human-caused noise, 

looting and vandalism of archeological sites 

near designated trails, and invasive plants. 

The range of potential management actions to 

address changes in conditions could include 

expanding education (particularly “leave no 

trace” messages); restoring disturbed sites; 

restricting use through actions such as a permit 

system, closure of areas, or guided only trips; 

and increasing enforcement patrols.
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

56

Resources and Research Zone

This zone would have low levels of use, 

all of which would be managed on guided 

tours, so no indicators of user capacity are 

proposed. However, monument staff would 

monitor for vandalism, looting, or theft of 

archeological resources.

PLAN IMPLEMENTATION 

AND FUTURE STUDIES / 

PLANS NEEDED

I

mplementation of the approved plan 

depends on future funding. The approval 

of the general management plan does not 

indicate that the funding needed to implement 

all of its provisions will be immediately 

available. Full implementation of the approved 

plan could be many years in the future.

Other factors will also affect the 

implementation of the approved plan. After the 

general management plan for the monuments 

is completed and approved, other more 

detailed studies and plans would be needed 

to implement specific actions. As required, 

additional environmental compliance (National 

Environmental Policy Act, National Historic 

Preservation Act, and other relevant laws and 

policies), and public involvement would be 

conducted, as articulated in Director’s Order 

75A: Civic Engagement and Public Involvement. 

Additional studies would include, but would 

not be limited to, the following:

•	 Boundary adjustments at Tuzigoot

National Monument to remove the

mine tailings.

•	 Comprehensive ethnographic overviews

and assessments (including ethnobotanical

studies) at both national monuments.

•	 Historic resource studies at both

national monuments.

View from Montezuma Castle.
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

57

•	 Cultural landscape inventories at

both monuments to identify specific

strategies and determine priorities for the

management and protection of

these resources.

•	 Comprehensive interpretive plan that

outlines specific interpretive programming

and services at both monuments

(completed).

•	 Restoration plan for Tavasci Marsh to

outline strategies for returning it to a more

naturally functioning and stable condition.

•	 Implementation plans, and site specific

compliance, if necessary, for specific

actions within this general management

plan, such as increased parking at

Montezuma Castle and a visitor contact

station at Montezuma Well.

•	 Site-specific compliance for proposed

actions that could impact floodplains or

wetlands or their associated values in all

three sites of the monument. Compliance

could include statements of findings for

actions not exempt under Director’s Order

77-1: Wetlands Management or Director’s

Order 77-2: Floodplain Management.

•	 Tuzigoot administrative history

(currently underway).

•	 Boundary surveys after land acquisitions

then upgrade and post boundary fence.

•	 Native plants restoration and interpretative

trails development at the Montezuma

Well unit.

•	 Montezuma Well development plan to

enhance visitor facilities.

Tavasci Marsh, NPS photo by Sharlot Hart.
CHAPTER 3 — THE PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

58

CONCLUSION

B

ased on the environmental analysis 

as documented in the environmental 

assessment, together with the 

capability of the mitigation measures to avoid, 

reduce, or eliminate impacts, and with the 

due consideration for the nature of public 

comments, the results determine that the 

approved plan is not a major federal action 

significantly affecting the quality of the 

human environment. Negative environmental 

impacts that could occur are no more than 

minor to moderate in intensity. There are no 

significant impacts on public health, public 

safety, threatened or endangered species, sites 

or districts listed in or eligible for listing in the 

National Register of Historic Places, or other 

unique characteristics of the region. No highly 

uncertain or controversial impacts, unique or 

unknown risks, significant cumulative effects, 

or elements of precedence were identified. 

Implementation of the plan will not violate 

any federal, state, or local environmental 

protection law.

Based on the above information, it has been 

determined that an environmental impact 

statement is not required for this project and 

thus will not be prepared. The plan can be 

implemented as soon as practicable but not 

sooner than 30 days following the date of the 

approval of the General Management Plan.

Coyote.
APPENDIXES AND INDEX

MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

61

APPENDIX A: LEGAL MANDATES

Praying mantis
APPENDIXES AND INDEX

62

Montezuma Castle
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

63
APPENDIXES AND INDEX

64

Tuzigoot Pueblo
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

65
APPENDIXES AND INDEX

66
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

67
APPENDIXES AND INDEX

68
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

69

Montezuma Well
APPENDIXES AND INDEX

70
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

71
APPENDIXES AND INDEX

72
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

73

Redwinged blackbird
APPENDIXES AND INDEX

74

APPENDIX B: PARCEL MAPS
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

75
APPENDIXES AND INDEX

76
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

77

INDEX

A

academic institutions 27

access 10, 18, 20, 30, 38, 39, 43, 44, 45, 47, 50, 52

act of Congress 9

administrative commitments 20, 40

air pollution 26

air quality 20, 26, 49

Antiquities Act 8, 16

archeological sites 20, 41, 55

archival collections 23

Arizona Game and Fish 27, 29, 30

Arizona State Parks 29, 30

artifacts 9, 13, 20, 23, 48

B

Back cabin 19, 36

Back ranch 9

Beaver Creek 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 40, 44

Beaver Creek Road 20

best management practices 47, 52

Bridgeport Pueblo 17

C

Camp Verde 12, 41

conservation 24, 27, 29

cost 41, 42, 43

cultural connectivity 17, 19

cultural resources 1, 8, 10, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 38, 46, 47, 48, 52

E

ecosystem management 29

ecosystem monitoring 25

education 15, 24, 30, 31, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 44, 45, 50, 51, 52, 55

education programs 31, 51, 52

endangered species 20, 27, 41, 45, 50, 58

Endangered Species Act 27

environmental assessment 10, 52, 58

erosion 38, 44, 49, 50, 51

ethnographic, 23

exotic species 20

F

fire management 26

floodplain 18, 48

Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold, Inc 12, 41

fundamental resources and values 17, 18

G

General Services Administration 11, 12, 41

geological specimens 23
APPENDIXES AND INDEX

78

geologic features 26, 27

H

Hatalacva 17

hiking 9

historic biological 23

Hohokam 9, 18

I

interpretation 1, 15, 19, 20, 24, 31, 39, 41, 43, 45

invasive plants 28, 54, 55

invasive species 29

inventories 25, 28, 47, 57

M

management zones 35, 36

mine tailings 12, 41, 56

mitigation measures 10, 47, 52, 58

monitoring 25, 27, 28, 30, 31, 40, 42, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55

Montezuma Castle National Monument 4, 7, 8, 9

Montezuma Well 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 36, 37, 40, 44, 46, 48, 55, 57, 67

museum 8, 9, 17, 19, 23, 46, 48, 54

N

National Environmental Policy Act 10, 22, 54, 56

National Historic Preservation Act 20, 22, 23, 54, 56

National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 10

National Park Service Organic Act 20

National Park System General Authorities Act 20

National Register of Historic Places 23, 38, 47, 48, 58

Native Americans 23, 24

native plants 28, 38, 49, 50

natural features 17, 18, 19, 24

natural resources 10, 11, 12, 24, 25, 26, 29, 38, 45

natural sounds 26

nonrenewable resources 27

NPS Management Policies 2006 21

NPS Vanishing Treasures Initiative 22

O

orientation 12, 31, 39, 40, 46, 55

P

paleontological 23, 27

paleontological resources 27

parking 9, 36, 39, 43, 51, 55, 57

picnic area 9, 36, 37, 43, 55

prescribed 11

Presidential Proclamation No. 696 8

Presidential Proclamation No. 2344 9

primary interpretive themes 19

private landowners 28, 29

public use 12, 24, 30, 41, 53, 54, 55

pueblo 13, 36, 37, 40
MONTEZUMA CASTLE – TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENTS

79

R

recreation 19

research 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 37, 38, 39, 47, 48

resource stewardship 24, 29

S

Sacred Mountain 17

Salt Mine Pueblo 17

significance statements 35

Sinaguan 9, 16, 38

socioeconomic conditions 46

soil 27, 44, 49, 50

Sonoran Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network 25

special mandates 22, 40

special-status species 27

structures and related resources and values 17, 18, 19

T

Tavasci Marsh 12, 17, 18, 25, 36, 43, 44, 45, 57

Thoeny 17

threatened and endangered species 20, 45, 50

traffic 54, 55

trails 9, 36, 38, 39, 41, 43, 44, 45, 50, 52, 54, 55, 57

Tuzigoot Extension 17

Tuzigoot Hill 18

Tuzigoot National Monument 4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 37, 41, 45, 56, 68

U

user capacity 30, 31, 52, 53, 54, 56

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 27, 30, 45

U.S. Forest Service 29, 30

V

variability 28

vegetation 1, 28, 44, 45, 49, 50, 51, 55

vehicles 9, 38, 55

Verde River 17, 18, 19, 44

Verde Valley 1, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 19, 23, 40, 44, 46, 47

viewshed 52

visitor access 30, 39, 50

visitor center 8, 9, 36, 43, 44, 48, 53, 55

visitor contact station 9, 12, 57

visitor enjoyment 10, 17, 26, 30

W

water pollution 29, 51

Western National Parks Association 20

Wet Beaver Creek 17, 18, 19, 44

wetlands 20, 45, 51, 57

wildland fire 26

wildlife 19, 26, 28, 29, 38, 45, 50, 51

Y

Yavapai Apache Nation 12, 41

Yavapai County 20


National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior