Glossary 329

A

Refers to standards for various classes of land

as designated by the Clean Air Act of 1978.

advisory council

A citizen group appointed by the Secretary of

the Interior to advise on matters relating to

the trail, including standards for the erection

and maintenance of markers along the trail,

and the administration of the trail. 

AIRFA

The American Indian Religious Freedom Act.

air quality

Refers to standards for various classes of land

as designated by the Clean Air Act of 1978.

alignment

The general heading of the remains of the trail

or the projected route of the trail.

all-terrain vehicle

A wheeled or tracked vehicle, other than a

snowmobile or work vehicle, designed primarily for recreational use, or for the transportation of property or equipment exclusively on

undeveloped road rights-of-way, marshland,

open country, or other unprepared surfaces.

allotment

An area of land where one or more livestock

operators graze their livestock. Allotments

generally consist of BLM lands, but may also

include other federally managed, state owned,

and private lands. An allotment may include

one or more separate pastures. Livestock

numbers and periods of use are specified for

each allotment.

amendment

The process for considering or making

changes in the terms, conditions, and decisions of approved Resource Management

Plans or Management Framework Plans using

the prescribed provisions for resource management planning appropriate to the proposed action or circumstances. Usually only

one or two issues are considered that involve

only a portion of the planning area.

adaptive management

The continuous process of modifying management actions based on the results of

inventory and monitoring.

Area of Critical Environmental 

Concern (ACEC)

Areas within public lands in which special

management attention is required to (1) protect and prevent irreparable damage to

important historic, cultural, or scenic values,

fish and wildlife resources, or other natural

systems or processes; or to (2) protect life and

safety from natural hazards.

arid region

A region in which precipitation is insufficient

to support any but drought-adapted vegetation.

arroyo

A term applied in the arid and semiarid

regions of the southwestern United States to

the small, deep, flat-floored channel or gully

of an ephemeral stream or of an intermittent

stream, usually with vertical or steeply cut

banks of unconsolidated material at least 2

feet high; it is usually dry, but may be transformed into a temporary watercourse or

short-lived torrent after heavy rainfall.

authorized officer

The federal employee who has the delegated

authority to make a specific decision. 

auto tour route

A designated route of all-weather highways

that closely parallels the historic trail route.

GLOSSARY
330 APPENDIXES/GLOSSARY/A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

backcountry byways:

Vehicle routes that traverse scenic corridors

utilizing secondary or backcountry road systems. National backcountry byways are designated by the type of road and vehicle needed

to travel the byway.

best management practices

A practice or combination of practices that are

determined after problem assessment and

examination of alternatives to be the most

effective and practicable (technologically,

economically, and institutionally) means of

preventing or reducing the amount of pollution from nonpoint sources to the level compatible with determined goals.

biodiversity

The diversity of living organisms considered

at all levels of organization including genetics,

species, and higher taxonomic levels, and the

variety of habitats and ecosystems, as well as

the processes occurring therein.

biological assessment

The gathering and evaluation of information

on proposed endangered and threatened

species and critical habitat and proposed critical habitat. Required when a management

action potentially conflicts with endangered

or threatened species, the biological assessment is the way in which federal agencies

enter into formal consultation with the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service and describe a proposed action and the consequences to the

species the action would effect.

BLM

Bureau of Land Management.

bosque

A riverside forest.

camino

A road or roadway.

camino real

A road that connects a city with a Spanish

Capital to a city with a Spanish land, open 

Camino Real Administration (Office)

The joint BLM/NPS office in charge of

administration of the National Historic Trail.

candidate species

Any species included in the Federal Register

notice of review that are being considered for

listing as threatened or endangered by the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Carreta

A cart that is drawn by a horse, mule or oxen.

CEQ

Council on Environmental Quality.

closed

Generally denotes that an area is not available

for a particular use or uses; refer to specific

definitions found in law, regulations, or policy

guidance for application to individual programs.

closed area or trail

Designated areas and trails where the use of

off-road vehicles is permanently or temporarily prohibited. The use of off-road vehicles in closed areas may be allowed only with

the approval of the authorized officer.

closed road

A road or segment that is restricted from certain types of use during certain seasons of the

year. The prohibited use and the time period

of closure is specified.

CMP/EIS

Comprehensive Management

Plan/Environmental Impact Statement.

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

The official, legal tabulation of regulations

directing federal government activities.

collaboration

A cooperative process in which interested

parties, often with widely varied interests,

work together to seek solutions with broad

support for managing public and other lands.

This may or may not involve an agency as a

cooperating agency.
Glossary 331

collaborative partnerships

Refers to people working together, sharing

knowledge and resources, to achieve desired

outcomes for public lands and communities

within statutory and regulatory frameworks.

CMP

Comprehensive Management Plan.

conformance

That a proposed action shall be specifically

provided for in the land use plan or, if not

specifically mentioned, shall be clearly consistent with the goals, objectives, or standards of

the approved land use plan.

consistency

The proposed land use plan does not conflict

with officially approved plans, programs, and

policies of North American Indian tribes,

other federal agencies, and state, and local

governments to the extent practical within

federal law, regulation, and policy.

cooperating agency

Assists the lead federal agency in developing

an Environmental Analysis or Environmental

Impact Statement. The Council on

Environmental Quality regulations implementing NEPA define a cooperating agency as

any agency that has jurisdiction by law or special expertise for proposals covered by NEPA.

Any North American Indian tribe or federal,

state, or local government jurisdiction with

such qualifications may become a cooperating

agency by agreement with the lead agency.

corridor

The area encompassing the length and

breadth of the historic remains of the trail

and/or the projected length and breadth of

the historic alignment of the trail.

Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)

An advisory council to the President of the

United States established by the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969. It reviews

federal programs for their effect on the environment, conducts environmental studies,

and advises the President on environmental

matters.

cultural resources

Nonrenewable elements of the physical and

human environment, including archeological

remains (evidence of prehistoric or historic

human activities) and sociocultural values traditionally held by ethnic groups (sacred

places, traditionally utilized raw materials,

etc.).

cultural site

Any location that includes prehistoric and/or

historic evidence of human use, or that has

important sociocultural value.

cumulative impact

The impact on the environment that results

from the incremental impact of the action

when added to other past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of

what agency (federal or non-federal) or person undertakes such other actions.

Cumulative impacts can result from individually minor but collectively significant actions

taking place over a period of time. 

designated roads and trails

Specific roads and trails where some type of

motorized vehicle use is allowed either seasonally or all year long.

desired condition

Description of those factors that should exist

within ecosystems, both to maintain their survival and to meet social and economic needs.

diversity

The relative abundance of wildlife species,

plant species, communities, habitats, or habitat features per unit of area.

easement

A right afforded a person or agency to make

limited use of another’s real property for

access or other purposes.

Economic Study Area (ESA)

The area described in this planning effort

comprising eight counties in New Mexico,

one in Texas, and the State of Chihuahua,

which forms the basis for the socioeconomic

profile.
332 APPENDIXES/GLOSSARY/A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

ecosystem

A complete, interacting system of living

organisms and the land and water that make

up their environment; the home places of all

living things, including humans. 

Environmental Assessment (EA)

A concise public document prepared to provide sufficient evidence and analysis for

determining whether to prepare an environmental impact statement or a finding of no

significant impact. It includes a brief discussion of the need for the proposal, alternatives

considered, environmental impacts of the

proposed action and alternatives, and a list of

agencies and individuals consulted.

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

A detailed written statement required by the

National Environmental Policy Act when an

agency proposes a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human

environment.

erosion

The wearing away of the land surface by running water, wind, ice, or other geological

agents.

FHWA

Federal Highway Administration.

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976 (FLPMA)

Public Law 94-579, of October 21, 1976, often

referred to as the BLM’s Organic Act, which

provides the majority of the BLM’s legislated

authority, direction, policy, and basic management guidance. 

Federal Protection Component

Those components on federally owned lands

that meet national historic trail criteria.

Federal Register

A daily publication that reports Presidential

and federal agency documents.

forage

All browse and herbaceous foods available to

grazing animals that may be grazed or harvested for feeding.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A computer system capable of storing, analyzing, and displaying data and describing places

on the earth’s surface.

goal

A broad statement of a desired outcome.

Goals are usually not quantifiable and may not

have established time frames for achievement.

groundwater

Water contained in pore spaces of consolidated and unconsolidated surface material. 

habitat

A specific set of physical conditions that surround a species, group of species, or a large

community. In wildlife management, the

major constituents of habitat are considered

to be food, water, cover, and living space.

high-potential route segment

Those segments of a trail which would afford

high quality recreation experience in a portion

of the route having greater than average scenic

values or affording an opportunity to vicariously share the experience of the original

users of a historic route.

high-potential historic site

Those historic sites related to the route, or

sites in close proximity thereto, which provide

opportunities to interpret the historical significance of the trail during the period of its

major use. Criteria for consideration as highpotential historic sites include historic significance, presence of visible historic remnants,

scenic quality, and relative freedom from

intrusion.

IBWC

International Boundary and Water

Commission.
Glossary 333

impact

A modification of the existing environment

caused by an action (such as construction or

operation of facilities).

impacts (or effects)

Environmental consequences (the scientific

and analytical basis for comparison of alternatives) as a result of a proposed action.

Effects may be either direct, which are caused

by the action and occur at the same time and

place, or indirect, which are caused by the

action and are later in time or farther removed

in distance but still reasonably foreseeable, or

cumulative.

implementation decisions

Decisions that take action to implement land

use plan decisions. They can generally be

appealed to the Interior Board of Land

Appeals.

implementation plan

A site-specific plan written to implement

decisions made in a land use plan. An implementation plan usually selects and applies best

management practices to meet land use plan

objectives. Implementation plans are synonymous with activity plans. Examples of implementation plans include interdisciplinary

management plans, habitat management plans,

and allotment management plans.

INAH

Instituto Nacional de Anthropología e

Historia. An Agency of the Nation of Mexico

which is roughly equal to the National Park

Service and Bureau of Land Management.

Indian tribe (North American Indian)

Any Indian group in the conterminous United

States that the Secretary of the Interior recognizes as possessing tribal status.

indirect impacts

Secondary effects that occur in locations other

than the initial action or later in time.

infrastructure

The facilities, services, and equipment needed

for a community to function, including roads,

sewers, water lines, police and fire protection,

and schools.

interdisciplinary team

A group of individuals with different training,

representing the physical sciences, social sciences, and environmental design arts, assembled to solve a problem or perform a task. The

members of the team proceed to a solution

with frequent interaction so that each discipline may provide insights to any stage of the

problem and disciplines may combine to provide new solutions. The number and disciplines of the members preparing the plan vary

with circumstances. A member may represent

one or more discipline.

Interior Board of Land Appeals

The board of the Department of the Interior

Office of Hearings and Appeals that acts for

the Secretary of the Interior in responding to

appeals of decisions on the use and disposition of public lands and resources. Because

the Interior Board of Land Appeals acts for

and on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior,

its decisions usually represent the department’s final decision but are subject to the

courts. 

land use allocation

The identification in a land use plan of the

activities and foreseeable development that

are allowed, restricted, or excluded for all or

part of the planning area, based on desired

future conditions.

land use plan

A set of decisions that establish management

direction for land within an administrative

area, as prescribed under the planning provisions of FLPMA; an assimilation of land-useplan-level decisions developed through the

planning process, regardless of the scale at

which the decisions were developed.
334 APPENDIXES/GLOSSARY/A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

land use plan decision

Establishes desired outcomes and actions

needed to achieve them. Decisions are

reached using the BLM planning process.

When they are presented to the public as proposed decisions, they can be protested to the

BLM Director. They cannot be appealed to

the Interior Board of Land Appeals.

land use planning base

The entire body of land use plan decisions

resulting from Resource Management Plans,

Management Framework Plans, planning

analyses, the adoption of other agency plans,

or any other type of plan in which land-useplan-level decisions are reached.

leasable minerals

Those minerals or materials designated as

leasable under the Mineral Leasing Act of

1920. They include coal, phosphate, asphalt,

sulfur, potassium, and sodium minerals, and

oil, gas, and geothermal.

lease

(1) A legal document that conveys to an operator the right to drill for oil and gas; and (2)

the tract of land on which a lease has been

obtained, where producing wells and production equipment are located.

limited areas or trails

Designated areas or trails where the use of

off-road vehicles is subject to restrictions,

such as limiting the number or types or vehicles allowed, dates and times of use (seasonal

restrictions), limiting use to existing roads and

trails, or limiting use to designated roads and

trails. Under the designated roads and trails

designation, use would be allowed only on

roads and trails that are signed for use.

Combinations of restrictions are possible,

such as limiting use to certain types of vehicles

during certain times of the year.

locatable minerals

Minerals subject to exploration, development,

and disposal by staking mining claims as

authorized by the Mining Law of 1872, as

amended. This includes deposits of gold, silver, and other uncommon minerals not subject to lease or sale.

LWCF

Land and Water Conservation Fund.

management opportunities

A component of the analysis of the management situation; actions or management direc

tions that could be taken to resolve issues or

management concerns. 

mineral

Any solid or fluid inorganic substance that can

be extracted from the earth for profit.

mineral materials

Materials such as common varieties of sand,

stone, gravel, pumice, pumicite, and clay that

are not obtainable under the mining or leasing

laws but that can be acquired under the

Mineral Materials Act of 1947, as amended.

mineral rights

Mineral rights outstanding are third-party

rights-an interest in minerals not owned by

the person or party conveying the land to the

United States. It is an exception in a deed that

is the result of prior conveyance separating

title of certain minerals from the surface

estate.

mineral withdrawal

A formal order that withholds federal lands

and minerals from entry under the Mining

Law of 1872 and closes the area to mineral

location (staking mining claims) and development.

mining claim

A parcel of land that a miner takes and holds

for mining purposes, having acquired the right

of possession by complying with the Mining

Law and local laws and rules. A single mining

claim may contain as many adjoining locations

as the locator may make or buy. There are

four categories of mining claims: lode, placer,

mill site, and tunnel site.

mitigation measures

Methods or procedures that reduce or lessen

the impacts of an action. 
Glossary 335

monitoring

The periodic observation and orderly collection of data on (1) changing conditions of

public land related to management actions;

and (2) the effects of implementing decisions.

monitoring

The process of tracking the implementation of

land use plan decisions.

multijurisdictional planning

Collaborative planning in which the purpose

is to address land use planning issues for an

area, such as an entire watershed or other

landscape unit, in which there is a mix of

public and/or private landownerships and

adjoining or overlapping tribal, state, local

government, or other federal agency authorities.

multiple use

The management of public lands and their

various resource values so that they are utilized in the combination that will best meet

the present and future needs of the American

people. Making the most judicious use of the

lands for some or all of these resources or

related services over areas large enough to

provide sufficient latitude for periodic adjustments in use to conform to changing needs

and conditions. The use of some lands for less

than all of the resources. A combination of

balanced and diverse resource uses that takes

into account the long-term needs of future

generations for renewable and nonrenewable

resources, including, but not limited to, recreation, range, timber, minerals, watershed,

wildlife and fish, and natural scenic, scientific,

and historical values. And harmonious and

coordinated management of the various

resources without permanent impairment of

the productivity of the lands and the quality of

the environment, with consideration being

given to the relative values of the resources

and not necessarily to the combination of uses

that will give the greatest economic return or

greatest unit output.

multiplier

The number of times new investment spending will be re-spent to produce a certain

amount of new income.

NAGPRA

Native American Graves Protection and

Repatriation Act.

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space

Administration.

NEA

National Endowment for the Arts.

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA): An act that encourages productive

and enjoyable harmony between humans and

their environment and promotes efforts to

prevent or eliminate damage to the environment; enriches the understanding or the ecological systems and natural resources important to the nation; and establishes the Council

on Environmental Quality.

National Historic Landmark (NHL)

The National Historic Landmark program

identifies, designates, and protects buildings,

structures, sites, and objects of national significance. These properties commemorate and

illustrate the history and culture of the United

States.

NHT

National Historic Trail. National historic

trails, are extended trails which follow as

closely as possible and practicable the original

trails or routes of travel of national historic

significance. Designation of such trails or

routes shall be continuous, but the established

or developed trail, and the acquisition thereof,

need not be continuous onsite. National historic trails shall have as their purpose the

identification and protection of the historic

route and its historic remnants and artifacts

for public use and enjoyment. Only those

selected land and water based components of

a historic trail which are on federally owned

lands and which meet the national historic
336 APPENDIXES/GLOSSARY/A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

trail criteria established in this Act are included as Federal protection components of a

national historic trail. The appropriate

Secretary may certify other lands as protected

segments of an historic trail upon application

from State or local governmental agencies or

private interests involved if such segments

meet the national historic trail criteria established in this Act and such criteria supplementary thereto as the appropriate Secretary

may prescribe, and are administered by such

agencies or interests without expense to the

United States. 

NHTSA

National Historic Trails System Act, P.L. 90-

543, 16 USC 1241-51.

NM

New Mexico.

NPS

National Park Service.

National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)

The principal federal law dealing with historic

preservation. It established a national policy

of historic preservation, including encouraging preservation on the state and private levels. The act authorized the Secretary of the

Interior to maintain a National Register of

Historic Places.

National Landscape Conservation System

(NLCS)

A system of congressional, Presidential, or

other designated areas managed by the BLM,

the components of which include National

Monuments, National Conservation Areas,

Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas,

Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Historic

Trails, National Scenic Trails, the California

Desert Conservation Area, and the

Headwaters Forest Reserve.

National Natural Landmarks (NNL)

Sites designated by the Secretary of the

Interior as containing the best representative

examples of geologic features and natural

communities composing the nation’s natural

history. The purpose of the designation is to

encourage preservation of such sites through

well-informed management and use, and

consideration of these sites in public and private land use planning. Designation has no

legal effect on landownership, use, or management.

National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)

A register of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects, significant in American history, architecture, archeology, and culture,

established by the Historic Preservation Act of

1966, and maintained by the Secretary of the

Interior. 

National Register potential

Status of a cultural resource, which is deemed

qualified for the National Register of Historic

Places prior to formal documentation and

consultation; managed as if it were actually

listed. 

NWR

National Wildlife Refuge.

negligible impact

Impact that is small in magnitude and importance and is difficult or impossible to quantify

relative to those occurring naturally or due to

other actions.

non-point-source pollution

Unlike pollution from industrial and sewage

treatment plants, pollution comes from many

diffuse sources. Pollution is caused by rainfall

or snowmelt moving over and through the

ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and

carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers,

wetlands, coastal waters, and even our underground sources of drinking water.

objective

A description of a desired condition for a

resource. Objectives can be quantified and

measured, and, where possible, have established time frames for achievement.

off-highway vehicle (off-road vehicle; OHV)

Any motorized vehicle capable of, or designed

for, travel on or immediately over land, water,

or other natural terrain, excluding: (1) any
Glossary 337

non-amphibious registered motorboat; (2)

any military, fire, emergency, or law enforcement vehicle while being used for emergency

purposes; (3) any vehicle whose use is

expressly authorized by the authorized officer, or otherwise officially approved; (4) vehicles in official use; and (5) any combat or

combat-support vehicle when used in times

of national defense emergencies.

open areas and trails

Designated areas and trails where off-road

vehicles may be operated, subject to operating

regulations and vehicle standards; or an area

where all types of vehicle use is permitted at

all times, subject to standards.

paleontological resources (fossils)

The physical remains of plants and animals

preserved in soils and sedimentary rock formations. Paleontological resources are important for understanding past environments,

environmental change, and the evolution of

life.

paraje

(general). Spanish, ‘place, residence,” but in

NM the term has also become a place name,

referring usually to a ‘stopping place” or

“campground” travelers. Many old settlements originally were parajes, such as Paraje

de Belen and Paraje de Bernalillo. Josiah

Gregg, in Commerce of the Prairies (1844),

described the Paraje of Fra Cristobal as “like

many others on the route, neither town nor

village, but a simple isolated point on the river

bank-a mere paraje, or camping ground.”

[Julyan] 

physiographic province

A region defined by a unified geologic history

and a characteristic geologic structure and climate that differs from adjoining regions.

plan

A document that contains a set of comprehensive, long-range decisions concerning the

use and management of resources in a specific

geographic area. 

planning area

A geographical area for which land use and

Resource Management Plans are developed

and maintained.

planning criteria

The standards, rules, and other factors developed by managers and interdisciplinary teams

for their use in forming judgments about

decision-making, analysis, and data collection

during planning. Planning criteria streamline

and simplify the resource management planning actions.

planning analysis

A process using appropriate resource data and

NEPA analysis to provide a basis for decisions

in areas not yet covered by a Resource

Management Plan.

preplan or project plan

Describes the purpose, location, issues to be

resolved, participants’ roles and responsibilities, budget, and schedule.

Pueblo

An Anerican Indian Village or collective group

of American Indian people known by a specific name e.g.: Santa Domingo Pueblo

R&PP

Recreation and Public Purposes.

rangeland

Land used for grazing by livestock and big

game animals on which vegetation is dominated by grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or

shrubs.

raptor

Birds of prey with sharp talons and strongly

curved beaks, such as hawks, owls, vultures,

and eagles.

record of decision

A document signed by a responsible official

recording a decision that was preceded by the

preparing of an Environmental Impact

Statement.
338 APPENDIXES/GLOSSARY/A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Resource Management Plan (RMP)

A land use plan as prescribed by the Federal

Land Policy and Management Act that establishes, for a given area of land, land-use allocations, coordination guidelines for multipleuse, objectives, and actions to be achieved.

right-of-way

A permit or an easement that authorizes the

use of public lands for certain specified purposes, commonly for pipelines, roads, telephone lines, electric lines, reservoirs, etc.; also,

the lands covered by such an easement or

permit. 

right-of-way corridor

A parcel of land that has been identified by

law, Secretarial order, through a land use plan,

or by other management decision as being the

preferred location for existing and future

right-of-way grants, and suitable to accommodate one type of right-of-way or one or

more rights-of-way that are similar, identical,

or compatible. 

riparian area

A form of wetland transition between permanently saturated wetlands and upland areas.

Riparian areas exhibit vegetation or physical

characteristics that reflect the influence of

permanent surface or subsurface water.

Typical riparian areas include lands along,

adjacent to, or contiguous with perennially

and intermittently flowing rivers and streams,

glacial potholes, and the shores of lakes and

reservoirs with stable water levels. Excluded

are ephemeral streams or washes that lack

vegetation and depend on free water in the

soil.

rock art

Petroglyphs (engraved designs) or pictographs

(painted designs).

saleable minerals

Common-variety minerals on public lands,

such as sand and gravel, which are used mainly for construction and are disposed of by

sales or special permits to local governments.

scenic byways

Highway routes that have roadsides or corridors of special esthetic, cultural, or historical

value. An essential part of the highway is its

scenic corridor. The corridor may contain

outstanding scenic vistas, unusual geologic

features, or other natural elements.

scenic quality

The degree of harmony, contrast, and variety

within a landscape. 

Section 106 compliance

The requirement of Section 106 of the

National Historic Preservation Act that any

project funded, licensed, permitted, or assisted by the federal government be reviewed for

impacts to significant historic properties, and

that the State Historic Preservation Officer

and the Advisory Council on Historic

Preservation be allowed to comment on a

project.

sediment yield

The amount of sediment produced in a

watershed, expressed in tons, acre feet, or

cubic yards, of sediment per unit of drainage

area per year.

SHPO

State Historic Preservation Officer.

significant

An effect that is analyzed in the context of the

proposed action to determine the degree or

magnitude of importance of the effect, either

beneficial or adverse. The degree of significance can be related to other actions with

individually insignificant but cumulatively significant impacts.

site steward program

A program designed to preserve cultural sites

through the use of volunteers, similar to a

neighborhood watch program.

SLO

State Land Office.
Glossary 339

special status species

Includes proposed species, listed species, and

candidate species under the ESA; State-listed

species; and BLM State Director-designated

sensitive species.

species diversity

The number of, different kinds of, and relative

abundance of, species present in a given area.

standard

A description of the physical and biological

conditions or degree of function required for

healthy, sustainable lands (e.g., land health

standards).

Swale

Swale is the physical evidence of the historic

trail. Typically the trail remains are not ruts but

swales that have been created by the passage of

animals pulling a wagon or cart.

trace

A path, trail or road made by the passage of

animals, people, or vehicles.

Threatened and Endangered Species (T&E)

Any plant or animal species defined under the

Endangered Species Act as likely to become

endangered within the foreseeable future

throughout all or a significant portion of its

range; listings are published in the Federal

Register.

TX

Texas

USDA

United States Department of Agriculture.

USFS

United States Forest Service (also listed as

USDA Forest Service).

USFWS

United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

variant or alternative route

A route of the trail that in general parallels

another alignment of the trail or road.

visual resources

The visible physical features of a landscape

(topography, water, vegetation, animals,

structures, and other features) that constitute

the scenery of an area.

VRM

Visual Resources Management.

water quality

The chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water with respect to its suitability

for a particular use.

watershed

All lands that are enclosed by a continuous

hydrologic drainage divide and lie upslope

from a specified point on a stream.

wetlands

Areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water often and long enough

to support and under normal circumstances

do support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.