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<br />~." <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />~1ExrCAN CUWC1EN'l'IFIC INFORMA'rION 2 <br /> <br />ECOWG l' C~.~:.-'{.r M J I, I TY <br /> <br />r.!m:ican cut, by virtue of its q1ac1;..1. or:i.<Jin, J:orms a distinct <br />t:UP09l'dphic uniL wiLh rilthOl: shaq)ly deli.mited physical boundaries. <br />I t:.s nd t.uro ("18 <:.t thlnqing cirque provides a dis t.inct floor, or lower . <br />J0vl~1, which cff"I:Lively ,;,~pal:ates it fr.om Schofield Parl< 500 feet <br />below. 'l'he north and south boundaries arc steep ridqes and the <br />western bounda~y lies along the top of Galena Mountain itself. <br /> <br />1'11" entin;! l-lexiciIIl Cut water drainage li.es within the basin drawing <br />I.tt; source from snowmelt within the Pr(~scrve Bonndary. R~'lBr, owns <br />L.he WilC...,r ri'lhts - both [or water quali.ty and qUilntity - amI eff(.'.ct.. <br />ive.ly protects Uw aquatic conununities from pollntion due to mining <br />ol.lc>ratiol\s, human habitation, or water diversion for human comrnun" <br />ities at lower altitudes. <br /> <br />i\cc0ss to ~lexicilll Cut lies sol..,ly along an old wagon road entering <br />1'1'0111 ClI<o Park to the south. l3y permission of t1w vlhite Ri.ver <br />National F'01."()st and t.he heirs of the Setz est:Clt(~, IHIfOL personnel <br />have..: t\i\.'led the pr'ocl.;::",SOB of na ture und have arl'anq(-)lj fallen l:reof.i <br />across the road to eli.minate wheeled veh.icle t.x:affic. Foot travel <br />is the only way to enter Mexican Cut - even for RMUL personnel. <br /> <br />North of Mcxiev.n Cut, 400 feet lower in altitude .in North Po It'. Basin, <br />1. iO'3 the CommonwcaJ. th Placer which is currently (1976) ])o.i.ny devulopl)d <br />as a mot/ntain resort. Control of the narrOw [;tl:ip of White River <br />Nt:ltional Forest land which !,H)llartltos r-1c:ci.ean CuI:. fJ:'nm tlH;: (~.J.aCBr <br />,\11<1 I.hleh acts dS it t1U.i Lal.>l(! buffUl'- zone has !H!')/I qiv')n to IU.I[I[, <br />thn)ugh ,I Stx:c:i;.l.l. U,;o Ponili.t.. In addition, the \oJhi!:e J(ivor Nat.ioni.ll <br />FOl"(:ls t Supervisor has rellloved Mexican eu t from 'JI'azing permit areas <br />lU1d Sh0Cp have not: tHltercd the PL~CSCl:VC since .lYGSI. <br /> <br />'1'he lIla.j.o.l pass j bla ad von,a e1' fee ts of lId.nintg, land devl)lopmen t, <br />C)i'ilzing or excc,<;,<; human visitation from ncighbo.rill'f proport:i.es <br />pose m.i.l\illlal threats to r-!()xican Cut due to it.s natural topogral?hic <br />isolation and lill\i.tod uce('ss. 1'110 bocmd"ries have J.Jecn legally <br />posted since 1968 and only minol" incidents of damage due to trespass <br />have beml expel.' ienced by HHBL personnel. <br /> <br />Perhaps the <Jre<lt(~st threat to the oGosyr;tcm stems I'rom the activitin,; <br />of t h~~ l:~~:je,lrcll pL~rsonu~l tlH~1Il:301vcs. In 1973, 1\lexican Cut was clo~H)d <br />l)y Rl'lBL's 1'1c:xictll1 Cllt Coordin.::llor to [1.1 J manipulative rcue<:trch. Stlb'~' <br />'.i()'juent La 1,)73, activiti...~s have been closely monit:ored by lH~lJJ,'r; <br />J\ll}xir..:an Cut CO/llPllt,t..c'(' and ;1 rOGUVl.~l'Y t.o the or.i<].i.nf..d. nt,~t(:~ is evidc~nt,. <br />frhe unique:! popul.:ltjon~; of n~()1:uld"(": ~~j,lliHlhlll.c.1or:~ and l:he p.r.imiti.vt! <br />_!..~;_~,~~_~.'::'_~._. a.l"C:~ C:xll~'-1ordinarily Benn"itiv(! to dist:urbtlnee. Many of thf~ <br />otlwr ill?ec 1.'2.', an' barely :;ub:.d.;;t.i.n'J at. their limit:...; of tolorancc and <br />any form of habitat disruption could be fatal. <br />