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<br />~1ExrCAN CUWC1EN'l'IFIC INFORMA'rION 2
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<br />ECOWG l' C~.~:-'{.r M J I, I TY
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<br />f.lm:ican Cnt, by virtue of its qlacii..1, ori<Jin, J:orms a distinct
<br />t:UP09l'dphic uniL wiLh rilLhOl: shaq)ly deli.mited physical boundaries.
<br />I t:.s nd t.uro ("18 i! thlnqing cirque provides a dis t.inct floor, or lower .
<br />J0vl~l, 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 />j,tt; source from snowmelt wi.thin the Pr(~scrve Bonndary. R~'lBr, owns
<br />Uw wilt...,r ri'lhts - both [or water quali,ty and qUilntity - amI e [[(,'.c 1;-'
<br />ivcly protects Uw aquatic conununities from pollntion due to mining
<br />o!-'Llrat.iOl\s, human habitation, or waLer diversion for human comrnun"
<br />ities at lower altitudes.
<br />
<br />i\cc0ss to ~lexicilll Cut lies soluly 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 eliminate 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 Mexican Cut, 400 feet lower in altitude ,in North Po It'. Basin,
<br />1 iO'3 the CommonwcaJ th Placer which is currently (1976) ])oiny devulopl)d
<br />as a mot/ntain resort. ConLrol of the narrOw [;tl:ip of White River
<br />Nt:ltional Forest land which SC~llartltos r-1c:ci.ean CuI:. fJ:"nm tlH;: (~J.aCBr
<br />,\11<1 I.hlch acts dS it t1U.i tahl(! buffUl: zone has lH!')/I qiv,)J'\ to lU,I[I[,
<br />lhn'Jugh ,I StX:C.ii.lJ u,;o POJ'lilit.. In addition, the I-Ihi!:e ltivor Nat,ional
<br />l-'Ol'(:lS t Supcrv iso!:' 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.i blo ad von,o ef fee Ls of nd,nintg, land devl)lopmen t,
<br />C)l."azing or excess 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.t.od i'lCCC'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 Crom the activit.in'i
<br />of t h~~ l:~~:je,lrcll pL~rsonu~l tlH~1Il:301vcs. In 1973, 1\lexi.can Cut was clo~H)d
<br />l)y Rl'lBL's 1'1c:xictll1 Cllt Coordin.::llor to cd J manipulative rcue<:trch. Stlb'~'
<br />"i()'juent Lo 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.n,:..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 />_!..~;_~.~~_~.'::'_~._. aJ"C:~ C:xll~i.1ordinarily Benn'itiv(! to dist:urbtlnee. Many of thf~
<br />otlwr ill?ec 1.'2.', an' barely :;ub:,;j,s(:j,n'J at t11eir limit:...; of tolorancc and
<br />any form of habitat disruption could be fatal.
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