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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 />r,lc:J>: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 n.::1 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 />j,tt; source from snowmelt within the Pr(~scrve Bonndary. R~'lBr, owns
<br />Uw wiltL!r ri'Jhts - both [or water quali.ty and qUilntity - amI effi.'.ct;-.
<br />ivc.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 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 \.Iud have arl'anq(-)lj fallen l:reof.i
<br />across the road to eli.minate wheeled veh,icle t.x:affi.c. 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:, J:J:"nm tlH;: (~J.aCBr
<br />,111<1 I.hleh acts dS it t1U.i l'.al.>l(! buffUl'- zone has !H!')/I q.iv,)J'\ to IU,I[I[,
<br />thn'Jugh ,I Stx:c:i;.l.l. U,;o Ponili.t., .In addition, the l'ihi!:e ltivor Nat.ional
<br />FOl"(:ls t Supervisor has rellloved Mexican eu t from 'JI'azing permit areas
<br />,:u1d .sh0Cp have not: l.Hltercd the PL~CSCl:VC since lYGSI.
<br />
<br />'1'he lIla.j.o.l pass j bla ad von,a ef fee ts of lId,nintg, land devl)lopmen t,
<br />C)J:ilz.ing or excc,<;,<; human visitation from ncighbo.rill'f pJ:oport:i.es
<br />po:.;e m,i.l\llllal threat:.; to r-!()xican Cut due to it.s natural topogral?hic
<br />isolation and lillli.tod i'lCC(':';S. 1'110 bocmd"ries have J.Jecn legally
<br />posted since 1968 and only minol' incidents of damage due to trespass
<br />have beml exper 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~l"sonlH.~l tlH~1Il:301vcs. In 1973, 1\lexican Cut was clo~H)d
<br />l)y Rl'lBL's 1'1c:xictll1 Cllt Coord.in.::llor to cd J manipulative rc::;e<:trch. Stlb'~'
<br />'",()'juent Lo 1,)73, <.lctiviti...~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 />lrhe unique:! popul.:ltjon~; of n~()1:uld,(': ~~j,lliHlhlll.c.1or:~ and l:he p.r.imiti.vt!
<br />_!..~;_~,~~_~.'::'_~._, aJ"C:~ C:xll~'-1ordinarily Benn"itiv(! to dist:urbtlnee. Many of thf~
<br />otlwr ill?ec 1.'2.', iln' barely :;ub:,d.;;U.n.] at. their limit:,; of tolorancc and
<br />any form of habitat disruption could be fatal.
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