183 



THE SAN CARLOS APACHE TRIBE 



RECREATION & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT 



P.O. Box 97 



San Carlos. Arizona 85550 



(602) 475-2653 



(602) 475-2343 



BRIAN CZECH 

 Director 



COMMISSIONERS 



Paul Nosie. Jf 



Dennis Nelson 



Gibson Bom 



STATEMENT OF BRIAN CZECH (DIRECTOR, SAN CARLOS RECREATION & 

 WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT, SAN CARLOS APACHE TRIBE) TO THE 

 SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE ON 

 NATURAL RESOURCES 



February 16, 1994 



The San Carlos Apache Tribe, Recreation & Wildlife Department, very much appreciates the opportunity 

 to present this testimony to the Subcommittee on Native American Affairs. 



The most important point in this testimony is that the Tribe needs federal wildlife funding that is 

 consistent with funding of landholdings administered by the US Forest Service, Pari^ Service, Fish & 

 Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal agencies. 



The San Carios Apache Reservation consists of 1 8 million acres In eastern Arizona. The reservation 

 varies in elevation from 1 ,900 to 8,300 feet above sea level This corresponds with plant communities 

 varying from lower Sonoran desert to mixed conifer forest. 

 This is one of the most diverse biological communities of 

 any contiguous landholding in the United States Of 

 particular interest is the wildlife ecology of the reservation 

 About 75 species of mammals and 250 species of birds are 

 found, including ten big game species, eight small game 

 species (not including waterfowl), and dozens of neo- 

 tropical bird species. Large portions of the reservation are 

 de facto wilderness areas, including the regionally famous 

 "Mineral Stnp" (that part of the reservation south of the Gila River) 

 endangered, and candidate species is summarized as follows; 



Reference Map 



Arizona 



a 



San Cailos 

 Apache Re«. 



The status of threatened. 



