 Note from the Executive Director
Over the course of just the last four weeks, our dedicated and hard-working Sonoran Institute staff have demonstrated our broad reach across the West, as well as our capacity to advance community-based leadership to protect wildlands and wildlife, better manage water and create more sustainable and prosperous communities.
Preserving the Essence of Arizona
On May 25 in Arizona, we helped to launch an ambitious land conservation effort. Called the Sonoran Desert Heritage Proposal, we are asking Congress to protect approximately 700,000 acres of pristine desert land, all of it public land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The conservation region is located west of the growing Phoenix metropolis, primarily in Maricopa County. This area includes rugged terrain that provides an escape for hikers, hunters, birders, and outdoor enthusiasts of every kind. It is also home to a wealth of wildlife, from the bighorn sheep to the desert tortoise and the Gila monster, bobcat, and more than 300 species of native birds.
An exciting aspect of the effort is the diverse and bipartisan citizens and organizations that have come together to support the plan. Business leaders, city and county elected officials, landowners, hunting groups, interfaith groups, organizations that advocate for the military (nearby Luke Air Force Base depends upon these lands for training over-flights), educators and conservation groups are all working together to ensure that these vital landscapes are protected forever. Click on the link below to learn more about this initiative.
Protecting the North American Nile
In Baja California, Mexico, we are asking the public to lend a hand to help preserve the Colorado River Delta. The greatest desert river in the Western Hemisphere, the Colorado once formed a vast, lush delta as it flowed into the Gulf of California. Ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau called the Gulf of California "the aquarium of the world," as it is home to a tremendous diversity of fish, birds, and whales and other mammals.
Years of upstream water diversions from the Colorado River have reduced what was once two million acres of wetlands to less than 10 percent of its original size. But the Delta has proven to be surprisingly resilient.
Working with many partners, our vision is to have a healthy Delta ecosystem that provides recreation and economic development opportunities for local and indigenous people and supports healthy populations of freshwater and marine wildlife species. By the year 2022, our goal is to double the amount of wetland and estuarine habitats and ensure regular connectivity between the river and the sea. Click on the link below to read more about the Delta. Find out how you can join in our efforts to save "the Nile" of North America.
People, Community Development and Wildlife
In Montana, the Institute convened a well-received workshop in early June to share tools, ideas and inspiration on how best to protect wildlife populations and habitat as communities grow and develop. Held in Helena, our workshop brought together teams of community and county leaders, government officials, conservation groups and citizens, to learn more about the latest thinking and techniques associated with managing growth to protect wildlife. The actionable outcome is to jump-start local efforts to develop or refresh community-based wildlife protection plans.
These initiatives and our vital conservation work across the West depend on your continuing support. If you have contributed to the Sonoran Institute recently, I thank you for your support. If not, please consider contributing today to help us shape the future of the West. Together, we can continue this amazing work. Sincerely, 
Luther Propst |
|
