Preserving the Essence of Arizona 

 

A Broad Coalition Embraces an Ambitious            Conservation Plan

Friends,

Using Arizona's historic Wigwam Hotel as a backdrop, we recently 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 area is located west of the growing Phoenix metropolis, almost entirely in Maricopa County. This area includes rugged terrain that provides an escape for hikers, hunters, birders, equestrians, mountain bicyclists, 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.  

 

The land also bears a colorful history; prehistoric Hohokam people, Spanish explorers, U.S. Army expeditions, hard-riding cowboys, ranchers, and hard-rock miners all converged here across generations to shape the area's rich cultural heritage.  

 

An exciting aspect of the effort is the broad, diverse and bipartisan coalition of 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.

Considering Current and Future Residents by Preserving Open Space

Much of the area identified in the Sonoran Desert Heritage Proposal can be found within a short driving distance of Greater Phoenix. It is the area's proximity to the West Valley's growing urban population that creates the need to better manage the impact of residents and tourists on wildlife and habitat of this iconic Arizona landscape.

"There are some places we should develop and there are some places we should protect," says Dave Richins, director of the Sonoran Institute's Sun Corridor Legacy Program. "This proposal attempts to identify and protect lands that warrant protection. The goal is to protect those BLM lands now and come up with a thoughtful plan for them in the future."
The proposal has also been carefully crafted to balance growth with preservation of quality-of-life and the landscapes that make Arizona famous.

"Communities will be better equipped to develop economic strategies that take advantage of their proximity to scenic beauty, outdoor fun, and cultural education on these public lands," says Eric Gorsegner, associate director of the Sonoran Institute's Sun Corridor Legacy Program. "Managing the landscape as a coordinated whole will help protect wildlife that migrate through the area, as well as the rich historical and archaeological sites they contain." 

 

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"We need to provide a legacy of open public lands. I believe the Sonoran Desert Heritage plan is one of the answers.  Once the land is developed, we can't get it back, and we know the good Lord isn't making any more land." 

- Mayor Jackie Meck, Town of Buckeye, Arizona
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A Military Alliance

The proposal also helps protect the mission of the large military installations in the area. The Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range in Arizona and nearby Luke Air Force Base, in particular, both need open space for flight training.

We were fortunate to win the support of a local military advocacy group for the conservation plan. "We all know what kind of economic engine Luke Air Force Base is for Arizona's economy," says Ron Sites, executive director and president of Fighter Country Partnership. "The lands proposed in the Sonoran Desert Heritage plan, combined with the current flight paths at the Base, show incredible overlap; it's very easy for us to support this project because it's supporting the mission of the Base."

Working Towards a Congressional Endorsement

The unveiling of the proposal is an important first step in a public process to discuss the value of conserving our open spaces in western Maricopa County.

"Our community outreach efforts so far have included discussions with developers, business interests, cities and towns, utilities, road planners, as well as environmental, recreation, and conservation groups to help identify high-value public lands that should be considered in the proposal," says Eric Gorsegner with the Institute. "The next step is hearing from the general public to help refine the draft proposal before it is presented to Congress."  

 

The goal is to develop a final proposal before the end of the year, and deliver it to Congress for consideration and approval in the 2012 session. 

 

Following the announcement of the proposal, the Institute's Dave Richins was quoted in an Arizona newspaper saying, "I think in the future, people will look back and say this is how land conservation ought to be done."

I couldn't agree more. We were delighted to see the Arizona Republic endorse the proposal this week in an editorial (story and link below) calling it "an amazing idea." For more information about the proposal, visit the Sonoran Desert Heritage website.

Sincerely,   

 

Luther Propst

Executive Director