2011 Annual Report

February 23, 2012

www.sonoraninstitute.org

 

 

New Thinking for the New Economic Reality 

 

Luther Propst

Over 20 years ago, we established the Sonoran Institute with the conviction that meaningful change most often happens at the local level, and that conservation is a key component not only of our local quality of life, but also of local prosperity.

 


Our collaborative and inclusive approach to conservation has never been more relevant.

The country's prolonged recession is unlike any we have experienced since World War II. We see growing evidence that our economy has fundamentally shifted to a period of slower growth, lower wages, and uncomfortably high unemployment. An increasingly polarized federal government diminishes the opportunity for national leadership at a time when we need it the most.

In the West, many communities continue to suffer from the fallout of the housing bust. There is a growing realization that the housing industry - the prime mover of the region's economy for the past several decades - is stalled and may not recover anytime soon and, when it does recover, may look very different. Overbuilt, saddled with debt, and facing the prospect of reduced tax revenues for years to come, local governments are facing a new economic reality that calls for a new way of thinking.

The Sonoran Institute is uniquely positioned to help.

One of the qualities distinguishing the Institute is our capacity to provide research and an understanding of fiscal realities and conservation economics - hard numbers that give local leaders insight into the fiscal and economic impacts of their planning, development, and conservation decisions. As you will see in this annual report, the Institute is building the "business case" for conservation and smart growth from Montana to Mexico. We are working to protect our public lands, manage water supplies, conserve working ranches and wildlife habitat, and demonstrate the benefits of downtown development over the long-term liabilities of sprawl.

Efforts to preserve the natural resources and values that define communities can inspire local leaders to make decisions that make their communities great places to live, work, and visit.

Our new economic reality calls for new thinking. Any hope of progress will have to come from leadership at the state and local levels.

Thank you for continuing to support us in this important work.

Sincerely,

Luther Propst

Luther Propst

Executive Director

 

 

The Gift That Keeps on Giving - Arizona's Public Lands

By Dave Richins 

 

Grand Canyon - Sarah Pitcher

 

 

 

 














A special guest editorial printed in the Arizona Daily Star on Arizona's 100th anniversary as a state, February 14, 2012.

 

The date is February 2062. As we celebrate our sesquicentennial, many of Arizona's 11 million residents know that every time we turn on the faucet, switch on the lights, or enjoy high-speed rail travel within the Sun Corridor and to California, we have our public lands to thank. The natural resources, transportation corridors and recreation opportunities these lands furnish sustain not only our way of life, but also our state's economy.

  

For preserving and wisely managing these critical landscapes, we are indebted to the foresight and dedication of government leaders, businesses and nonprofits. In particular, laws reforming how state trust lands are sold have been instrumental in reshaping state development patterns. Reform has minimized the fragmenting of public lands and provided essential open space for Arizona's wildlife and water-related natural areas to function properly.

 

As Arizona turns 150, we celebrate major successes and acknowledge work to be done. Read the full opinion piece.

Dave Richins is the director of the Institute's Sun Corridor Legacy Program. Grand Canyon photo courtesy of Sarah Pitcher.

 

  Download the complete 2011 Annual Report  

 

Annual Report 2011

 

Colorado River DeltaReturning Water - and Life - to the Colorado River Delta

The Institute recently announced a bold vision to change the course of the Delta's future by protecting and restoring 160,000 acres of habitat and acquiring enough water to ultimately reconnect the Colorado River with the sea. Read more 

 

 

 

Working LandscapesWorking Landscapes: A Pioneering Approach to Conservation

The Working Landscapes program is designed to help sustain the ranching way of life and the landscapes that support it. Read more 

 

 

Gift to the Delta

Gift to the Delta Project Honors a Father's Life

"My father had such respect and appreciation for the land," says Rowene Aguirre-Medina. "To see that beautiful area coming back to life, and to see how the desert can flourish when treated properly - I just felt that this project was the right place to honor his life." 

Read about Pedro "Pete" Aguirre  

 

 

Sonoran Desert Heritage Proposal

Sonoran Desert Heritage Proposal: Balancing Growth and Quality of Life 

The Institute and our partners are asking Congress to permanently protect some of Arizona's most iconic landscapes - just a short drive from Greater Phoenix.

Read more 

 

 

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Kathy Borgen photo 2010 Donor Profile: Kathy Borgen ~ Vail, Colorado 

Kathy is devoted to championing causes that help protect, care for, and nurture a love of our planet. She is also passionate about the work of the Institute. Read Kathy's story  



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Annual Report 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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