What is the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan?
An opportunity to protect our land, our water, our way of life…
The Sonoran Desert is a beautiful and rugged place like nowhere else on earth. For those of us who live here, the mountains, the cactus, and the wildlife are not only part of the scenery, they are a proud part of our culture and the way we live.
This is also one of the fastest growing regions in the country, and has been since World War II. And most of this growth has occurred without much planning or taking into account its impacts. We now have a chance to ensure that future growth will not destroy the wild and rugged areas that we have all come to love. That chance lies in the Pima County's:
Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan
The goal of the SDCP is to allow our community to grow without destroying the things that make Pima County special — the mountain ranges, riparian areas, habitat that supports abundant wildlife, and places where we can enjoy the solitude of nature. The SDCP will allow us to do that for the next fifty years.
In October 1998, the Pima County Supervisors adopted the multi-year planning process of the SDCP. The Coalition has been a part of this process since the beginning. With so many threatened and endangered species found in the area, which was and still is experiencing massive growth, it was necessary to implement a plan that will protect the long-term survival of these species and their habitat. The county is going much further than the federal government would require, choosing to protect a total of 55 species under their Habitat Conservation Plan. Through the protection of habitat, while allowing growth to continue in areas of less biological importance, we will ensure that the desert remains healthy and our quality of life is protected.
Our community has a great opportunity to determine the way the area will grow for the next fifty years while protecting everything that makes Pima County a great place to live.
Once the county has completed the final draft of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan they will hold a public comment period. The plan will then be reviewed by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, who will then hold their own comment period —necessary under federal law — before returning it to Pima County who will then submit the plan for final review and acceptance by the Service. The plan will be periodically reviewed by the Service to ensure that the county is adhering to all aspects of the plan. The Coalition would also like to see independent review of the implementation of the plan.
The county has also integrated other community goals, such as cultural and historic preservation and ranch conservation into the SDCP.
The SDCP planning process has won both Pima County and the Coalition over a dozen local, regional and national awards, including awards for Best Plan & Multi-Agency Coordination, Distinguished Leadership, GIS Approach to Reserve Design, Public Education, and Priority Species Habitat Distribution Modeling. The SDCP has also received national media attention from Time Magazine, National Audubon Magazine, and is a featured in a new book, Nature-Friendly Communities, by Chris Duersken and Cara Snyder.
Creating the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan has been a public process — which means that you have the chance to help shape the future of our community. There will be a public comment period in fall 2005 on the SDCP. Please join the ranks of Coalition supporters and let your voice be heard. We not only have the chance to protect the wild areas in Pima County, the Community's Vision of the SDCP will set the standard for others to follow.
For more detailed information on the SDCP and other Habitat Conservation Plans you can use the tools found in the Learning More section of this site and you can also visit the county's SDCP site.
The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan: Saving what's best for us and our families.
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