What do all these numbers mean? They represent some of the Coalition’s biggest accomplishments over the last 15 years, all thanks to your voice, your time, and your support!
- 129,000 acres of Sonoran Desert preserved when the Ironwood Forest National Monument was created in 2000.
- Over 200,000 acres of important wildlife habitat and open space protected in Pima County since 2004.
- 44 Sonoran Desert wildlife species covered, and hundreds more protected, by Pima County’s innovative Multi-Species Conservation Plan.
- 6 motion-activated wildlife cameras out on the landscape, monitored and maintained by a core group of amazing Coalition volunteers, and producing crucial data about wildlife near the Oracle Road wildlife crossing locations.
- $45 million of local funding for wildlife linkage projects approved by voters in 2006 as part of the Regional Transportation Authority, now being used to fund the construction of wildlife crossings and re-establish connectivity between our mountain ranges.
- 108 acres of Sonoran Desert next to Catalina State Park saved – for now – from intensive housing and commercial development in December 2012 due to the inspiring voices and efforts of Coalition members and supporters like you!
Our 15th Anniversary year is shaping up to be a busy one, with new local development plans flying into our inboxes at lightning speed, a new open space bond on the horizon in 2014, and the Oracle Road wildlife crossings set to break ground by the end of the year.
As we look ahead, we have our eye on new goals that we hope to accomplish with your support and help.
- Expanding our Wildlife Camera Project by placing 4 more wildlife cameras on the landscape, enabling us to capture even more wildlife, at all seasons of the year, in the highly threatened Santa Catalina-Tortolita Mountains wildlife linkage. All this will happen with an amazing group of volunteers!
- Advocating for at least $120 million in a 2014 Pima County bond election to purchase more important open space, further connecting and protecting Sonoran Desert wildlife habitat. We’ll need your help getting the word out about this important campaign!
- 15+ new local development proposals that will be voted upon this year, containing biologically-rich wildlife habitat, essential riparian areas, and critical pieces of wildlife linkages. We will be advocating for connected open space and conservation protections on all of them and calling on you to contribute your voice advocating for conservation!
- With our member groups and YOU, continuing to be ONE unified voice for conservation of the Sonoran Desert.
The successes and challenges of the last 15 years have set the Coalition up well for a continued role as one of the most influential and important organizations for Sonoran Desert conservation in our region. Your voice, your time, and your support are critical to our ongoing positive impact on the Sonoran Desert.
Thank you for all your past and continued support!
For the desert,
Carolyn Campbell
Executive Director
P.S. As we celebrate 15 years of working to conserve the Sonoran Desert for people and wildlife, we can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve helped us accomplish and your ongoing support for our new goals and projects. We look forward to many more years of working together to conserve one of the most beautiful places on Earth!