We are delighted to share that the Kelly Ranch property was approved for acquisition by Pima County on April 1st, 2025 as conservation lands! This 109-acre parcel is adjacent to Catalina State park.
Kelly Ranch rests within a critical wildlife corridor between the Santa Catalina and Tortolita Mountains, containing riparian areas and areas of high biological diversity.
Just north is the Ann Day Memorial Wildlife Bridge and wildlife underpass on Oracle Road, on which construction was completed in 2016.
It has taken over 20 years to reach an agreement for the use of Kelly Ranch. The Coalition has played a key role in advocating for the site’s protection and we continue to work with developers and local governments to reach our goals of protecting this wildlife linkage.
20 years of advocacy
In the early 2010s, a residential project named “Desert Springs” was proposed for Kelly Ranch by the then property owners, including up to 250 new homes and commercial space along Oracle Road. The proposal was made to the Town of Oro Valley and included annexation into the Town boundaries.
The Coalition has long advocated for this property to be conserved as open space. When the Desert Springs proposal was made, we advocated for appropriate open space to be set aside — at least 80% of the site. We felt this would help to mitigate the potential for negative impacts on wildlife and our soon-to-be-built wildlife crossings just north on Oracle Road. You can see our proposal from 2012 below:
2012: Too many houses, too close to the park!
At the same time, the Coalition launched a postcard mailing campaign to raise awareness about the Desert Springs project. We sent a postcard to every resident of Oro Valley, including the Mayor of Oro Valley and every member of the Town Council, with the simple but effective message: “Too many houses, too close to the park!” We also organized letters of support from partners such as Arizona State Parks and Pima County.
The community mobilized in response, attending public meetings in large numbers and pressuring the Oro Valley Planning and Zoning Commission and the Oro Valley Mayor and Council to reconsider the proposal. This advocacy paid off—on December 5th, 2012, Oro Valley officials decided to delay action on the Desert Springs proposal. Council members told the property owner that they needed to return with a proposal that reduced the density of homes and that incorporated a buffer along the park boundary, two of the key issues the Coalition had been advocating for.
The property owners never re-submitted a proposal to the Town of Oro Valley.
Fast forward to a conservation victory in 2025
Fast forward to earlier this month – on April 1st, 2025, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve acquisition of 109 acres of the Kelly Ranch property. Once the acquisition is finalized, Pima County plans to deed the property to Catalina State Park for long term conservation and management.
The acquisition of Kelly Ranch for conservation lands by Pima County exemplifies how collaboration and persistent, long-term advocacy can protect vital wildlife linkages and open spaces.
“I’ve learned some of these deals take a long time and require a support base that never gives up.” – Nicole Fyffe, Pima County Senior Advisor
In a recent news article in The Explorer, Nicole Fyffe, Pima County Senior Advisor in the County Administrator’s Office, stated, “I continue to be in awe of how persistent certain residents are when it comes to these multi-decade long efforts to conserve important natural areas…I’ve learned some of these deals take a long time and require a support base that never gives up. Thankfully, Pima County is in this land conservation business for the very long term.” The article also stated, “Fyffe lauded the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, and vocal neighbors, for their steadfast call to protect Kelly Ranch.”
Why this property?
The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection promotes the implementation of the award-winning Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP) and Maeveen Marie Behan Conservation Lands System (CLS). These planning tools ensure biologically important habitats are protected and development is responsibly managed.
The Coalition has been diligent in ensuring that proposed developments in the CLS avoid the mapped biologically important habitat in accordance with the SDCP. Along with advocating for large open space purchases by Pima County and other local governments — such as the Kelly Ranch property — the Coalition advises private property owners on how to best configure development to protect open space in their projects.