Propositions 418 and 419 would allow Pima County to continue investing in wildlife connectivity through RTA Next, which includes $50 million for critical regional conservation projects such as wildlife crossings.
The Sonoran Desert depends on movement. Mountain lions and desert bighorn sheep move between ranges in search of mates, mule deer follow seasonal forage, and black bears travel long distances during dry years. Even smaller species — from skunks to Sonoran Desert tortoises — rely on connected habitat to survive.
When roads and development fragment those pathways, wildlife populations decline and even collapse. When we restore safe passage, they recover.
The current RTA Plan from 2006 built dozens of projects for wildlife, including the first and only wildlife crossing bridge in Southern Arizona over Oracle Road. These projects have significantly reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions. And we know that they improve wildlife movement, too — the wildlife crossing bridge has provided safe passage between the Santa Catalina and Tortolita Mountains for more than 2,000 animals a month, including iconic desert species such as bobcat, coyote, black bear, mule deer, coatimundi, and Sonoran Desert tortoise.
The current RTA Plan also funded wildlife underpasses on Tangerine Road and Camino de Mañana; bat habitat boxes under local bridges, which are important for bat populations that contribute to insect control and the pollination of desert plants; and research on wildlife fencing and culvert design tailored to the unique characteristics of the Sonoran Desert.
These projects have improved safety for drivers while strengthening the Sonoran Desert, increasing resiliency and genetic diversity by reducing habitat fragmentation.
RTA Next would continue this successful, science-based work with the same sales tax that is already in place. It would fund research and infrastructure for wildlife linkages that still urgently need solutions, including Interstate 10 at both Avra Valley Road and Cienega Creek, as well as Rattlesnake Pass in Marana. With RTA Next, our community can finally connect these fragmented parts of the landscape and secure additional funding, including from sources such as the federal Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program.
Many of these projects will address the increasing isolation, including genetic isolation, of the Tucson Mountains — home to Saguaro National Park and local treasures such as Gates Pass. Without these projects and funding from RTA Next, the Tucson Mountains will move ever closer to ecological collapse.
We have heard concerns about sprawl. Sprawl, habitat loss, and climate impacts are core considerations in all of our work. RTA Next does not operate in a vacuum — it must align with existing, comprehensive regional conservation goals and plans, including the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan and Pima County’s Environmentally Sensitive Roadway Design Guidelines.
Conservation and biological diversity are best advanced by the inclusion and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, experiences, beliefs, and cultures. This regional plan reflects that shared responsibility and delivers meaningful benefits for today and tomorrow — strengthening wildlife linkages and sustaining the health of the Sonoran Desert that defines and supports our community.
The Sonoran Desert can’t wait another twenty years.
Vote YES on Propositions 418 and 419.
Kate Hotten and Kathleen Kennedy are the co-executive directors of the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection.