Thank You For Helping Us Win a $2000 Grant!
March 16, 2012
Thanks to all our supporters for voting for us to win a Banff Film Festival Grant. We’re happy to report WE WON! We are extremely grateful to Summit Hut for their generosity […]
Proposed SR83 Widening
March 14, 2012
Comment on the proposed amendments to the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan. The Pima Association of Governments (PAG) is accepting comments on amendments to its 2040 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) now […]
Oppose HB 2656
March 5, 2012
Our ability to preserve open space in the Sonoran Desert is being threatened by House Bill 2656. The passage of HB 2656, currently under consideration by the Arizona State Legislature, would […]
Friends of Madera Canyon Joins the Coalition!
February 29, 2012
The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection is pleased to announce the addition of a new member group, Friends of Madera Canyon. With this latest addition, our Coalition now represents 41 […]
Oracle Road Cleanup – Sat. Jan. 28th
January 23, 2012
Our next Oracle Road cleanup is this Saturday, January 28th, from 8am-11am (we had previously announced the date as January 7th, but needed to reschedule). If you can help for […]
Rosemont DEIS Comments
January 23, 2012
On January 18th, 2012, the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection submitted its comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Rosemont Copper Project to Jim Upchurch, Forest Supervisor for […]
Rosemont Mine Comment Deadline Extended
January 23, 2012
Have you thought to yourself "what can I do about the proposed Rosemont mine?"Now that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been released, you can help by submitting comments on the DEIS! Your voice is so important in this process – the Forest Service needs to hear from our communities! Read on to find out about the opportunities to comment.
Friends of the Desert #42
November 17, 2011
In this issue: A Wild Way to Create Jobs, The Value of Conserving Wildlife, Solar Development that is Good for the Sonoran Desert?, Rosemont Mine: It Just Doesn’t Add Up, What Will State Trust Reform Really Look Like?, and more!
Highway Cleanup a Success!
October 20, 2011
On October 1st, twelve outstanding volunteers joined with Coalition staff to pick up trash along north Oracle Road between mileposts 83 and 84. This section of the road encompasses two of the three wildlife crossings that are slated for construction beginning in 2013. The roadway had been neglected for quite a while and needed a lot of work to make it clean again. Our volunteers filled 25(!) bags full of trash in just two hours! We were also saddened to find several instances of roadkill during the cleanup and know that the wildlife crossings can’t come soon enough. Our next cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, January 7, 2012. Please come out and join us as we continue our stewardship of the Oracle Road wildlife crossings!
Oracle Rd Wildlife Crossings Highway Cleanup – Oct. 1st
September 8, 2011
The Coalition has adopted Oracle Road / State Route 77 from milepost 83 to 84, as part of the Adopt-A-Highway campaign. This section of the road encompasses two of the three wildlife crossings that are slated for construction beginning in 2013. Our first cleanup will be on October 1st. This is a great opportunity to check out the crossing locations firsthand and to get all the up-to-date information about the progress of the wildlife crossings! We will also be on the lookout for signs of wildlife to document their use of the area. Read on to find out how you can help!
Saguaro National Park BioBlitz
September 7, 2011
October 21st-22ndThe BioBlitz is a unique combination of taxonomic inventory, public outreach, and science education. Your help is needed to count every living thing in the park, in 24 hours.Public Registration for the 2011 Saguaro BioBlitz inventory teams is now open! You are invited to join scientists in the field to find and identify species that live in Saguaro National Park during the BioBlitz on October 21-22, 2011.Online registration can be found at www.nationalgeographic.com/bioblitzRead on for more information!
Saguaro National Park Labor Day Run – September 5th
August 12, 2011
The Coalition is honored to be a beneficiary of this event. This race features 8-mile and 5k courses looping through a cactus forest in the foothills of the scenic Rincon Mountains at Saguaro National Park East. Click here for more information and to register to run! Lots of prizes and awards for participants, plus a great way to experience Saguaro National Park!
Burrowing Owl May Benefit from Solar Farm
August 3, 2011
Photo by Ray Goodwin. http://www.sonoranconnection.com With Pima County’s recent approval of the City of Tucson’s request for an industrial solar farm in Avra Valley, both the city and the county signaled they are serious about pursuing local renewable energy facilities. In addition to providing renewable energy, the project site has been identified as important for a number of vulnerable desert species. The Coalition has been encouraged by the willingness of Pima County, FRV Tucson Solar, and the City of Tucson to negotiate a viable environmental mitigation plan that allows the project to move forward while also appropriately mitigating for impacts to the Conservation Lands System.
Pima County Desert Tortoise Survey
July 22, 2011
Pima County is looking for information to improve its model of potentially suitable habitat for the Sonoran desert tortoise. Of particular interest are observations of live or dead tortoises in the foothills of the Tortolita and Santa Rita Mountains. Observations will be used to refine the assumptions of the habitat model.