Desert Fence Busters - Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection

Meet the group that has removed 65+ miles of outdated barbed wire fence in the name of wildlife protection and habitat connectivity!

BACKGROUND

The Desert Fence Busters is a collaborative conservation project in Tucson’s west valley to improve and enhance wildlife movement between natural areas by removing miles of deadly fencing barriers. After a unique partnership began nine years ago to share information between agencies on projects centered in Avra Valley west of the Tucson Mountains, it emerged that multiple land management agencies had outdated fencing that are impeding wildlife, with animal carcasses found hung up on barbed wire while attempting to jump or crawl through the fence.

In response to this problem, in December 2021, over 65 volunteers came together one morning to remove three miles of old fencing, including three tons of fence posts and wire fencing, from an area in northern Avra Valley. Removing this fencing is important to improve the critical wildlife linkage areas between Tucson Mountain Park, Saguaro National Park, Ironwood Forest National Monument, and the Tohono O’odham Nation.

According to Don Swann, a biologist at Saguaro National Park, “Many studies have shown that barbed wire fences can stop large animals, change their movement patterns, and keep them away from water and food sources they need to survive. Animals can also be killed trying to jump over a barbed wire fence if they become entangled and are not able to free themselves.”

“Some of these fences have been around for a hundred years and have no current purpose,” said Carolyn Campbell, Executive Director of the conservation group Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection. “But what they do is block the movement of wildlife throughout the landscape.”

The Desert Fence Busters is supported by significant efforts from groups such as the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Friends of Ironwood Forest, National Park Service team at Saguaro National Park, the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, Arizona Wildlife Federation, Tucson Audubon Society, Friends of Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge, Tortolita Alliance, The Mule Deer Foundation, BKW Farms, City of Tucson, and Pima County Flood Control. Many dedicated volunteers attend each fence removal event – these folks aren’t afraid of hard work!

WORK SUMMARY

Since 2021, the Desert Fence Busters have removed 65.3 miles of obsolete barbed wire fencing. If placed end to end, this length could encircle the City of Tucson!

2024

In 2024, the Desert Fence Busters continued to refine their fence removal strategies. Their work this year was prioritized in the Coyote-Ironwood-Tucson Linkage (wildlife movement within the Coyote Mountains, Ironwood Forest, and the Tucson Mountains). The group identified bottlenecks and chokepoints in the fencing and prioritized work that supported the use of existing Central Arizona Project siphons, overchutes, and bridges along with existing road culverts.

Additionally, the Desert Fence Busters work prioritized reducing roadkill hotspots and impacts from obsolete irrigation ditches. The group prioritized the removal of the following fence types in order: Double fences, full removal of obsolete fences (leaving a single fence in place) and conversion of fences to wildlife friendly standards.

With facilitation from the Tucson Audubon Society, a total of 364 “death-pipes” of various diameters were capped in collaboration with Desert Fence Busters events in 2024. As a conservative estimate, this prevents the death and suffering of more than 8,000 animals that could have become entrapped.

2023

In 2023, the Desert Fence Busters continued to refine strategies for prioritizing fence removals. The group continued working with willing landowners in the Tucson area to identify and remove obsolete fences with volunteer labor. The group continued to target “double fences” as the highest priority for removal, along with properties with a high density of obsolete fences. Fencing was removed from two jurisdictions in 2023: City of Tucson (Tucson Water) and the National Park Service.

2022

In 2022, the Desert Fence Busters continued to get organized by identifying the extent of obsolete fences in the Avra Valley, Altar Valley, and the Tucson Mountains-Catalina Mountains Corridor. The group continued to expand its network of partnerships with agencies and landowners to identify and remove obsolete fences with volunteer labor. The group began to identify “double fences” as particularly difficult for deer and other species to cross and target these fences as the highest priority for removal. Fencing was removed from three jurisdictions in 2022: City of Tucson (Tucson Water), Pima County, and the National Park Service.

2021

The Desert Fence Busters spent much of 2021 exploring the extent of obsolete fences in the Avra Valley, raising awareness amongst stakeholders, obtaining permissions from land managers, and recruiting volunteers.

Desert Fence Busters Annual Reports:

Below you can find the Desert Fence Buster Annual Reports that wrap up the group’s priorities, accomplishments and future goals and how these have evolved since 2021.