The Nature Conservancy in Arizona - Conservation Spotlight

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“There is a tangible excitement about creating a more diverse and dynamic economy in Arizona. At the same time, there is growing concern about choosing a path which maintains the health of our natural environment and the livability of our communities.”

- Craig E. Weatherup, Trustee. The Nature Conservancy in Arizona

The endangered Sonora tiger salamander will have newly expanded digs and thus an opportunity for recovery of the species, thanks to a project undertaken by the Conservancy and its partner, the Sky Island Alliance. Volunteers worked hard to remove several small dams in Scotia Canyon in the Coronado National Forest, with the goal of restoring the free flow of Scotia Creek and allowing the stream’s riparian habitat to recover.

The Nature Conservancy in Arizona is committed to create and sustain a network of protected areas throughout Arizona’s iconic geography and beyond our borders. Here are some recent accomplishments.

Verde River
The 6,600-square-mile Verde River Basin encompasses a vast area of central Arizona. The watershed runs north to Flagstaff — including Sedona, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, and Paulden — and south through Clarkdale, Cottonwood and Camp Verde. Betty and Billy Wells, owners of the vast V7 Ranch, signed a conservation easement with the Conservancy that will allow them to continue working their land while protecting the precious headwaters of the Verde River from local development and excessive groundwater pumping.

Earlier in 2007 the Conservancy hosted the Verde Rivers Ecoflows Workshop. Scientific experts in hydrology, geology and other specialties gathered to study the Verde’s state of health and examine “what if?” scenarios for plant and animal species along the river, as well as for human water needs. The study promises to be a valuable policy tool for government planning issues along the Verde.

San Pedro River

The San Pedro River flows north from Mexico into southeastern Arizona and supports a rich concentration of North American mammal species. Key regions of the San Pedro River system were protected through a land donation and four voluntary land use agreements.

The acquisition of Cobra Ranch, which adjoins the Aravaipa Canyon Preserve to the east and represents a significant addition to the protected riparian area of Aravaipa Creek, an important tributary to the San Pedro River. The ranch, donated by Tucson restaurateur Dan Bates, includes 1,250 private acres plus 10,000 acres of state and USDA Forest Service grazing leases.

On the Babacomari Ranch, the voluntary land use agreements were purchased from the Brophy family through efforts by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Fort Huachuca Army Installation and the Conservancy. The property includes 487 acres and more than 4 miles of the Babocamari Creek, a major source of water for the San Pedro River.

San Pedro River The U.S. Geological Survey, using science contributed by the Conservancy and others, completed a groundwater model for the Sierra Vista Subwatershed. This model provided a scientific basis for Cochise County’s decision to establish an overlay district requiring water conservation measures for new development. The Conservancy also played a role in the formation of the Upper San Pedro Water District and is serving on a governor-appointed board to assist with an election plan and comprehensive plan for the conservation and wise use of water within the district.

Borderlands Partnerships
Through a collaborative Borderlands Project with partners on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, the Conservancy is working to protect critical migratory corridors for animals. Working together we have already protected more than 1 million acres within two cross-border conservation areas — the Land of the Northern Jaguar and Eastern Chihuahuan Desert. The Borderlands Project will build on this success through strategies such as purchasing water rights for conservation, ecological services payments and prescribed burns.

Another important initiative supported by the Conservancy is the Malpai Safe Harbor agreement with the federal government. Two years in the making, this agreement allows the rancher-led Malpai Borderlands Group to continue ranching practices that sustain habitat for endangered species — including the Chiricahua leopard frog — on those ranches.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Verde River © Hal Malde; Jaguar © Wayne M. Bennett; San Pedro River © Marty Cordano; Sonora tiger salamander © AZGFD