The Nature Conservancy Applauds Passage of Public Lands Act
Omnibus Public Lands Act includes critical lands and waters in Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona— March 26, 2009 — The Nature Conservancy applauds the passage of the Omnibus Public Lands Act today. This bipartisan act supports many crucial efforts at the local, state and national levels to protect and conserve natural places and wildlife, including important lands and waters in Arizona.
“This legislation will benefit people and nature for generations to come. From protecting Fossil Creek, one of Arizona’s true natural treasures, to restoring the health of our state’s forests, this is a historic step for conservation,” said Patrick Graham, state director of The Nature Conservancy in Arizona. “The bipartisan support for the Act is especially encouraging. There is great commitment from both sides of the aisle to protect the lands and waters that sustain our everyday lives and will be essential in restoring the health of Arizona’s economy.”
The Act includes three important conservation projects that impact people and nature in Arizona:
Fossil Creek -- The Conservancy in Arizona, American Rivers, and others making up the Fossil Creek Environmental Partners, have been involved with the decommissioning and restoration proposal by Arizona Public Service Utility (APS), resulting in Fossil Creek’s rebirth for many years. The outcome has been one of the best actions to ensure the survival of five rare native Arizona fish and create more than 14 contiguous miles of year-round water in an area where such resources are virtually non-existent. This creates opportunities for camping, birding, hiking, horseback riding, and other recreational activities, as well as helps local communities.
This Act authorizes Wild and Scenic designation for nearly 17 miles of Fossil Creek, a key tributary of the Verde River which is a source of water for many central Arizona communities including the Phoenix metro area. This designation will safeguard the creek’s special natural and recreational characteristics through management and protection activities.
Arizona’s Forests -- The Forest Landscape Restoration Act provides new authority to restore forests at a landscape-scale through a process that encourages collaboration, use of the best available science, local economic development, and leverage of local business investment with federal and private resources.
Right now, millions of publicly-owned forests are in poor health, putting people and nature at risk. Forest treatments, such as those provided for in the Act, will help reduce severe fire risk, restore forest health, stimulate the local economy and build forest resilience to climate change.
In Arizona, nearly a century of vegetation buildup has resulted in extreme wildland fires. At the same time, these unhealthy forests are more susceptible to diseases and pests such as bark beetles, which have devastated forests in Arizona and across the West.
San Pedro River -- Authorization of a San Pedro River Sierra Vista Subwatershed feasibility study to be conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will explore augmentation alternatives to provide a sustainable water supply for people and nature in the Sierra Vista area. Augmentation might include: recharging storm water; transferring water or treated effluent from one location in the watershed to another for use or recharge; or, bringing in water from other basins. The Conservancy has worked closely with the Upper San Pedro Partnership and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for the past several years to complete an appraisal study of water augmentation alternatives for the area. The next step is to move forward with this more detailed assessment.
The San Pedro River is one of the last free-flowing rivers in Arizona and home to more than 80 species of mammals and reptiles and is a vital migratory respite for more than four million birds each year. However, Conservancy studies show that less than 40 percent of the river has water in it year round.
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.
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