Scottsdale set to buy 2,000 acres of trust land for preserve

Scottsdale is gearing up to acquire 2,000 acres of state trust land for its McDowell Sonoran Preserve, a move that would allow a future trailhead in the city's northern reaches. The land, appraised at $44.1 million, will be sold at auction in October. Kroy Ekblaw, the city's strategic projects and preserve director, said a grant from Arizona's Growing Smarter conservation funds could reduce the cost by half. "We think that is a good value," Ekblaw said. Barring other bidders, Scottsdale could spend about $22 million, or $11,000 an acre, to expand its preserve by nearly 13 percent, to 18,000 acres.

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