Coalition seeks to preserve Sonoran Desert

A coalition of environmentalists, business leaders, developers and mayors announced a proposal Wednesday to protect roughly 700,000 acres of public lands in the West Valley. The group wants to preserve for future generations the ecology, cultural heritage and recreational opportunities in the Sonoran Desert west of Phoenix. The public lands, which are managed by the Bureau of Land Management, form a rough crescent stretching from the northwest edge of the Maricopa County to lands west of the White Tank Mountains and southeast of Estrella Mountain Regional Park. The proposal would protect the Sonoran Desert environment, its open space, the varied plants and wildlife and the corridors used by wildlife, including bighorn sheep, mountain lions, mule deer, Gila monsters, Sonoran Desert tortoises and 350 species of birds. Equally important, organizers said, is the preservation of open space beneath flight corridors used by Luke Air Force Base and other military installations that fly to the Barry M. Goldwater Range west of Ajo. Matt Skroch, executive director of the Arizona Wilderness Coalition, said the main objective is to maintain a balance of economic development, growth and environment in one of the state's fastest-growing regions. "Because of the vast landscape of public land . . . real discussion began about how to shape the destiny of parks and natural areas to complement the incredible growth," Skroch said. Protecting open space means millions of recreational dollars to the state, group members say.

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