Tumamoc Hill is a Tucson icon. It is the distinctive flat-topped hill just north of “A” Mountain, forming a continuation of the Tucson Mountains toward the city. It is one of the many connections in this region between people and nature, but together with A Mountain, it is the only one that reaches toward downtown. There is much loved hike along the road to the top that many Tucsonans use for health and inspiration.
Tumamoc Hill has been used by the Carnegie Institute and the UA as a desert ecology research site since 1903. Studies of the flora and fauna of this continuously undisturbed land have been invaluable to our understanding of our environment. These studies contributed originally to the development of ecology as a science. More recently, they have provided some of the best information we have on the ecology of desert plants and desert tortoises. The long-term record from plant and animal studies on Tumamoc Hill make it an invaluable asset for understanding the effects of global warming and the problem of invasive species.
Tumamoc Hill is not just a biological treasure, it is significant archeologically too. Hohokam occupation between 300 BC and AD 450 has left Tumamoc Hill as one of only a handful of trincheras (terraced hillsides), in the Sonoran Desert. Observable remains include terraces, walls, petroglyphs, trails, bedrock mortars and small circular pit structures. Archeological studies continue to reveal past native American activities in the Tucson region.
However, not all is well with Tumamoc Hill. A 320 acre parcel on the west-side is threatened by potential development. The UA currently leases that parcel, which is State Trust land. Pima County and the UA would like to see the land preserved in perpetuity for ecological research, conservation, and compatible University outreach and recreation activities. Loss of that parcel would seriously cut into these activities and threaten the biological integrity of the hill by isolating it from the rest of the Tucson Mountains. This isolation would hinder native animal movements and plant dispersal, ultimately leading to loss of native species and increasing the danger of invasive plant establishment.
Under current law, State Trust land must be sold on the open market to the highest bidder to maximize profits, which go to K-12 education. After several attempts to purchase the land in the past, Pima County has indicated that it wants to take advantage of a lull in the housing market to try to buy the land at an auction. However, this is a very high risk strategy. County funds are limited, and the County could easily be outbid by developers. This land is zoned RX-2 (1 home per 16,000 sq. ft.) which means that over 800 homes could be built on the site if a developer had the winning bid. But a solution may be on the way. Recently, Representative Raúl Grijalva has introduced legislation into the House of Representatives that would allow the County to acquire Tumamoc Hill on Tucson’s west side. The legislation involves a land exchange with the Bureau of Land Management, and has two other benefits. There would be a major addition to the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area and the addition of the important Bloom property to the Saguaro National Park West. For more details go to
http://grijalva.house.gov/?sectionid=13§iontree=5,13&itemid=187
To support this critical legislation, contact your congressmen and senators, and tell them how much Tumamoc Hill means to you.
Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva
T: 520-622-6788; 202-225-2435
http://grijalva.house.gov/
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
T: 520-881-3588; 202-225-2542
http://giffords.house.gov/
Senator John McCain
T: 520-670-6334; 202-224-2235
http://mccain.senate.gov/gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
Senator Jon Kyl
T: 520-575-8633; 202-224-4521
http://kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm