Tucson Mountains Association

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Nature & Ecology

The lay of the land

The Tucson Mountains from valley to valley are a single integrated ecosystem of high biological diversity. The ecosystem consists not just of the highlands—which are mostly protected—but also the eastern and western foothills. The Santa Cruz River is also a key part of the Tucson Mountains ecosystem, as a riparian habitat and a wildlife corridor on its eastern boundary.
Approximate TMA boundaries (OpenStreetMap)

Protection

The central- and northwestern foothills of the Tuscon Mountains are substantially protected as part of the Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park; however, the southwestern and eastern foothills remain highly vulnerable. TMA played a role in the establishment of both the Sweetwater Preserve and Painted Hills Park in the eastern foothills, and actively pursues increased protections in the surrounding region, ideally extending a natural corridor to the Santa Cruz River.

Sweetwater Preserve

Wildlife Corridor

The Tucson Mountains complex supports a diversity of environments that allows its rich ecosystem to persist; however, the ability of species of plants and animals to move between environments is key. Animals move through migrations and foraging movements, seasonally and as the climate changes. Plants move by seed dispersal and genetically by pollen dispersal. With climate change especially, the ability of organisms to move between the Tucson Mountains and other natural areas is essential. Even without anthropogenically driven climate change, connections between habitat areas have always been important for maintaining species and genetic richness.

Avra Valley From Gates Pass

TMA Goals

TMA is committed to protecting the natural resources of the Tucson Mountains through both advocacy and stewardship.  Historical and ongoing pursuits include:

  1. Conservation on private property
    1. Work to protect zoning and regulations specific to private property that preserves habitat values and maintains wildlife corridors.
    2. Oppose creeping upzoning where the boundary between the CR1 and SR zones is moved further into the SR zone. Oppose the argument that the adjacent area is CR1, so upzoning is a natural consideration.
    3. Oppose the argument that intensified development of the Tucson Mountains is “infill.”
    4. Encourage stewardship of private property with the habitat competition and information on environmentally friendly living.
    5. Push for conservation easements to provide protection to key areas such as wildlife corridors and key habitat elements.
  2. Conservation on reserves
    1. Work to have more land set aside in preserves, especially in the key wildlife corridors across the eastern foothills of the Tucson Mountains to the Santa Cruz River, and along the Santa Cruz River.
    2. In the City of Tucson, push to have Silverbell Golf Course restored as natural habitat, and the undeveloped land in Danny Lopez Park retained and preserved as natural habitat connected across Silverbell Road by a bridge at the Sweetwater Wash to complete the Central Tucson Mountains Wildlife Corridor.
    3. Push to have County and other local government land along the Santa Cruz River set aside as natural habitat including the three rivers junction (Corazon Tres Rios Del Norte).
    4. Push to have direct connections of Tucson Mountains preserves via natural habitat to the Santa Cruz River in all parts of the Tucson Mountains, but especially at key wildlife corridors such as The Central Tucson Mountains Wildlife Corridor (centered on the Sweetwater Wash Preserve), the corridor in the south through John F Kennedy Park, that at Sentinel Hill Park, that through Camino De Oeste wash and the Silverbell Golf Course, and the corridor along East Idle Hour Wash to Corazon Tres
      Rios Del Norte.
    5. Push to have reserves managed for conservation (as “natural resource parks” in Pima County terminology).
    6. Push to have the City of Tucson recognize the conservation value of the land it owns in the Tucson Mountains, especially the land on the western side of Silverbell Road across from the Silverbell Golf Course.
    7. Push for environmentally sensitive trails systems in the Tucson Mountains that are not overbuilt creating too much disturbance to wildlife.
    8. Oppose Pima County’s management of foothills reserves with a focus on recreation rather than conservation due to the spurious argument that the conservation focus should be on “core areas” in the interior of the Tucson Mountains.
    9. Join initiatives to have the flow in the Santa Cruz River restored along its full length. Encourage management the river and the land adjacent to it for conservation.
  3. Encourage the County and Cities intersecting and impacting the Tucson Mountains to adopt this vision and these goals.