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The Ironwood Forest National Monument became a reality in the summer of 2000. Located northwest of Tucson, Arizona, it covers 189,731 acres of land. The monument is important for protecting several species such as ironwood trees, cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl, bighorn sheep, lesser long-nosed bat, and the desert tortoise. We will post updates on the progress of the national monument. Ironwood
Forest National Monument Becomes Reality Speaking on behalf of TAS and the Coalition, respectively, Kevin Dahl and Carolyn Campbell are “ecstatic” that the Monument has been created and that it includes lands in Pinal County which the Coalition had proposed (those contained in what had been designated as the Sawtooth unit) and even some lands in both counties which the Coalition hadn’t proposed because they were private properties. All of the monuments which Secretary Babbitt had previously recommended to the President have been contiguous properties. After taking a tour of the proposed area (Ed. Note: see “from the Director’s Perch” in this issue for Kevin Dahl’s comments about Babbitt’s tour), the Secretary stated that he would support including in a Multi-species Habitat Conservation Plan the discontiguous properties within Pinal County that had been included in the Coalition’s proposal. These properties are the Tortilla, Picacho, Box Canyon, Cat Hills-Grayback, Durham-Tortolita units to the northeast of what is now the Ironwood Forest National Monument. Their inclusion, as indicated in the Coalition’s proposal, will serve to provide a much broader preserve with connectivity for the recovery of the endangered Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-owl. Another unit proposed but not included in the Monument is the Tortuga Unit, which is in Pima County, and will be covered by the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. According to the Bureau of Land Management, the federal government hopes to buy or trade for the private and state lands in the future, since those lands won’t actually become part of the Monument until this is done. This checkerboard of land ownership within the the Monument boundary will make it difficult to implement an effective conservation strategy for the area. And while the Bureau of Land Management must draw up a plan for its operation, its officials say that grazing will continue in the monument area for the foreseeable future. Off-road vehicles and mining will be barred from the area. The Monument will not have a formal visitor center, but Bureau of Land Management officials have stated that information about the Monument will be soon provided at a small visitor contact station at Avra Valley and Powerline Roads. Besides the Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-owl, the Monument contains Bighorn Sheep and provides excellent habitat for the Lesser Long-nosed Bat (a federally listed Endangered Species and a Threatened Native Wildlife Species in Arizona), for the Desert Tortoise (a species of concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and for the Gila Monster (a listed Protected Species in Arizona). In a study conducted by the International Biome Project within the Silverbell Mountain portion of the Monument, a total of 674 species were identified, including 64 mammals, 61 reptiles, and 57 birds. The Monument also contains two areas in the National Registry of Historic Places: Los Robles Archaeological District and the Cocoraque Butte Archaeological District. Though the Monument is supported by the Coalition, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum scientists, the Tohono O’odham Nation, and the Boards of Supervisors of both Pima and Pinal Counties, U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe has opposed it, largely because the Clinton administration bypassed Congress in its creation. Based on recommendations from Interior Secretary Bruce Babbit, President Clinton signed proclamations on June 9 creating three other national monuments, which will protect 311,000 acres in Colorado, Oregon and Washington. Prior to June 9, President Clinton had created five other national monuments, including two in Arizona, without congressional approval. Of course, the creation of the Ironwood Forest National Monument is supported by all who want to see the desert preserved. Mr. Kolbe claims that there was barely any public participation, and he supports a budget proposal that would forbid the administration from spending money on the design, the operation, or the drawing up of a management plan for the Monument. The Arizona Daily Star has noted that “the administration has repeatedly done end-runs around Congress on monument issues because of the difficulty of getting preservation proposals through the business-friendly Republican Congress.” Perhaps it is time that TAS members help Mr. Kolbe understand that the majority of the people of Pima and Pinal counties support the protection of Arizona desert lands. With the four new monuments, President Clinton has now protected more land as national monuments in the lower 48 states than any other president. As Kevin Dahl says: “This proves that ‘Lame Ducks’ can fly.”
Bird questions? Check Birding | General questions? Contact: Tucson Audubon Society | Webmaster: Email This page was updated on 12/28/05 |