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Tucson Audubon Society
300 Acres Protected in Northern Santa Cruz County at Esperanza
Ranch Conservation Easement
by Sonja Macys, Executive Director,
and Ann Phillips, Habitat Restoration Program Manager
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Through a recent agreement with Devon Energy Corporation and local landowner Jim Olson, Tucson Audubon has secured permanent protection for 300-acres of riparian habitat at the Esperanza Ranch in northern Santa Cruz County.
US Representative Raul Grijalva applauded this innovative agreement saying "This type of partnership, where the private sector voluntarily bears the burden of conservation, is what will be necessary to achieve conservation goals in the next four years. I applaud the parties to this agreement for their leadership and foresight in this area."
Parties to the agreement are Devon Energy Corporation from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Tucson Audubon, and developer Jim Olson of Green Valley. An agreement between Devon, Mr. Olson and Tucson Audubon, allowed for a 300-acre easement to be created on a portion of the 800-acre Esperanza Ranch. The ranch is located between Amado and Tubac. The easement encompasses portions of the Santa Cruz River riparian corridor along 2 miles of the Santa Cruz River, riparian habitat along ½ mile of the Chivas Wash, and a 10-acre interconnected pond site.
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The Esperanza Ranch Conservation Easement project is one of many environmental enhancement efforts Devon has undertaken. "We recognize this as a property with tremendous environmental potential," said David Templet, manager of Devon’s Environmental Health and Safety Department. "We are grateful for the Tucson Audubon Society’s willingness to team up with us to see this project through…Tucson Audubon’s commitment and dedication will fulfill Devon’s primary objective, the preservation of this important wildlife habitat," Templet said.
As the steward of the 300-acre Conservation Easement, Tucson Audubon will undertake habitat restoration, monitoring and maintenance. Additional funding for this ambitious work will be provided through a grant awarded by the Arizona Water Protection Fund Commission (AWPFC), a state-run program supporting the protection and restoration of riparian areas throughout Arizona.
"Preservation and restoration of this reach of the Santa Cruz River is critical to maintaining migratory flyways in the Santa Cruz River Valley. Additionally, protecting the Chivas Wash will allow us to preserve a vital wildlife corridor that provides passage across I-19. We consider this partnership with Devon and Mr. Olson to be a win-win-win," said Sonja Macys, Executive Director of Tucson Audubon.
Mr. Olson, the new owner of the Esperanza Ranch, plans to construct a very low density residential development on the 500 acres of the Esperanza Ranch located adjacent to the easement. In conceptualizing his development, Mr. Olson worked closely with Tucson Audubon to ensure that his plans were compatible with the easement’s conservation goals. His goal is to attract conservation-conscious residents to this beautiful land.
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This page was updated on 02/22/06