Compiles information on plants and animals that are already recognized by the federal government as imperiled species, species which have been extirpated, and a much larger number of species that are in decline either locally or nationally. Descriptions of status, location, distribution, and habitat needs are presented for each species proposed. The report also considers vegetative communities, their history of decline and modification, and recommends priorities for their protection.

If one species had to be chosen to preserve and restore, perhaps it should be cottonwood. Cottonwood-willow forests, where they exist and are healthy, indicated the presence of a viable riparian area, which is in turn the key to conserving great proportions of our native species. A reflection of the dire status of our riparian systems is that the Sonoran cottonwood-willow and Sonoran mesquite-cottonwood forests.

We have an opportunity now that we have not had in the past 25 years to develop some comprehensive planning so that we can continue to enjoy the environmental amenities that make it so nice to live in Tucson. These species include not only the common one that we live with on a day to day basis, but also some of the rare species that most of us are not lucky enough to see (but still care about preserving).