To facilitate development of the Environmental Impact Statement which must accompany the Section 10 multi-species conservation proposal, a series of issue papers were prepared. In Pima County, ranching is uniquely able to preserve the integrity of vast tracts of connected and unfragmented open space and wildlife habitat. This study reviews the effect of five alternative permit strategies on the County's ability to preserve unfragmented landscapes through conserving ranch lands.

Takes a comprehensive view of ironwood habitats in both the United States and Mexico, evaluating the ecological and cultural resources supported by the ancient ironwood tree. The study provides an overview of the history and ecology of desert ironwood, and a discussion of the binational research effort undertaken to produce the report.