Without action by Pima County, Rosemont Ranch would probably either be mined or become a residential subdivision over the next several decades. A ranch conservation scenario offers the best outcome for preventing fragmentation of the landscape and conserving the natural and cultural heritage of the area.

This is a non-time opportunity for Pima County to preserve the Bar V Ranch property that has countless benefits. From landscape connectivity for wildlife, to a significant water source for Cienega Creek and the Tucson Basin, to important riparian habitat crucial for the survival of several vulnerable species.

To facilitate development of the Environmental Impact Statement which must accompany the Section 10 multi-species conservation proposal, a series of issue papers is being published. This study discusses water resources in the context of the alternatives being considered to date.

A companion to the Preliminary Ranch Conservation Element, this report brings together leaders in the area of ranch conservation and compiles their expert writings on ecological and economic sustainability in ranching.

Through the conservation of ranchland in eastern Pima County, the metropolitan urban boundary is better defined, vast landscapes of open space retain their integrity and the heritage and culture of the West is preserved.

By including ranch lands as a landscape form worthy of protection and preservation, Pima County formalized its commitment to keep ranchers ranching as a way of achieving multiple community goals, including conserving natural and cultural resources, preserving open spaces, and defining urban form.

Pima County assembled a comprehensive land cover map for the the SDCP and in the process of doing so, identified the strengths and weaknesses of prior mapping efforts. In order to combine the best aspects of past efforts, a common language had to be established among the classification systems.