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- All Subjects: Ferruginous pygmy owl
- All Subjects: Geographic information systems
- All Subjects: Pima County (Ariz.)--Antiquities
- All Subjects: Impact fees
- Creators: Pima County (Ariz.). County Administrator's Office
Most of the owls until just the last couple of years have been found in residential areas in northwest Tucson. It take a lot of cooperation on the parts of private residents to help get the work done. These are incredible little birds that fill an interesting role in the environment since they are more diurnal versus nocturnal. Our objective is to gather as much information as fast as possible to feed into the process to make this County plan based on the best available science that we have.
The historical range of the ferruginous pygmy-owl included areas of southern Arizona, southern Texas extending south along both coasts in Mexico, through Central America into the southernmost population in Argentina. However, over the past 150 years urban and agricultural expansion within the United States has reduced its population to a few isolated pockets of uncertain stability.
The Arizona population of the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl was listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act in 1997. Historical records and recent surveys definitely show a decline of species. There is a wealth of historical information out there and it still trickles in every day.
Mr. Proudfoot, the leading pygmy-owl biologist in the United States, has worked for the last two years to gather and analyze the data that allows us to address issues regarding the genetic viability of ferruginous pygmy-owls in Arizona and to establish a framework for future management efforts. The two major questions addressed are (1) do populations of concern lack genetic variation relative to putative healthy populations, and (2) how unique are geographically distinct populations within a species of special concern?
The pygmy-owl was listed as endangered in 1997, but notice of the potential listing dates back to 1989. This paper provides a report on pygmy-owl research and rulings, evaluates whether the efforts of the community are leading to the recovery, downlisting and delisting of the pygmy-owl, and concludes that with the exception of valuable in-kind services of the Arizona Game and Fish Department pygmy-owl biologist, meaningful financial support for research and conservation planning efforts has been limited to federal and County contributions.
Summarizes four documents that reflect some of the work that Pima County and Department of Interior staff, along with the science and Geographic Information Systems technical teams, have created to develop the biological component of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.
Priority cultural resources are places of such importance to the history and culture of Pima County that their protection is warranted in the public interest. Out of more than 3,500 known archaeological sites and 4,000 historic buildings, 229 priority cultural resources were identified.
Describes how information was collected for use in preparing the cultural and historical resources element. The SDCP is a regional planning effort that is designed to balance future growth in Pima County with environmental protection. Pima County compiled and analyzed information on three basic resource types known to occur within the County's jurisdiction: archaeological sites, historical resources, and traditional cultural places.
Provides a brief review of the rules, listing history, and biological issues relevant to the status and protection of the pygmy-owl in Pima County. Land use in unincorporated northwest Pima County is analyzed to determine existing commitments and conservation opportunities, and in order to begin to answer the question of whether a general biological goal of conserving 80 percent of the pygmy-owl's habitat can be achieved.
Pima County Department of Transportation's Technical Services Division maintains GIS hardware, software, and databases with skilled personnel and has applied TIS technology to the SDCP, adapting, creating or acquiring over 1000 data layers for use in the Plan. Metadata has been developed for some of these layers.