Updates and enhances the July 1998 study which found upon review of 35 county government programs in high growth regions that Pima County generally had lower expenditures per capita and limited impact fee and affordable housing measures, compared to jurisdictions with similar pressures. This study provides a summary of the recent data and an analysis of how Pima County compares in the areas of expenditues, impact fees, and affordable housing programs in counties in Florida, California, and other Western States.

Four adjacent ranges define the western edge of the Avra and Altar valleys. Even though desert ironwood has dark green, lush foliage much of the year, this tree is almost exclusively a Sonoran Desert species. The same is true of the distribution of saguaros, foothill palo verdes, fishhook barrel cacti, and most of the hundreds of other plants growing here. These rugged ranges also provide natural refuges for a variety of wildlife, including desert bighorn and migratory pollinators. In addition to the biological resources, the area has abundant rock art sites and other archaeological sites.