Filtering by
- All Subjects: Ranching
- All Subjects: Riparian restoration
- Creators: Pima County (Ariz.). County Administrator's Office
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.
To prevent unwanted urban sprawl and unregulated development, it is most important that Pima County encourage and retain viable ranches. Ranching is a significant land use that has served to protect our natural open space, and it continues to be an important traditional industry that has shaped the rural landscape.
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.
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.
Describes a comprehensive regional policy direction to achieve meaningful riparian restoration necessary for endangered species compliance and the basic relation of water policy to conservation planning.
A restoration effort of the San Pedro River to restore sacaton grassland, riparian trees and mesquite to about half the 50 acres of fallow agricultural fields at the Bingham Cienega. The overriding goals were to (1) establish a diversity of riparian habitats in the fields which in turn will support a greater number of invertebrate, reptile, mammal and bird species; and (2) develop practical techniques for promoting establishment of native plants that require little or no irrigation.
Invasions by non-native species cause serious problems in many parts of Pima County. It will benefit from adopting policies and increasing coordination with government and non-profit groups to deal effectively with invasive species.
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.
Ranching was and is a distinct American culture with a distinct set of knowledge, values and beliefs. Many of those communities have been weakened by the relentless urbanization of Arizona, but now is the time to create new communities where environmentalists, hunters, birdwatchers, and hikers partner with ranchers to preserve and restore the open spaces we all cherish.
The author takes issue with the statement, "Only three percent of the cows are from the West" and discusses all that is involved in raising cows that are then shipped east to graze before slaughter. They forget that they were born and raised out here. The Altar Valley alone produces millions of pounds of beef a year.