This report was drafted to facilitate discussion about protection of cultural resources under the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. The first part of the report provides an overview of historic preservation in Pima County, while the second part provides analysis and recommendations for improving Pima County's historic preservation policy.

Pima County is blessed with a rich and varying record of human settlement over the 11,000 years representing prehistoric, Spanish Colonial, and Mexican-American influences in our history. The County's archaeological site is the building of structure with traditional cultural values and historic landscapes are all nonrenewable cultural resources.

Summarizes the attached resource reports that have been submitted so far to help develop the SDCP within the watershed planning area of the Altar Valley. This initial presentation of resource information is intended to both educate and serve as an invitation to greater participation in crafting the SDCP.

Arivaca, located on the southern border of Pima County, is one of the few remaining riparian areas in southern Arizona. This report presents collected data, shows how the Arivaca area relates to the SDCP, and makes recommendations on how the plan could address pressing groundwater issues in the Arivaca Valley.

A companion to the "Importance of Conserving Resources in the CIenega Creek Watershed" document and provides a focus on Altar Valley. This report includes detailed investigations into the historic conditions of the watershed, current rangeland conditions of biotic communities, and the environmental impact of a potential floodplain project.