The purpose of this report is to represent the different types of land stewardship in Pima County in a digital Geographic Information System cover and to update the evaluation of vegetative communities relative to these classes. A previous evaluation suggested that 24 percent of Pima County is in a reserve of some kind; the current evaluation now suggests 26.5 percent.

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.

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.

Pima County contracted with Arizona Game and Fish Department to conduct telemetry analysis and gather information that would lead to effective conservation and recovery initiatives for the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl. During 1997, banded birds were monitored. Beginning in 1998 and during 1999, pygmy-owls were radio-marked with backpack transmitters and followed on foot or by vehicle.

Two additional sets of fact sheets that describe the threatened, endangered, and priority vulnerable species of Pima County. For each plant or animal there is a physical description and full color illustration. The habitat, range, diet, status, and history of each species is also outlined. These fact sheets will be widely distributed through the youth participation program.

Conservation easements are becoming an important mechanism in Pima County for dealing with matters such as the establishment of mitigation banks and the negotiation of conservation commitments with federal environmental regulatory agencies. This tool will also assist in the implementation of the Ranch Conservation Element of the SDCP. Includes the verbatim proceedings of a workshop on conservation held on August 18, 2001.