In conjunction with PARA’s new film, Biodiversity in the Heart of the Sky Islands, a fund-raising raffle was held for 15 slots in a Biodiversity walk in and near the Patagonia Mountains. As part of our crucial mission to save the range and the associated Sonoita Creek Watershed from the worst assaults of industrial mining, PARA is striving to educate people near and far about the high levels of biodiversity in the region. Thus, on May 6th, from 8am until 1:30 the winners of the raffle joined me for an indepth tour of some key biodiversity hotspots near the town of Patagonia. It was an enthusiastic group full of excellent questions and high levels of interest. Collectively, we saw, heard, and otherwise experienced a serious dose of our much vaunted flora and fauna. Even before we departed the parking lot of the Patagonia Post Office, many of us admired several Common Ravens in full puffy-headed displays, as well as a slew of far-off Turkey and Black Vultures. A few Barn Swallows, no doubt nesting on buildings in town, strafed the sky just above our heads.
After an overview of the Sky Islands region we first explored the Nature Conservancy’s Sonoita Creek Preserve. Thjere we made a beeline for the rare and biologically intriguing cienaga that is situated near the northern edge of the park. En route we admired the insect hawking of a male Vermillion flycatcher – always a crowd-pleasing beauty! Its cousin, a peach-bellied Say’s Phoebe hunted nearby from a set of solar panels. A small armada of tiny Rough-winged Swallows glided effortlessly through the sky overhead, snagging insects in non-stop flight. A few lingering California Poppies near the trail reminded us that winter precipitation had been abudant this year. Meanwhile, I cautioned everyone to take heed of periodic cleared spots on the ground – telltale signs that potent-stinging Red Harvester Ants lurked underground. Towering Fremont Cottonwoods served as our navigational beacon, as we neared the fringes of the cienaga. Suddenly, what had been a field full of nonnative, invasive plants transformed into wet plains dominated by sedges and other native flora.
Passing by a few Black Elderberry trees and a small stand of California Coffeeberry shrubs, we finally strode under a dense canopy of the Cottonwoods, Southwestern Black Willow, Velvet Ash, Netleaf Hackberry, and Arizona Walnut – a veritable who’s-who of native deciduous riparian trees in the Sky Islands. All exhibited healthy levels of recruitment in the form of saplings and seedlings. Meanwhile, birds continued their morning chorus: Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Yellow-breasted Chats, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Northern Cardinals, and other species formed a pleasant auditory backdrop to the cienaga. A White-breasted Nuthatch silently slunk down a treetrunk to the side of our group.
Clearly, everyone in the group was entranced by the magic of this swampy and marshy habitat – a truly rare environment in the the Sky Islands. Crushing the leaves of Yerba Mansa, an odd plant in the Lizardtail family, we all marveled at its pleasant and aromatic scent. Senses fully engaged, we meandered slowly through this emerald forest. I pointed out a gobbling Mexican Wild Turkey tom and his female entourage at the fringe of the marsh. These iconic, gallinaceous birds have made a roaring comeback the the region via reintroduction efforts and habitat protection. Ben Franklin would no doubt approve.
Early on I pointed out the haunting cries of a pair of Gray Hawks, a neotropical buteo that barely enters the U.S. Up till now they had proved elusive. Finally, we spotted the male and female in tandem flight, no doubt near their treetop nest. The unseen lizards that scurried periodically throught the dense leaflitter certainly have cause to be nervous with this hawk on the prowl. Nearby, we inspected a small patch of False Indigo shrubs plopped in one of the wettest sections of the cienaga. This plant in the bean family normally grows much higher up in the mountains.
Reluctantly taking leave of our improbable forest, we next traveled the still heavily-treed corridor of the Railroad trail at the preserve. There, we admired tall Velvet Mesquite Trees, including one with a Milkweed Vine straggling up its trunk. This herbaceous plant is one of the hosts of the Queen butterfly – close cousin of the famous Monarch – which we observed in flight soon thereafter. While birds certainly ruled the roost early in the day, mammals were soon heard from as well. Pausing by some chalky-white scat, I elucidated as to why it came from a Mountain Lion, which are sometimes observed even by day in the park. One of its main prey items, a Collared Peccary, had likewise deposited scat nearby, albeit more recently. Before we knew it, we were scrutinizing two of these Javelinas as they consumed aquatic vegetation along the fringes of a beautifully flowing Sonoita Creek. Overhead, a silent and sleek Arizona Gray Squirrel deftly manuvered through the dense tree canopy. I took the opportunity to inform the group that Arizona in fact has more tree squirrel species than any other U.S. state!
As the day wamed up, more Butterflies started to get in on the action. Several Checkered Whites floated by here and there. With various mustard species – their larval food source – sometimes dominating the preserve’s fields, this came as no surprise. A lone Black Swallowtail streamed by at a fast clip. The foul-tasting species that it mimics – the Pipevine Swallowtail – also made a cameo appearance along with an Orange Sulphur. This year’s fine wildflower show has spawned a nice diversity of butterfly species.
Drawing upon my ethnobotany background, I pointed out some key differences between Prickly Poppy, many of which were in full bloom, and the vaguely similar New Mexico Thistle. The former is toxic, while the latter is highly edible. Later in the day, I demonstrated exactly how to pick, prepare and consume a leaf of the thistle – only a spectator sport for today’s group. Near the end of our time at the Nature Conservancy preserve we heard what sounded like the piping of a pair of broken smoke alarms. As a Bird Guide, I know this call well, and soon was pointing out several Abert’s Towhees to the group. Before leaving, we mused over the ancient uses of the small native tree, Texas Mulberry – as source of food, fiber, and bow-wood alike.
Off to a great start, we next drove to the Arizona Trail parking lot in the Patagonia Mountains. This afforded us a complete shift in habitats, with only minor overlap in the species we encountered. This area is dominated by large Velvet Mesquites, often with a dense understory of Big Sacaton and other native grasses. Carefully winding our way through the maze of Sacaton, lest we unduly spook a Rattlesnake, we listened to the metallic trills of several Black-throated Sparrows, which often nest in such habitat. Similarly, we heard a diminuitive Verdin calling nearby. They too nest in these Mesquite Woodlands. Several new wildflowers for the day came to light – magenta Trailing Windmills, orange Sidas, yellow Fendler’s Dandelion, and the aptly-named Golden Smoke among them. Meanwhile, we all took care not to run afoul of the wickedly spined branches of Catclaw Mimosa or “Wait-a-minute” bush – a leguminous species that readily attracts butterflies and other pollinators when in bloom.
When a medium-sized Sonoran Spotted Whiptail sunned itself to the side of the arroyo for all to see, I discussed the non-sexual reproduction of this species, termed parthenogenesis. In other words, the entire species is female, who give birth via unfertilized eggs to more females. Definitely the most bizarre species encountered today!
Ants soon made a revival – no suprise since our Sky Islands region hosts more species than any comparable area in the U.S. Tiny Crazy Ants that stormed in a tight column over the ground bear a name that reflects their rather erratic movements., not to mention their penchant for getting into houses and food. Relative behemoths, Long-legged Ants marched in and out of their sloppy nest entrance near Harshaw Creek’s now dry arroyo. This common species has been know to drop pebbles down the nest enrty holes of the Red Harvester Ants – presumably a spiteful behavior aimed at slowing down the competition. Even a second species of Pogonomyrmex, the Orange Harvester Ant, showed up in the arroyo itself, as did both Bordered Patch and Texan Crescent butterflies. Dense creek-bottom patches of the visually nondescript, yet powerfully pungent shrub Arroyobush or Burrowbrush, offered protection from erosion during the floods of monsoon season. Likewise, a lone and rather young Arizona Sycamore had tethered itself near the bulwark defense of a large boulder embedded in the arroyo’s bottom. There the two now conspired to form an island around which floodwaters will likely part.
Wresting our eyes from the ground, we observed a small clone of western Soapberry trees dominating a small rock outcrop that lorded over the western edge of the creek. I have on a number of occasions indeed made soap from their attractive, translucent yellow fruits. Higher up Red Mountain loomed both dense riffs of Interior Chaparral and taller Madrean Evergreen Woodland – a preview of the next two habitats we would visit. Zooming in closer again, I pointed out a healthy clump of Desert Mistletoe – a native succulent, epiphytic shrub adorning a large Velvet Mesquite’s higher branches. I took the opportunity to point out the high wildlife value of this often unjustly maligned plant. The fat-laden fruits and bird nesting opportunities afforded by its dense cluster of branches far outweigh and minor damage it may cause to its host tree. Earlier, we had briefly observed one of the main partakers of the Mistletoe’s fruit – an exotic-looking male Phainopepla. Nor were they the only fruiting species in evidence today. A number of densely spiny Graythorns, mostly growing in the Mesquite understory, had still-ripening fruit – a promise of vital bird food in the near future. With relatives in tropical Africa, the Graythorns lent a somewhat tropical air to the Mesquite Woodlands.
Down the road, a quick stop atop a hilly crest afforded us nice views of Madrean Evergreen Woodland which was dominated by Emory Oak in this particular location. Given the wet winter, these oaks were already decked out in fresh leaves. Drought years see them solely dropping leaves in spring, then waiting until monsoon season to once again leaf out. Emory Oak have acorns that ripen in June – a boon to many species of wildlife in a notoriously austere and sere time. Melding seemlessly into the woodland component of the habitat was some Interior Chaparral dominated by Pointleaf Manzanita, a member of the Heath family along with their cousins, Blueberries, Rhodedendrons, and Azaleas. Their hard-pitted fruits were just getting a blush of color. Their slow ripening continues through summer, when a long list of mammal and bird species partake of the sweet-tart fruit of this “little apple”.
An upstream section of Harshaw Creek furnished us with another key biodiversity stop for our group. Exploring above and within the still dry confines of the arroyo, we witnessed a rather stark shift from the downstream locale. This higher, cooler, and more sheltered site suddenly had Oaks, mostly Gray Oaks, as well as mature Arizona Sycamores. Dense patches of vining Poison Ivy suprised some of the group who did not expect to find this species in the Patagonias. Its close cousin, 3-leaf Sumach sometime grew cheek-by-jowl with it beneath the Oaks. The sumach was and is a key basketry plant for many Southwest Native Nations. Neon pink splashes of Dakota Verbena adorned a few spots above the creek, as did less gaudy, yet still attractive Spreading Fleabane flowers. Several participants followed my lead and smelled the aroma of the Verbena, which is eerily reminiscent of hot chocolate!
In a cautionary tale, I pointed out that a number of large Arizona Walnuts had recenty died of causes unknow along one side of the creek. The presence of trees in the Patagonias and along Sonoita Creek is no given in even the near future. With the current and upcoming challenged posed by both global warming and willy-nilly water use by mines in the Patagonias we are playing ecological Russian roulette with our woodlands and forests. Before we blink a proverbial eye, we could easily lose many of our local trees.
Down in the dry creekbed, we circumnavigated a large boulder embedded in the ground. Its surface was heavily covered in brightly colored Crustose Lichens of at least 3 species along with some dessicted Moss. Desert Willow trees grew straight out of the arroyo, prompting a telling question. One person aked if it was a native tree. I pointed out that not only was it native, but that it also supported a bevy of wildlife, including Hummingbirds. We would have come a long way when the answers to such questions is common knowledge. Learning about our biodiversity is certainly a prerequisite to understanding and hence protecting it. In this regard, ignorance is certainly not bliss.
Despite the later hour, birds soon made a minor resurgance. A clownish-looking Acorn Woodpecker clung jealously to a bare tree trunk high above us. Only periodically did it feign to move. Saving energy is often as good or bettern than securing it via hunting. Its close cousin, a Gila Woodpecker, called nearby. Both are key architects, whose old nesting holes become domiciles for a number of spcies who are unable to construct such abodes. Other birds were busy nearby – an Ash-throated Flycatcher and a floaty-flighted Cassin’s Kingbird both near a large Sycamore where they were prowling for insects.
With time running out, we swiftly headed for our final destination – a sort of cherry on top of an incredible day spent exploring our magnificent biodiverstiy. As we neared the top of a hill that leaves the Patagonia Mountains, we noticed a patch of Cliffrose setting seeds from its recently copious white flowers. Soon we were striding through the flower-covered San Rafael Grasslands, which skirt the southern edge of the Patagonias. With nary a bird to observe, save the rare flushing Grasshopper Sparrow, we were liberated to focus on the many blossoms. Greene’s Lotus, Plains Flax, Wavyleaf Thistle, Rock Daisy, Spreading Snakeherb in the Acanthus family, Blue Dicks, Range Ratany, Slender-Flower Indian-Breadroot, a pink-flowered Dalea, and some waning Locoweed, all came to the fore. Meanwhile a lone baby Rainbow Cactus was uncovered by one of our explorers. Several young Alligator Junipers punctuated a few spots in the grasslands, as did patches of the succulent Sotol. Each of these mini habitat islands accentuated the idea that this “sea of grass” holds more than meets the casual eye.
Not long ago in the scheme of things, Geronimo and Cochise used the tall, dried flowering stalks of Sotol as sprear shafts during warfare. Back then Mexican Wolves, Mexican grizzlies, Aplomado Falcons and other now locally extirpated species roamed our area. Thus, I brought our biodiversity foray to a close with mention of these key and now missing species. We all agreed that what we know, we can love. What we love, we will strive top protect….and what we protect will enrich our lives. I thanked all present for their interest in and concern over the varied life of this much-imperiled area. By supporting PARA, these stellar people have spoken not only with their hearts, but also with their wallets. They and many others are helping to fight the looming impacts of industrialized mining in an area that should have no mines at all – the real treasure lying in the biodiversity of this much imperiled Sky Island.
With warm farewells, we reluctantly parted ways, all the richer having delved deeply into the biodiversity for which our Sky Islands area is rightly acclaimed.
Common Names: Brown Vinesnake, Neotropical Vinesnake, Thornscrub Vinesnake, Mexican Vinesnake
Scientific Name: Oxybelis aeneus
Range: From extreme south-central AZ (Patagonia, Atascosas, & Pajarito Mountains) through Mexico and Central America to Peru and Brazil
Description: A long, thin, and vine-like snake with a narrow, triangular head housing vertical pupils. Dorsal color is light brown.
Natural History: The Sky Islands are replete with diverse and engaging species, where biodiversity takes center stage like no other place in the U.S. Some plants and wildlife are obvious and easy to find, even to the casual observer. Not so this unique snake. Don’t expect to waltz into the mountains and encounter this reclusive species, despite its mostly diurnal proclivities. Confirmed only from the our Patagonia, Atascosas, and Pajarito Mountains, this thin reptile indeed looks so much like a vine and is rare enough that you likely will never see one in the wild. The term “ghost species” is then a fitting appellation. There are unconfirmed rumors of the species’ occurance within the Baboquivari and Santa Rita Mountains as well, lending a further mystique. Nevertheless, having the chance to spot a Vinesnake is exciting – somewhat akin to encountering a Mountain Lion or any number of other hard-to-find species inhabiting the Madrean Archipelago. Cold temperatures seem the main limiting factor influencing the distribution of Brown Vinesnakes within the tiny U.S. portion of their range, where they often retreat to tree and rock hollow hibernaculums in winter. In Arizona Brown Vinesnakes inhabit Madrean Evergreen Woodland, Mesquite Woodlands, Tropical Thornscrub, and heavily wooded canyons. There they live a mostly arboreal existence in trees and shrubs, while in searching for prey and seeking to avoid predators.
With a maximum length of about 5 feet (most of which is tail) and a long triangular head, Brown Vinesnakes are unmistakeable. From elevated perches, they keep their eyes peeled for a range of small prey, though especially lizards. In fact, their venom – delivered by enlarged and grooved rear fangs – though mild to humans, swiftly subdues various lizard species. Prey is often stalked with a hypnotic, swaying motion, mimicing a wind-driven vine and allowing the snake to within striking range. Ornate Tree Lizards, Clark’s Spiny Lizards, small birds, small mammals, frogs, insects, and various vertebrate eggs are included in their overall diverse diet. Certain prey items are even enticed to within their deadly grasp via the snake’s wiggling tongue, which seems to pass for a tasty invertebrate treat – a lingual lure, employed by some other reptiles around the globe.
On the flip side of the coin, Vinesnakes are preyed upon by Gray Hawks (somewhat reptile specialists, themselves), other raptors, quite possibly larger snake species, and likely some mammalian predators. When threatened, they can release foul-smelling excretions from their cloaca and gape their black-lined mouth to help ward off danger. After mating, the female lays 3 – 8 eggs within leaf litter in summer, with hatchlings entering the scene from July to September. Brown Vinesnakes face a number of perils, not the least of which is the lack of data on their abundance and even exact range in the Sky Islands. Habitat destruction by mining activity, human developments, roadkills, habitat degradation by overgrazing livestock, and large fires associated with global warming all pose ongoing risks to this retiring species. This is the conservation poster child species for remembering that out of sight should never mean out of mind.
If you think you’ve encountered a Brown Vinesnake in the field, then please take photographs and contact PARA as soon as possible, so that we can document their presence in the region.
Please donate to PARA to support our mission and ongoing quest to protect this and other key species in the Patagonia Mountains, Sonoita Creek Watershed, and beyond. This will help to ensure the conservation of our unique Sky Islands biodiversity for generations to come.
Vincent Pinto is a Wildlife Biologist, Naturalist, Ethnobotanist, and PARA Board Member.
Pollution of our planet reached such a dire stage in the late 1960s that Lake Erie was declared “dead” and the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught on fire. The 1970s saw the creation or expansion of most of the environmental laws we have today :
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 1969
The Environmental Protection Act 1970
The Clean Air Act greatly expanded in 1970
The Endangered Species Act 1973
Note: All of these regulations have received pushback over the years. During the previous administration, many of these laws and regulations were gutted by Executive Order.
In the 1980s, after the Bhopal, Chernobyl, and the Exxon Valdez disasters, more vigorous environmental activism efforts caused Americans to call for “greener” products. Meaning they wanted corporations to be conscious of the environment. Instead, corporate environmentalism was born. Sophisticated in messaging and more frequent in greenwash advertising (Karliner, 2001), “Corporate Environmentalism” is the recognition by our multi-national companies that it is a profitable business to add a “veneer of green” to their products and activities.
What is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing is accepted as the “practice of making unwarranted or overblown claims of sustainability or environmental friendliness in an attempt to gain market share” or become socially accepted. It is making something that pollutes appear clean, just as the BP logo suddenly became a flower.
Some companies intend to capitalize on the growing demand for environmentally sound products purposely. Some to the degree of putting out press releases and “commercials touting their clean energy or pollution reduction efforts.” When in reality, the commitment to green is not meaningful. After all, a company can slap a ‘made from recycled material’ sticker on the box. Attempting to give the impression that they are talking about the product inside, they are only talking about the box. That company will not point the finger at the environmental disaster it is causing in producing the product. Instead, they will point at the sticker to show how they are contributing to a cleaner world. One researcher found that the companies more likely to greenwash also happen to be the dirtiest ones because they are more likely to have bad reputations (Dahl, 2010).
By definition, corporate environmentalism is tied to the outcomes of production, not to the root causes of the pollution or destruction. The notion of “sustainability” itself is dubious because, as Marv Waterstone pointed out in a recent lecture, it is “usually used as an adjective, tied to development.”
A look at the mining industry
A report titled ‘A Just Transition is a Post-extractive Transition’ by London Mining Network and War on Want states that “the mining industry is using greenwashing tactics to promote itself as part of the solution to climate change” (London Mining, 2019). They tout that they will deliver the minerals and metals needed for the growing demand for renewable energy. When all along, aside from metals like lithium, only a fraction of the minerals mined will be used in those technologies (Gia Foundation). In the process, globally, they will destroy climate-critical ecosystems, contribute to over a quarter of global carbon emissions and displace communities already vulnerable to climate change.
Why we fall for greenwashing and how not to
Proof that humanity is ready for sustainability, a worldwide Neilson study showed that 83 percent of consumers believe that companies should have an environmental program. According to A Fiji Story greenwash marketing tactics appeal to customers’ moral conscience and desires to live a green life. Some greenwashing companies do not understand that we actually want a clean world and not a sticker that plays into our psyche. As consumers, we must now also learn to decipher between advertisements that purposely deceive from the meaningful ones. The list below are some things to watch out for.
Fluffy language: Words or terms with no clear meaning (e.g. “eco-friendly”).
Green product vs. dirty company: Such as efficient lightbulbs made in a factory that pollutes rivers.
Suggestive pictures: Green images that indicate an (unjustified) green impact (e.g., flowers blooming from exhaust pipes).
Irrelevant claims: Emphasizing one tiny green attribute when everything else is not green.
Best in class: declaring the company is slightly greener than the rest, even if the rest are pretty terrible.
Just not credible: “Eco-friendly” cigarettes, anyone? “Greening” a dangerous product does not make it safe.
Jargon Information: That only a scientist could check or understand.
Imaginary friends: A“label” that looks like third-party endorsement—except that it is made up.
No proof: It could be right, but where is the evidence?
“Public outrage over corporate greenwash is more likely to induce a firm to become more open and transparent if the firm operates in an industry that is likely to have socially or environmentally damaging impacts, and if the firm is relatively well informed about its environmental, social impact.” (Dahl)
The next best thing to do is to become informed. Have conversations about greenwashing with friends and relatives. Seek out organizations that are actively working towards a better planet. Lastly, support and donate to conservation organizations.
One would be forgiven for being unaware of the major events of 1872, so allow us to remind you:
Ulysses S. Grant defeats Horace Greeley to win the U.S. presidency.
Suffragist Susan B. Anthony is served an arrest warrant for the crime of voting and fined $100.
Yellowstone is established as the world’s first national park.
The General Mining Act passes in an effort to encourage development in the American West.
Today, most of these things are different. President Grant is no longer in office. Women have voting rights. National parks are now enjoyed all over the world.
Yet hardrock mining still largely operates under a law written almost 150 years ago, and we are paying the price.
1872 Mining Law
150 years ago, the federal government sought to promote Western settlement by giving hardrock mining companies an offer they couldn’t refuse. Suddenly, 270 million acres of public land (about ¼ of all US land) became an incredible business opportunity.
Unlike coal, oil, and natural gas extraction, which pays a 8%-12.5% royalty, the hardrock resources like copper and gold beneath the land are nearly free to any domestic or foreign mining entity. Anyone need only discover the presence of valuable resources to stake a claim and gain mining rights on public land. Before extracting billions of dollars worth of minerals, taxpayers are owed a cost established in 1872: under $5 per acre. No, we didn’t forget a zero.
For example, in 1996 “a Canadian mining company proposed a mine at the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park. The threat of the mine caused an uproar, and taxpayers paid $65 million to buy back land that the company had bought for $5 an acre” (Multinational Mining Corporations Are Exploiting US Taxpayers).
The law also fails to include any provisions for environmental responsibility. According to Earthworks, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “declared 40% of the headwaters of all western watersheds polluted by mining in 2000. EPA has identified the hardrock mining industry as the nation’s largest toxic polluter – contributing almost half of all reported toxic releases in the U.S.” Because the law specifically establishes mining as “the highest and best use” of public lands, it is an uphill battle for communities like the Patagonias to restrict mining activity on the grounds of environmental protection.
19th century legislation in the 21st century
Why do we allow laws intended for miners with pick-axes and gold pans to drive modern mining? In 1872, electricity hadn’t even been sold yet in the US. This means that a bill likely inked by lamplight now is to blame for problems like light pollution so severe that native bird wildlife is impacted– problems that President Grant could not have possibly imagined.
Put simply: this law has made it easy for hardrock mining companies to make extravagant profit by exploiting public land, and it is in their interest to maintain the loose current legislation. The National Mining Association (NMA) is one industry advocacy group that spends millions of dollars lobbying for coal and hardrock mining. NMA was even recently joined by a former EPA chief of staff.
“Dramatic cuts to protected public lands within Bears Ears National Monument reflect lobbying efforts from a uranium company, Energy Fuels Resources, that owned mining claims within the original boundaries. Conveniently, most of these claims now fall outside the newly reduced monument’s borders. After pressure from uranium companies, President Trump also created a Nuclear Fuel Working Group, where high-level administration officials are tasked with developing recommendations to ramp up uranium mining and production in the United States.”
In 1934, a board commissioned by FDR concluded that the General Mining Act was outdated. Since then, this conclusion has been confirmed and reported upon through the , to little avail. In 2007, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Chairman Costa (D-CA) proposed the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007, HR 2262. The proposed bill would reform many aspects of the General Mining Act, such as implementing royalties up to 8%, strengthening oversight/enforcement, expanding protected areas, and creating environmental standards for operation and reclamation.
The same year the bill was in Congress, NMA spent over $4.5 million on lobbying expenditures— more than any total in the last 20 years except 2011. Passed by the House of Representatives, it then died in the Senate. This began a series of reform bills under the “Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act” name in 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, all of which died either in committee or in Congress. The recent laws have been championed by representatives like Sen. Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona), and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon).
With a new Biden/Harris administration comes hope that extractive industry regulation will get the attention it deserves. Earthworks lists these recommendations and priorities for future mining reform:
Meaningful Tribal consultation, public participation and review in decisions on permitting, bonding, inspections, and enforcement.
Discretion for land managers to balance mining with other potential land uses and the protection of treasured places, sacred sites, wildlife, and water resources.
Performance standards for hardrock mining operations.
Best available technology standards for mine waste (tailings) management.
Reclamation standards restoring sites to pre-mining hydrological conditions, fish, and wildlife habitats.
Adequate financial assurances for all reclamation costs, including long-term water treatment.
Managing, mitigating, and planning for climate impacts.
Enforcement, accountability, and fees charged to mine operators to defray administrative and enforcement costs.
CONTACT: Carolyn Shafer, Mission Coordinator and Board Member
Patagonia Area Resource Alliance info@patagoniaalliance.org
PARA Asks State Agency to Delay Permit Process for South32’s Hermosa Project in the Patagonia Mountains
Patagonia Area Resource Alliance raises concern over watershed impacts
PATAGONIA Arizona, Dec 1 2020— South32, an Australian mining company, wants to move its Hermosa Project in the Patagonia Mountains to actual mine production. It has asked the AZ Department of Environmental Quality (AZDEQ) to issue permits for a massive dewatering project in order to access its target minerals. South32 proposes to treat and discharge up to 1.6 billion gallons of water per year for up to four years into Harshaw Creek as part of the mine dewatering process. Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA Watchdogs) retained the services of two hydrologists to model the proposed discharge into Harshaw Creek and its impact on the watershed. The study shows that the mining company has not adequately analyzed the impacts of such a persistent discharge upstream of the Town of Patagonia over a range of normal climate conditions, including periods of stormwater runoff, nor has it fully examined the impacts of mine dewatering on the watershed. PARA Watchdogs has asked AZDEQ to suspend the review process until such time as the mining company addresses the deficiencies identified by the hydrologists.
About Patagonia Area Resource Alliance: As a grassroots environmental nonprofit, our mission is to monitor the activities of mining companies and ensure the actions of these companies, and of local government agencies, have sustainable, long term benefits for our public lands, our water, our wildlife, and the ecosystem in which we all live. Learn more at: www.PatagoniaAlliance.org
Watershed. A watershed moment. A shed for water? When talking about the issues surrounding mining in the Patagonia Mountains, one is inevitably going to hear mention of a “watershed”. But what does this term really mean? And why is it so important to discuss? In this blog post, we are going to address those basic questions and go into detail on our own Sonoita Creek watershed.
What is a watershed?
According to theNational Ocean Service, a watershed is “a land area that channels rainfall and snowmelt to creeks, streams, and rivers, and eventually to outflow points such as reservoirs, bays, and the ocean.” Sometimes called a drainage basin or a catchment, a watershed can comprise a small county or thousands of square miles. These different-sized watersheds are nested within each other; a region like North America is divided and sub-divided into scaling watersheds, each identified by a unique 10-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC). For example, our own Sonoita Creek watershed is a subwatershed of the Santa Cruz watershed, and its HUC is 1505030102.
Nestled between the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, the water that flows into the Sonoita Creek and eventually the Santa Cruz River has supported life for thousands of years. The 128,000-acre Sonoita Creek watershed is a major tributary to the Santa Cruz River and the greater watershed that serves more than a million people. It is also the municipal drinking water supply for the Patagonians. Sonoita and Harshaw Creeks and their subterranean aquifers provide the only source of potable water for the Town of Patagonia with over 900 residents and 300 private well users within a three-mile radius of town. The wildlife that this watershed supports is among the most biologically-diverse in the world and has been identified by scientists as vital for species survival.
How is it threatened?
As is often said, water is life. According to theEnvironmental Protection Agency, the benefits of a healthy watershed extend far beyond clean drinking water. A healthy watershed provides ecological services like carbon cycling and erosion/sedimentation control, economic benefits like reduced flood mitigation costs and increased revenue from the outdoor recreation industry. Among many other reasons, this is why proper watershed management is of the utmost importance.
Unfortunately, too many watersheds are facing threats from sources like climate change, poor land management, human and livestock waste, and current or abandoned mining activity. The National Ocean Service points out how far-reaching these impacts can be:
Water from hundreds, and often thousands, of creeks and streams flow from higher ground to rivers that eventually wind up in a larger waterbody. As the water flows, it often picks up pollutants, which may have sinister effects on the ecology of the watershed and, ultimately, on the reservoir, bay, or ocean where it ends up.
In our own backyard, the greatest threat to the Sonoita Creek watershed is hard rock mining activity. In the reportSonoita Creek Watershed: A Roadmap to Water Quality, several water quality problems are identified. These include dangerous acidity, contamination from metals like copper and zinc, and high groundwater hardness. The region contains many historic mines that were insufficiently remediated and still poorly monitored. For example, the abandoned Lead Queen Mine was found in 2014 to be leaking an orange sludge– acid mine drainage.
Photo owned by PARA
Acomprehensive study by Arizona NEMO with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) found our watershed to be at “extreme risk” which means that a surface water body within the subwatershed is currently assessed as being “impaired” by ADEQ for one of the constituent groups. The same report concluded that “The Sonoita Creek Subwatershed has the highest risk in the Santa Cruz Watershed to be impacted by metals related to abandoned mine sites.”
Here are some of the reasons that hard rock mining is able to pose such a threat to our watersheds:
Santa Cruz County is not allowed to regulate mining activity that exists on more than five acres of land (ARS 11-812).
Arizona is one of the weakest environmentally-regulated states in the U.S., especially with respect to hard rock mining.
The federal government continuously weakens environmental protections and underfunds environmental agencies.
In July of this year, South32 announced their massive dewatering plans, which will draw down an estimated 1.6 billion gallons of water per year for four years in order to help them reach their target minerals. Hydrogeologists have been enlisted by PARA to analyze the impact of this and other proposed actions by South32, and they recently presented their initial findings to the Town of Patagonia Flood & Flow Committee. These experts pointed out several shortcomings in the scope and methods of South32’s own hydrology report, such as failing to analyze watershed impacts outside of the land in their mining claims.
Get Involved
If you want to help defend our water and wildlife, here are some steps to get started:
1. Learn more about Arizona’s water issues
There are many other organizations fighting alongside PARA to protect our waters. Take a peek at some of their information and initiatives.
Brings awareness to the power of words—both yours and others. This PDF will explain which words to use and which to avoid when discussing industrialized mining.
Read “A Summary Comparison of Applicable Federal Laws vs. State Laws for Large Scale Metal Mining Facilities in Arizona” for an eyeopener about how few environmental regulations govern mining on patented, private lands in Arizona.
Dawn Walker, a part-time local to the Patagonia Mountains, recently submitted her take on living in Duquesne. Her story is beautiful and will kick off our first blog in our new “Patagonia Voices” series.
Dawn’s Story:
My association with Duquesne started with the passing of my mother in 2009. My sister Jill and I had not seen each other for fifteen years, as we both led different lives in lands far from our native England. I had sailed to New Zealand in a 50-foot yacht, and Jill and her husband Rick had built a magnificent log cabin home on 78 acres of mountain in Duquesne.
Mid-December we received news that Mum was not expected to survive to Christmas, so we both arranged to speed home and hopefully arrive in time to say farewell. Over the following emotionally-charged weeks we reaffirmed our relationship, and Jill told me of all the adventures she and Rick have in their amazing countryside. Riding horses, adventuring amidst the mountains, and the excitement of living close to the border. Even the name “Duquesne” musters up thoughts of the Wild West, and I was drawn there.
Not wanting to let our re-acquaintance die, I asked if I could visit the following summer. That visit was to be the start of a passionate love affair with one of the most beautiful and unique places I have ever visited– and having sailed halfway around the world, I have visited quite a few.
Because of the late arrival of my flight into Tucson, by the time we arrived at the ranch it was dark and I had only had glimpses of the passing countryside in the headlights of the truck. I was aware the highway became a road and the road became a track as we climbed higher and higher. Eventually the track became a rugged track. We bumped and bounced up their long drive and were greeted by furious barking and the occasional whinny. Already this felt like home.
I am an early riser and thus opened my eyes at daybreak. My breath stopped as I gazed out of the attic window to my first view of the sun rising to clear the magnificent Huachuca Mountains, bringing an expanding view of the stunningly beautiful landscape. There was the sweeping San Rafael Valley, the Canelo Hills, the Sierra Madre in Mexico, and the far distant conical outline of San Jose, 70 miles away. It was love at first sight. I had never known such an overwhelming feeling of tranquility, peace, wellbeing. The clear mountain air, the uninterrupted view of natural beauty– no roads, no houses, no power lines, no traffic, nor pollution. Just completely unspoiled country, literally as far as the eye could see.
Hummingbirds feeding at dawn. Photo: Dawn Walker
Now ten years later, I have myself bought twenty acres of land, designed and built a modest cabin, and come each summer for four months to relax, rejuvenate, and replenish my soul. I lease a horse during the length of my stay so that I can get out and about on the many trails in the Coronado National Forest and surrounding land. I ride for miles on dirt tracks, exploring canyons and washes, discover old abandoned stone cottages, ride through oak forests, and wind my way up pine-clad slopes to reach some of the peaks of the Patagonia Mountains.
The views are stunning, and you are never sure what you might see next. Occasionally I have caught a fleeting glimpse of a bear shambling away, startled by my presence. Deer athletically leaping to safety are commonplace, yet always a delight to see. They seem to float over the steepest terrain. Often seen are the amusing coatimundi who don’t seem too fussed about anything, especially a horse. Rarely do you encounter a rattlesnake, but they are there. A rustle in the undergrowth sometimes signals their stealthy departure, unwilling to chance a confrontation. Frustratingly, I have never yet seen my heart’s desire: a mountain lion. I have frequently smelled where they have marked their territory and seen their scat, but not yet have I been blessed with a sighting. One day, I hope.
Birds are abundant; it is a special treat to hear– and even more so to see– a rare visiting elegant trogon. We are fortunate that more of these visitors from Mexico are calling this area home. The shriek of a circling gray hawk epitomizes the wild, untamed element of this area. At my cabin, I hang feeders full of sugar water for the little hummers who flock to feed at first light and at dusk. Their squabbling antics as they duel and fight never fail to raise a smile. Most are just passing through on their migratory routes, and I hope I aid them on their way to distant lands.
Early morning view of the San Rafael Valley. Photo: Dawn Walker
From my cabin, I have the most amazing elevated 180-degree view to the east. I look across the sweeping San Rafael Valley to the peaks of the Huachucas. The view is dynamic as the sun rises, always varied yet always stunning. In the evening the shadows alter the mountains, revealing ranges you had never noticed before and disguising others you could have sworn were there. The colors always vary depending on the cloud formations and atmospheric conditions, comprising an ever-changing painting produced by nature.
I also have friends that I hike with and that open up many more delights as we explore off trailand scale canyons and hills, marveling at the treasures to be seen and found. Amazing rock formations, small creatures, bubbling pools, flowering cacti, and always the amazing views over a wide expanse of wild and unspoiled country.
A treat is to head over to hike in the Huachuca Mountains. The 20-mile drive across the San Rafael Valley is like stepping back in time; it is the largest one of only three remaining high grass prairies in the US. As you drive through the rolling grasslands, you can imagine buffalo grazing in their thousands. You drive past the San Rafael Ranch, a magnificent old ranch house built in 1884, formerly known as the Greene Ranch. It has been used as the backdrop to many western films including Oklahoma!, Tom Horn, Arizona Dreaming, and many more. Although it is owned by the Conservation Society, it is sadly no longer open to the public. The Huachuca Mountains, dramatic in appearance, have too many trails to mention, but all are an adventure, and there are many delights to discover.
This is a very special part of the world. It is unique and it has a biodiversity found in very few other places. It has an aura which cannot be described—it has to be witnessed and felt.
“To my mind these live oak-dotted hills fat with side oats grama, these pine-clad mesas spangled with flowers, these lazy trout streams bubbling along under great sycamores and cottonwoods, come near to being the cream of creation.”
Aldo Leopold, 1937
Tragically, all of the above are now endangered by the threat of industrialized mining and the greed of overseas companies. We cannot lose this area. We cannot let greed and the lust for money destroy what nature has created over millions of years. This area must be protected so that it lives and thrives for future generations of not only humanity, but all that lives and thrives here at present. To lose it would be to lose one of the biggest treasures we have ever inherited.
CONTACT:
Anna Sofia, Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Patagonia Area Resource Alliance
info@patagoniaalliance.org
PARA Spreads Awareness of Local Water, Roads, and Power Concerns
Patagonia Area Resource Alliances raises awareness on local issues ahead of the 2020 election.
PATAGONIA Arizona, Oct 1 2020—Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), a grassroots environmental nonprofit founded in 2011 to help monitor and protect the Patagonia Mountains from the damage created by extractive industries like hardrock mining, today announces the three mining impacts that are currently facing the Town of Patagonia in an effort to spread awareness of regional environmental concerns leading up to the November 3, 2020 election.
Over the last three months, senior Australian mining company South32 has announced plans for the Hermosa Project’s exit route, water usage, and power source. These plans will not only impact the 450+ acres of private land upon which operations will happen; they will also likely affect the community of Patagonia and the incredible biodiversity of the Sky Island region.
Water
In July, South32 announced their massive dewatering plans, which will draw down an estimated 1.6 billion gallons of water per year for four years in order to help them reach their target minerals. Most of the water they use will be released into Harshaw Creek, with a forecasted rise of 20 feet in some areas and depletion in others. But we are in a sustained 20 year drought. Since our residents, private well users, ranchers, farmers, and wildlife all rely on the watershed for survival, how will this dewatering plan impact our region—now and in the future?
Roads
In August, South32 announced plans to construct a 32-foot-wide industrial arterial road for heavy trucks that will connect Harshaw Road to State Road 82. This exit route, the Cross Creek Connector, will run through a residential area. While common sense says this proposed road should require rezoning and other permitting processes, Patagonia Area Resource Alliance has been informed by county staff that the mine can put in this road without going through a rezoning process—a decision that makes no logical sense based on how many locals it will impact.
Power
In September, the power company UniSource Energy Services announced the Rio Rico-Harshaw power line that will serve the Hermosa Project. Their plans do not include who will pay for this project, how much it will cost, or if Flux Canyon Road will be upgraded. Patagonia Area Resource Alliance suggests that we need to ask for more details before we can know how this overground power line will impact our community.
We have come to the crossroads of two futures: one where the mountains are forever changed by industrialized mining and one where we protect the earth’s limited gifts and resources from corporate profit. Take action for the Patagonia Mountains at: www.PatagoniaAlliance.org/50Days
About Patagonia Area Resource Alliance: As a grassroots environmental nonprofit, our mission is to monitor the activities of mining companies and ensure the actions of these companies, and of local government agencies, have sustainable, long term benefits for our public lands, our water, our wildlife, and the ecosystem in which we all live. Learn more at: www.PatagoniaAlliance.org
The Patagonia Mountains in Arizona, a hotspot for sensitive, threatened, and endangered species, are in danger of abuse by extractive industries including senior Australian mining company South32 and junior Canadian mining company Barksdale Resources.
(Click the links above to learn about our concerns with these companies.)
Leading up to the 2020 election, we will be unpacking the myths these industries want you to believe and what you can do to defend this biologically diverse region from destruction. Follow us on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook for daily posts breaking down the myths and uncovering the facts.
Once you know the myths, take action! Here are ten ways you can help defend the Patagonia Mountains through the election season and beyond.
EDUCATE
#1. EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT HARDROCK MINING!
Remember that “knowledge is power,” and in this case it is the power to teach others about the dangers of mining to our community and the power to oppose the dangerous mining plans and practices that affect local water and wildlife. Here are some good readings to start with:
Arizona is considered the 9th-friendliest mining district in the world. It’s important to understand the policies that create such a conducive environment for mining, against the backdrop of such beautiful but vulnerable biodiversity.
Share the “50 Days to Take Action: Defend the Patagonia Mountains” campaign regularly with your social networks. Share the important information from the campaign with your family, friends, and community who are not on social media. Spread awareness as far as the mountains themselves!
#5. WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR OF YOUR LOCAL PAPER!
Getting a piece published in the local newspaper helps to bring wider attention to the issue. Use these three resources to learn how to write letters to the editor, and for great tips on how to increase your chances of getting your letter published.
#6. WRITE AN OP-ED TO INFORM OTHERS AND ADVOCATE CHANGE!
Publishing an op-ed in a local or national newspaper allows you to put forward a counter-argument to other pieces that have been published. In this case, you can use the myths and facts from the “50 Days to Take Action” campaign (or informed by other credible sources) to create a counter-argument to the idea that the South32 mine will be good for the Patagonia and surrounding communities.
Use these three resources to learn how to write op-eds, and for great tips on how to increase your chances of getting your piece published.
Send an email to Coronado Forest Service Supervisor Kerwin Dewberry (kerwin.dewberry@usda.gov) and let him know that you support the Town of Patagonia’s request for a comprehensive water study in the Patagonia Mountains. How can we allow this mine to conduct business without a full study that assesses the short and long term effects on our water?
#8. EMAIL SOUTH32 DIRECTOR DEMANDING TRANSPARENCY!
Send an email to South32’s Pat Risner (pat.risner@south32.net) and let him know that you want all water reports currently in South32’s possession to be forwarded to the Town of Patagonia. Whether you live in town, or you call from afar, this action will really help amplify the importance of community and concerned citizen input!
#9. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS!
Exercise your right to speak! Find your district here (type your address in the address search pane toward the top of the page).Then, use the easy step guidelines we’ve posted here to send an effective message to your elected officials. Consider asking your representatives to support a revision of the 1872 Mining Act. After almost 150 years of inaction, we’re overdue for a change!
At Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), our mission is to protect the water and wildlife from the pressures and realities of 21st-century industrialized mining. As such, we have watched, with concern, the current U.S. administration weaken long-standing environmental laws at a national level. From rolling back the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to repealing parts of the Clean Water Act that “significantly narrows and limits which waters and wetlands are protected under the Clean Water Act from pollution, degradation and destruction” (source: Earthjustice), these directives harm the environment and negatively impact global chances to stop climate change.
The results of the November 3, 2020 election will likely determine how these issues (and the ones in Arizona’s Santa Cruz County, listed below) progress. To ensure positive change, it is up to us—people in our local and state communities—to push back against these mounting environmental issues. One of the many ways we can do this is to mobilize against the plans of corporations and government agencies by 1) voting, 2) calling and emailing Santa Cruz County supervisors about local mining concerns, and 3) submitting an op-ed to a local newspaper. (For op-ed writing tips, keep reading!)
Environmental Concerns in Santa Cruz County
While national issues are mounting ahead of the 2020 election—which is only two months away—so too are local issues in Santa Cruz County. The Town of Patagonia and surrounding areas face widespread road and water impacts from senior Australian mining company South32. These impacts threaten the people and wildlife that rely on the region for water and shelter.
Roads Issues:
On August 4th, South32 held an invitation-only presentation for Red Rock Acres property owners. They officially declared their chosen exit route during this event: the “Cross Creek Connector” route that runs from Harshaw Road (just outside the Town boundaries) to State Highway 82. South32 then intends to proceed east on Highway 82 to Sonoita, where they’ll turn onto Highway 83 and head for Tucson. (Here are the slides and meeting minutes from the August 4th meeting.)
To make this chosen exit route a reality, South32 will need to construct a 32-foot wide industrial arterial road for heavy trucks to use while transporting ore between the mine site and Tucson. In order to connect Harshaw Road to State Highway 82, they plan to put the industrial road through a rural residential area.
Common sense says the proposed arterial road should require rezoning and other permitting processes, which would give residents the opportunity to challenge South32’s plans. However, PARA has been told by Santa Cruz County staff that the mining company can put in this arterial road without even going through a rezoning process.
The communities in Santa Cruz County must speak up about these processes. The arterial road South32 wants to put in will have a huge negative impact, creating safety issues that threaten the land, residents, and businesses that live and operate along Highways 82 and 83. If rezoning and permitting processes are not required, for-profit mining corporations will be left unchecked and cause ecological, biological, and residential damage for years to come.
Read more in this article from the local newspaper, Patagonia Regional Times.
Water Issues:
The 128,000-acre Sonoita Creek Watershed is a major tributary to the Santa Cruz River and the greater watershed that serves more than a million people. It is also the only source of potable water for the Town of Patagonia with over 900 residents and 300 private well users within a three-mile radius of town. The shallow depth of the aquifers, combined with the nature of the soils and underlying geology, make the relationship between the surface and groundwater watersheds a particularly close and interconnected one.
In an August public presentation to the Patagonia Town Council, South32 shared their plans for a “dewatering project” in the Sonoita Creek Watershed. The minerals this company wants to mine are located about 1,500 feet below ground. Meanwhile, the water level is at 100 feet. The company’s proposed water drawdown (estimated at 1.6 billion gallons of water per year for the first four years, followed by water withdrawal during operation) will dramatically reconfigure the watershed and significantly impact the ability for species survival in and around the Patagonia Mountains, a dry Sky Island range in an already drought-affected region.
Learn more about the Sonoita Creek Watershed in this video.
Arizona is considered one of the top ten most mining-friendly jurisdictions in the United States, and this status allows foreign mining companies to easily access minerals and metals in sensitive and biologically diverse areas without much oversight from the Forest Service. The state of Arizona’s pro-mining position makes both voting against and opposing these issues critical.
Readers are more likely to engage with community letters when they’re kept short and pointed. While writing, quickly state what the issue is and what you’d like local residents to do about it. If you need help figuring out how to structure your letter, consider reading a few already-published op-eds before you start drafting.
You’ll also want to check with the paper to see what their requested word limit is. Make sure to stay within the limit provided (usually 300-500 words). Otherwise, the paper’s editor may trim portions of your letter, which could unintentionally change the meaning of your message.
#2. Tell the reader who you are.
Readers often want to know a little about the op-ed’s author. In the body of the letter, make sure to state who you are (your name and any community affiliations you have), where you live, and why this specific issue matters to you. What stakes do you have in the issue, and why do you support/oppose it?
For example, if a proposed road will run through your residential community, tell the reader that and share how the construction and use of this road will affect your health, wellbeing, property values, family safety, business, etc.
#3. Include a call to action.
You’ve hooked the reader and have successfully given them a short, to-the-point view of your community issue. You’ve also included who you are and why the issue matters to you. Now comes the final part: ending the op-ed with an action call.
As you write, think about what you want the reader to do. What is the takeaway of your op-ed? Should they call a county representative and ask them to support/oppose the issue? Should they vote in the upcoming election? Should they join a protest you’re putting together? Or perhaps the call-to-action is simply a request for the reader to think about their role in these concerns—do they have a stake in the issues you’ve described? There is no right or wrong way to write a call-to-action. Every one is different; you’ll know what is needed once the draft is complete.
Need additional guidance? While we can’t write your op-ed letter for you, we (the team at PARA) can help you track down word limits, send you resources on mining risks that you can use in your writing, and more. Feel free to contact us at info@patagoniaalliance.org with any op-ed writing questions you might have.
In April, Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) partnered up with Sky Island Alliance for their Border Wildlife Study—a camera-based project that will help organizations and the public better understand the depths of biodiversity seen near the U.S.-Mexico border wall. For this study, Sky Island Alliance deployed a camera array of sixty devices that span thirty-four miles of the border between the Huachuca and Patagonia mountains.
Sixteen of Sky Island Alliance’s cameras have been established in the Patagonia Mountains. Including six of PARA’s cameras, which have been collecting data in the Patagonias since 2012, this totals a power of twenty-two remote camera traps throughout the mountains.
Sky Island Alliance celebrated their first 90 days of Border Wildlife Study in July by releasing their full species list. They’ve detected seventy-one species (and counting!) across the thirty-four miles of border; and with the combined efforts of Sky Island Alliance and PARA, over forty-eight (48) species have been sighted in the Patagonia Mountains alone!
The Patagonia Mountains
If you’ve never driven through the Patagonia Mountains, searched for its rare birds, or hiked its canyons, you’re missing out. Located about sixty miles southeast of Tucson, the Patagonias make up one of Arizona’s unique Sky Island ranges. This range is also part of the Madrean Pine Oak Woodlands and extends across the U.S.-Mexico border where, in Mexico, it becomes the San Antonio Mountains.
The Patagonia Mountains lie at the very heart of six intersecting provinces: the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Madre, the Sonoran Desert, the Chihuahuan Desert, the Great Plains, and the Neo Tropics. Because of this, the Patagonias are home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including 300 species of birds, 600 species of native bees, 300 types of butterflies and moths, and 112 Federally threatened, endangered, and sensitive species—possibly including jaguars and ocelots that use the mountains to migrate between Mexico and the United States. Scientists have named this region one of the top areas in the world most in need of protection for species survival due to its ranging altitudes, the 128,000-acre Sonoita Creek watershed, and the Patagonia Mountains’ many canyons and woodlands.
While the Patagonia Mountains are wealthy in species diversity, they are also threatened by various operations, including border wall construction and industrialized mining. As the quality of air, water, and habitat are threatened, organizations like PARA and Sky Island Alliance are worried these operations will negatively impact these species at risk and ultimately limit—or remove all together—their ability to migrate freely across borders.
Check out this presentation PARA did with Sky Island Alliance in August on conservation in the Patagonia Mountains:
48 Species Detected in the Patagonias
Sky Island Alliance and PARA deploy their 24/7 camera traps differently—which results in some different sightings.
At Sky Island Alliance, the Border Wildlife Study team uses a scientific 1 km x 1 km grid. All cameras are placed within 3 kilometers from the border to get the best data on which species might attempt cross-border migration. This systematic grid placement ensures the cameras capture a variety of landscape features and, the Border Wildlife Study page says, “increases the likelihood of documenting the true breadth of the wildlife community.”
PARA’s camera team, on the other hand, places devices where wildlife sightings are most common: usually around water sources or where two different wildlife trails meet. While the approach is not unbiased or scientific in nature, it instead focuses on the locations where big mammals, like bears and large cats, are most likely to appear as they cross through the Patagonia Mountains on their way to and from Mexico.
Now for the species list! Here are the forty-eight* species PARA and Sky Island Alliance have detected over the last several months.
*If you’re curious what the forty-eighth species is, it’s a single insect: the moth!
This week, Sky Island Alliance announced the list of species they’ve found during the first 90 days of running their remote camera project.
Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, a partner on this exciting Border Wildlife Study, believes this documentation of species is incredibly important for understanding the depths of biodiversity in the Sky Islands. Many issues—climate change, resource extraction (industrialized mining), Trump’s border wall, and more—threaten the unique mesh of species we see in southern Arizona. It is inspiring to see 71 species captured on camera within a span of only three months. This data will support efforts of conservation, restoration, and environmental awareness in the Sky Islands for years to come.
You can learn more about the Border Wildlife Study, and see photos of all 71 species, on the Sky Island Alliance website.
TUCSON, Arizona—Sky Island Alliance is announcing initial findings of its Border Wildlife Study documenting critical habitat threatened by imminent construction of President Trump’s border wall.
In the first 90 days of the study, Sky Island Alliance has documented 71 species living in areas threatened by construction of the border wall. A barrier in this region of southern Arizona would seal off wildlife corridors used by dozens of species of mammals, birds, and reptiles.
“We have clear photo evidence of how vital this land is for a multitude of species that depend on connected habitat between the U.S. and Mexico. We must do everything we can to protect wildlife pathways across the border,” said Emily Burns, Ph.D., who leads the study.
Sky Island Alliance’s Border Wildlife Study has collected thousands of wildlife photographs from dozens of trail cameras installed across 34 miles along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. In the first months of this project, Sky Island Alliance, and its partners Patagonia Area Resource Alliance and Naturalia, have identified black bear, mountain lion, pronghorn, gray fox, coatimundi, elf owls, Montezuma quail and many other species within this threatened area. The extraordinary diversity of animals documented in the study areas in this short time shows an array of mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates rely on this threatened habitat as their home range, as well as for migration.
In June 2020, Patagonia Area Resource Alliance reached out to 14 total candidates running for seats in the Patagonia Town Council, Santa Cruz County, and Arizona’s State LD2 this November. We asked them to share their thoughts and efforts in areas surrounding environmental issues, water concerns, and regulations.
Out of the 14 we reached out to, we received 10 responses. We hope these responses help inform you and your family as you look toward our 2020 election season. For full transparency, other than adding punctuation in a few places, we have neither shortened nor edited the responses to these questions.
Remember: There is a lot riding on this year’s elections. Register to vote, talk to those around you, and make a difference. We can’t protect the water and wildlife of Patagonia, Arizona, or the United States without you!
Patagonia’s Town Council:
We reached out to Francesa Claverie, Ron Reibslager*, and Michael Stabile, the candidates running for three Town Council seats. We did not hear from the candidates with asterisks next to their names.
Learn more about the Town Council candidates in this special article from the Patagonia Regional Times.
What do you think are the biggest environmental challenges facing Patagonia?
Stabile: “I think one of the biggest environmental challenges facing Patagonia is the possibility of 200 to 500 trucks/day passing through the town spewing diesel fumes and noise 24/7. South 32 has not defined its exit strategy which because of the location will be a very difficult problem to solve. The Town has an ordinance that prohibits any company from operating more than 100 heavy trucks per week, we will use this ordinance to keep the traffic under control. If a company can circumvent the Town limits and get to State Hwy 82, then the Town would have no control over the number of trucks that pass through Town.”
Claverie: “The biggest environmental challenges are the rollback of the EPA Clean Water Rules and our local mining threats. The EPA rollbacks deregulate almost all the waterways and wetlands in Arizona, and the local mining threats endanger both the quality and quantity of our surface and ground water, as well as local ecosystems and wildlife.”
Do you have ideas on how to make Patagonia more environmentally resilient?
Stabile: “The Town of Patagonia government is a Town Manager/Town Council government. The Town Manager runs the daily operations of the Town. The Town Council oversees the Manager, with the Mayor establishing the agenda for the Town. Each council person has one vote. I believe in protecting the environment of the Town which would include the health, safety, and quality of life for all the citizens. However, I am just one vote. I will do my best to recommend to the Council that protecting the environment is in the Town’s best interest.”
Claverie: “Environmental resiliency comes from educating ourselves and neighbors, preventing the encroachment of large extractive economies, and involving our communities in environmental restoration practices.”
Ecotourism is an important part of Patagonia’s economy. How do you plan to sustainably support and grow Patagonia’s ecotourism?
Stabile: “The Town is open to all businesses that want to set up shop within Town limits. We do not promote anyone; we can only use what is called a use permit to possibly object to a business that might do harm to the town and affect other businesses within the Town limits.”
Claverie: “Supporting our ecotourism economy gives jobs and livelihoods for our community and the town can do this by not allowing competing franchises and large scale generic businesses to dominate our town, while also making sure our surrounding wildlife and greenspace is protected around Patagonia, both for the sake of the environment and our own livelihoods. As a community we need to come together and stop shaming each other. We need to support blue collar workers and realize that a great deal of the mining divide in this town along the “locals” v “new-comers” divisions has a lot more to do with classism and people not feeling heard or able to have a conversation about the issues that are most important to them. This means supporting a variety of businesses and jobs in our local economies, and respecting each other as community members. None of these divisions will be solved overnight but this kind of community work is critical to living together and supporting each other in a small town.”
Patagonia is completely dependent on groundwater. How will you protect the quality and quantity of this essential resource?
Stabile: “The Town of Patagonia only has jurisdiction within its boundaries. We cannot control what happens in the mountains. We do have a watershed designation with the Forest Service, but this does not totally protect our water sources. The Town can only try its best to work with the companies that are in the watershed and get them to do the right thing.”
Claverie: “Groundwater can be over extracted as well as polluted. Both are important to monitor and educate our communities about. Water quantity is evaluated and protected through studies, transparent well locations and town water usage, decisions about what activities and types of water extraction to support, and support town policies for rainwater harvesting practices. Water quality is protected through encouraging clean up and education about legacy mines that continue to exist and pollute our watershed, as well as watching and evaluating potentially dangerous groundwater pollution practices of local mines like Hermosa project.”
Santa Cruz County:
We reached out to Robert Rojas, Manuel Ruiz, and Mike Melendez* (all running for SCC District 1); Rudy Molera* (running for SCC District 2); and Bruce Bracker, Donna Federici, and Justin Luna (all running for SCC District 3). We did not hear from the candidates with asterisks next to their names.
What do you think are the most significant environmental challenges facing Santa Cruz County?
Rojas: “We have water issues, air pollution, sewer issues from the IOI, and contamination from manufacturing and industrial plants from our neighbors to the South and surrounding areas.”
Ruiz: “The wastewater treatment plant and air pollution from Nogales, Sonora MX.”
Bracker: “I think the most important environmental challenge is the preservation of the natural beauty we have while fighting to preserve the growth and job creation that our community and our youth need in order to keep our county as a thriving place and a desirable place to live. The county needs to identify Cultural, Historical or Naturally Pristine places for Conservation Easements – we need work to secure funding that can help us secure these places for future generations. Solid Waste and Recycling are long term issues that the county has been exploring various options to resolve. Water Quality and Air Quality are issues that require our continual attention. Mining, as South 32 continues to develop the property, other companies will attempt to develop their claims. Thus, we must be clear with the mining sector of our expectations though it is the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality that regulates the environmental compliance for the mining sector. We must also recognize that as a border county, our environment is also subject to what happens on the other side of the border, so we also monitor the events and policies on the Mexican side.”
Federici: “Water. Clean water is vital to sustain life. Water scarcity and water quality are significant concerns for our county as residential use, ecotourism, agritourism, farming and ranching can be damaged by insufficient quality water. In 2020, the Southwest’s long-standing drought caused Arizona’s first ever water cut-back from the Colorado River. The move is part of a plan to keep the reservoir at Lake Mead functional. Both Lake Mead and Lake Powell levels have grossly dropped due to over allocation and drought. Even though our county is mostly dependent on groundwater, our State and County is faced with the challenge of balancing significant water usage and potential pollution with economic recovery and growth. More specifically, we need to strike a critical balance between protecting our resources and the need to create sustainable jobs to insure our economic future.
Pollution. Another concern is the cross-border sewage water from Mexico into the Santa Cruz River. The river has its headwaters in the high grasslands of the San Rafael Valley and flows south for approximately 14 miles to the Mexico border near Lochiel, Arizona. After entering Mexico, the river continues south, but then turns 180 degrees to the north, and re-enters the U.S. 5 miles east of Nogales. The river continues a northerly route to its confluence with the Gila River. Pollution of the river in Mexico is a longstanding problem. The IOI (International Outfall Interceptor) is of grave concern as well. The nine-mile pipe brings Nogales Sonora and Nogales Arizona wastewater to Rio Rico’s water treatment plant. There the waste water is treated and purified and put back into the river. The problem is that the mega pipe has far exceeded its capacity and leaks on a regular basis. In 2017 the Army Corps of Engineers was called in to mitigate a massive break during monsoon season that dumped 27 million gallons of raw waste into the river. As recently as last October, the county waterway was contaminated with sewage and people were warned to avoid contact with the water. The pathogens in the water continue to be a significant risk to our people and wildlife. The Upper Santa Cruz river is designated an Important Bird Area being recognized for the diversity of birds it supports.
Wildfire Mitigation. Fire can be deadly, destroying homes, wildlife habitat grasslands, and timber, and polluting the air with emissions harmful to human health. Wildfires continue to be larger and more difficult to suppress because of a changing climate, persistent drought and hazardous fuel conditions. Homeowners who do not mitigate the wildfire risk on their properties impose a negative risk to others. I want to work with all stakeholders to insure we obtain and maintain a solid wildfire risk mitigation plan and to the extent possible, seek to reduce barriers with cost sharing programs.”
Luna: “There are quite a bit of significant environmental challenges our county faces. Specifically, District 3 since that is the district I seek to lead, fight for, and represent. The most significant environmental challenges, in my opinion, include old mining areas, non-recycling, air pollutants, and quality of water. Old mining areas that have posed threats to the water supply and the natural environment for Patagonia residents, the animals (both endangered and non-endangered animals) in those areas, and the earth. I personally feel that the old mines have to be reevaluated and cleaned out further. All the while trying to repair the earth to make it look as natural as possible. Non-existent recycling of plastics is a challenge too. The air is not the cleanest either. We all have to do our part as a community and unite together on this matter among others. However, it starts with leadership. Those who have the trust from the public to be elected have to set the example; an exceptional example at that!”
Do you have ideas on how to make Santa Cruz County more environmentally resilient?
Rojas: “Yes I have some ideas however I would like to get together with the Santa Cruz County manager and staff and see what they have done in the previous years and addressing the environmental issues. Then, I would like to get together with environmental groups.”
Ruiz: “Working closely with Federal and State Government’s on funding environmental programs and initiatives.”
Bracker: “To make Santa Cruz County more environmentally resilient you begin to address the issues I mentioned in the environmental challenges question. The Conservation Easements, Solid Waste and Recycling are all items that the county plays a direct role in their implementation. The State of Arizona mandates that counties play a role in landfills. As such the county has been exploring various options to develop long term solutions for landfill service. Recycling has been a challenge in our community for quite a while as the world market has shifted back and forth on what is recyclable. The COVID-19 Pandemic has delayed a county pilot program for recyclable products for which we have identified markets. Other products such as glass, we are looking for local ways to reuse. Conservation easements are an excellent tool to preserve our most treasured assets.
Air and Water quality along with mining are all controlled by Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, ADEQ. Through local advocacy and ADEQ enforcement both the Ground water contamination and air particulate issues are being monitored. There is a Trichloroethylene, or TCE, plume in the ground water in the Meadow Hills area that ADEQ is in the process of monitoring and remediating. In addition, ADEQ has air monitoring equipment on the Nogales Post office in central Nogales and are sampling continuously to ensure compliance with PM-10 and PM-2.5 standards. Nogales and Rio Rico are designated by EPA as a nonattainment area for air particulates. We also work very closely with ADEQ on the international wastewater issue, and have collaborated with ADEQ Director Cabrera to find the long term solution for the IOI.
Just yesterday, both the IBWC and ADEQ announced the close to $39 million that will be invested in making major repairs to the IOI, repairs that will offer a fix-in-place for the IOI. It was a great opportunity for me to work with Director Cabrera and all the relevant players, including our Senators, our border Congressman and woman, and our state legislators in bringing this investment to Santa Cruz County. The International Outflow Interceptor, or IOI, is a sewer line that connects Nogales Sonora to the International Waste Water treatment Plant at Rio Rico. We are also in contact with ADEQ and the Environment and Water Resources Committee of the Arizona-Mexico Commission in order to keep apprised of binational efforts to protect the environment.”
Federici: “Citizens of Santa Cruz County deserve a united, dynamic vision, one that levies port trade with economic development, social and environmental challenges with the safety and sustainability of our residents and landscape and regulatory issues with fiscal responsibility. We need to create this plan for our future with coherency, transparency and unanimity. The County needs a goal driven Strategic Plan, that will capture our priorities and guide our spending. I advocate for environmental priorities to be included as a goal in the Plan and actions taken by the county to be evaluated by these goals prior to decision making. I want to engage and listen to the public. For significant environmental issues outside the purview of County government, I hope to ensure other government entities perform due diligence on rulings, permits, and inspections.”
Luna: “I do have a few ideas on how to make Santa Cruz County more environmentally resilient. There are plans my team and I have written up to add desert thriving trees, shrubs, and flowers throughout District 3. Not only will this add an aesthetic boost to our community, but also help provide shade, clean the air from pollutants, and help boost our ecosystem. I have a plan to recycle more water from the rain Mother Nature provides us and utilize the rain water effectively and efficiently for the county.”
Ecotourism is an important part of Santa Cruz County’s economy. How do you plan to sustainably support and grow the county’s ecotourism?
Rojas: “I would handle item #3 similar to item #2. I would like to incorporate my thoughts and ideas with existing plans that the county should have in their yearly plan and goals for the County of Santa Cruz.”
Ruiz: “Support Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage.”
Bracker: “Ecotourism in Santa Cruz County is just beginning and has tremendous potential. Local groups like the Tubac Nature Center and the Patagonia Visitors Center, jointly with large national organizations like the Audubon Society and the Nature Conservancy have put Santa Cruz County on the map as a destination for bird watching. World class birding locations like Madera Canyon, Sonoita Creek, Santa Cruz River and Patagonia routinely provide a dazzling variety of birds from both North and South America. We need to continue to promote safe access to view these spectacular animals. The Anza Trail along the Santa Cruz River and the barriers on the bridge in Tubac are examples of how the county can collaborate with local stakeholders to enhance this experience. The Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Area will be another tool that the community in Santa Cruz County can leverage for promotion of ecotourism. One of the biggest positive impacts for birding has been the Wastewater treatment plant at Rio Rico and the resulting revitalization of the water that flows along the Santa Cruz River. Endangered species of fish are thriving and birds are far more abundant along the river than before. We must work to preserve this revitalized asset.”
Federici: “In 2019 Audubon Arizona released a report that found outdoor recreation along water in Santa Cruz County, the smallest county in Arizona, generates 142 million dollars in economic output and supports 1600 jobs around the State. Birder’s, hikers, families and locals all know what a gem this area is but a void still exists due to a lack of information on all the wonderful reasons that make us an attractive tourism destination. A county-wide tourism counsel along with a sophisticated website needs to be established and a concerted effort to partner with the Arizona Office on Tourism needs established. I also support repurposing the Sonoita Courthouse which could include a “brick and mortar” visitors center, a farmer’s market, county offices and a community center. We have many tourists to the East side of the county, especially visitors to wine country. I want to capture their interest with a stop at the visitor’s center for information on activities we offer or a stop at the farmers market to get a bite to eat, or to buy local produce or arts and crafts. As 85% of Arizona land is comprised of national forests, parks, recreational areas and Indian reservations, support for nature conservancy, ecotourism and agritourism in the form of grants from government entities and foundations are available and I seek to improve funding by prioritizing grant solicitation for this endeavor and others.”
Luna: “There is a program I have drawn up which will consist of a variety of personnel working together in order to sustainably support and grow the county’s ecotourism; especially District 3. The plan includes a handful of phases which could be very effective and consistent to help grow ecotourism. This plan includes implementing conservation parks throughout District 3. There is a vast amount of beautiful land in District 3 to have it destroyed by human activity. One of my phases includes areas sectioned off specifically for bird watchers and nature lovers alike. Another area will allow residents and visitors to get a glimpse of the beauty, for all to enjoy, in the county from a higher point of view. These areas will pose low levels of negative effects to wildlife and their habitats by using natural resources. This will ensure habitat sustainability and growth. ”
Santa Cruz County is completely dependent on groundwater. How will you protect the quality and quantity of this essential resource?
Rojas: “My plans would consist of working with local agencies and local government, such as the City of Nogales, seeking support and financial support from the State and the federal government. In order to preserve our valuable water resources. Developing strong biding [sic] relationships with the proper agencies and persons can make the difference in success or failure in preserving our water resources.”
Ruiz: “I agree that ground water is an essential resource and we have worked well With Arizona Department of Water Resources, but we must also consider surface water like Patagonia Lake and Sonoita Creek as critical for ecotourism as well in preserving and protecting those areas as well.”
Bracker: “With the Wastewater treatment plant at Rio Rico, not only has the river been revitalized, but the above ground flows are helping to recharge our aquifer. The area around the Santa Cruz River is one of 5 Active Management Areas that are controlled by the Governor and the State of Arizona. They, not the county, regulate ground water in the State of Arizona in these Active management areas. I have provided a link to the Santa Cruz AMA here (https://new.azwater.gov/ama/santa-cruz) where you can find additional information. Ecosystems have no boundaries that is why the international border with Mexico comes into play for some of our issues. From stormwater flows during the monsoon season to the IOI and the Nogales Wash, to air quality and much more requires that we work hand in hand with our partners in Mexico to find common solutions. I have been working with working with two of our Federal Partners, International Water Boundary Commission, IBWC and the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA.
In fact, earlier this year I was appointed to serve on the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee for Region 9 that covers a great portion of the western parts of the United States, including all of Arizona. I am one of 31 members appointed nationally on this advisory board. I was also selected to serve on International Boundary and Water Commission’s Southeastern Arizona Advisory Council that covers Pima, Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties. The IBWC probably has the largest daily impact on the system that is recharged by the International Waste Water Treatment Facility as this facility releases 13 to 17 million gallons of treated water into the Santa Cruz River daily. Serving on these national and regional boards allows me to hear about best practices from other parts of the country but also affords me the opportunity or raising our needs and issues before these critical agencies.”
Federici: “Under my proposed strategic plan formulation concerning environmental issues, water issues will need to be addressed and county water policy and a conservation plan needs to be explored and implemented. The county must make informed decisions that include public discussion on any environmental impacts to proposals. Water resources do not stop at county, state, or in Santa Cruz County’s situation, country borders. When necessary, the county must raise concerns outside their jurisdiction and collaborate with all stakeholders to protect this life-saving resource.”
Luna: “Everyone knows that water is the element to life. A natural resource so vital and crucial to every living organism on this planet. It takes a team effort to protect the quality and quantity of this essential resource. We often forget how precious even the simplest things in life can be. I will protect the quality by working with proper personnel on making the quality of water even better for all to enjoy. It is no secret that much of the water, at least on the eastern side of Rio Rico, can leave one’s skin and scalp dry. The water coming from the kitchen sinks can be very cloudy due to the high content of minerals in it. These minerals aren’t harmful to our health, but can cause calcium build up on plumbing. This water, known as ‘hard water,’ is not a team player with soap or laundry detergent. Hard water can help scum build on plastics where one places their dishes. As for the laundry detergent, one may want to use more laundry detergent because it does not mix well with hard water. All of this can lead to one using more water in the end. A bad situation overall, leading to much high quantities of water being used. I plan to help improve the quality of water first, here in District 3, and then discuss my plans about how better quality water can lead to efficient water use. Resulting in a higher quantity of water for the future.”
Arizona’s State LD2:
We reached out to Luis Parra, Andrea Dalessandro, Billy Peard, and Daniel Hernandez*. We did not hear from the candidates with asterisks next to their names.
Learn more about AZ LD2 candidates in this special article from the Patagonia Regional Times.
What do you think are the most significant environmental challenges facing Arizona?
Parra: “The most significant environmental challenges facing Arizona are droughts, widespread growth of buffel grass, and the over exploitation of Arizona’s aquifers. ”
Peard: “Number one environmental challenge: water. Plain and simple. We live in Arizona, and we face two distinct yet interrelated water challenges: quantity and quality. On quantity, I will address at more length in response to Question 6, below. On quality, our legislative district has been plagued with groundwater quality concerns for generations. In the Tucson portion of Legislative District 2, known or suspected carcinogens such as PFAS and TCE are the likely causes of cancer clusters. In Patagonia and elsewhere, acid mine drainage needs to be addressed. Secondly, I believe that Tucson and Phoenix’s endless suburban sprawl poses a great environmental threat. In Arizona, the average commuter drives farther to work than almost anywhere in the U.S. Our long drives, lack of public transportation, and our unsustainable suburban growth model need to be changed in a profound way.”
Dalessandro: “Maintaining an adequate water supply for humans, wildlife, and vegetation in the face of population growth and resource demands. Keeping wildlife corridors viable, especially along the border if Trump’s massive wall continues. I am opposed to attempts to make the border impenetrable. Preparing for long range changes based on climate change predictions and working to limit that change by changing habits. COVID has shown clearly that if necessary, people can reduce their driving, for example thus reducing air pollution and CO2 production. We need to work on alternatives to our accustomed fossil energy, for example. On a personal note, since December 2016, I have driven an electric car that is charged with my rooftop solar.”
Do you have ideas on how to make Arizona more environmentally resilient?
Parra: “The State of Arizona needs to pass meaningful rules pertinent to groundwater pumping. Invasive grass such as Buffel grass has become a Wildfire threat to the Sonoran Desert. Thus, we need to remove this grass especially around urban areas where wildfires have also become a threat to homeowners. ”
Peard: “90% of Arizona’s population lives in a dry, desert climate. Our built environment (not to mention our culture) should reflect that reality. Unfortunately, it does not. Here are a few steps forward:
Subsidize the purchase of low-water trees, which provide shade and reduce home temperatures during peak summer hours.
Join 41 other states in creating a statewide energy code for new residential construction (currently in AZ, each municipality does its own thing)
Subsidize dual-pane (i.e., double-glazed) windows for low-income homeowners.
Change traffic patterns by increasing urban density in our two largest cities.
Block off larger numbers of public lands from sale to private residential developers.”
Dalessandro: “Make sure that long-term water supply is sufficient to meet long-term demand and recognize that continued increase demand will threaten long-term viability. Limit new development and resource exploitation to assured water supplies. Strengthen Arizona’s water law so that groundwater use and surface flow are recognized as interdependent. Better fire management, recognizing that some areas are adapted to naturally caused fire and should be managed differently from areas that are not so adapted (e.g. saguaro habitat) and protect them from dangers such as non-native buffelgrass. Limit new construction in fire-adapted areas. Much of this is under federal jurisdiction, however.”
According to a Tucson Audubon report, water-based outdoor recreation as an industry ranks above mining and golf in terms of total economic output to the state. The industry contributes $7.1 billion to Arizona’s GDP, provides $4.5 billion in household income and generates $1.8 billion in tax revenues. How do you plan to resolve the conflict between economic and environmental concerns?
Parra: “Striking a balance between the need for environmental sustainability in our state and sharing our beautiful natural resources is possible. Arizona must have a more robust and clear set of regulations that stress the importance of protecting our environmental treasures.”
Peard: “In making policy decisions in Phoenix, I will always start with this premise: Any and all economic activity is dependent on the natural world. My guiding philosophy will be to balance the two where possible, but if there is an irreconcilable conflict, I will side on protecting the environment and curtailing the industry.”
Dalessandro: “COVID has shown us how fragile the tourism industry is. There is likely to be a big surge once the COVID threat has passed. We need to be prepared to deal with the consequences, such as increased trash, damage to habitats, etc. Use of public places, such as State and National Parks, may have to be restricted to the carrying capacity of the area and additional money made available for handling the surge, as well as normal traffic. In general, we need to look at conflict differently. The two are related and jobs can be created in dealing with environmental issues. For example, increasing investment in alternatives to fossil fuels can benefit the economy. On a personal note, my last public appearance was on March 13, 2020 when I read How to Catch a Leprechaun to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders in Patagonia. I have suggested to School Board members that local school children get an opportunity to visit the Paton House. I am ready to lead a fund-raising effort for the purchase of binoculars.”
How will you create an honest, informed dialogue about the state’s environmental and energy priorities?
Parra: “An informed dialogue on important issues such as the environment and energy requires us to reach out to the community and I intend to do so on a consistent basis. I also intend to work on coordinating an annual conference in southern Arizona where the primary environmental issue being faced in our region are analyzed by experts in their field in a transparent manner. ”
Peard: “The first step is to acknowledge publicly that there is a problem. That there is urgency. That small technological improvements are not enough. That the time for incremental proposals is over. As an elected official, I intend to use what little bully pulpit I have to elevate the issue and to make it real for everyday Arizonans who otherwise may not think about it. Additionally, I will lead by example. I will not take money from the fossil fuel industry (responsible for climate change), the real estate industry (responsible for suburban sprawl), or the homebuilders industry (also responsible for suburban sprawl). My opponent, Rep. Daniel Hernandez, has taken money from all three.”
Dalessandro: “My Legislative career has been dedicated to doing just that as evidenced by being just one of two out of ninety Legislators to receive an A+ from the Grand Canyon Chapter of Sierra Club in 2018 and one of four in 2019. I will continue my efforts in my role as State Lead for the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators.”
Our state is completely dependent on groundwater. How will you protect the quality and quantity of this essential resource against the growing demand from industries such as hard rock mining?
Parra: “Quite simply, the Arizona State Legislature needs to do more in order to limit commercial well permits in our state, especially those that are over 1000 feet deep. In addition our rivers need to be protected with State laws. Allowing pumping without restrictions in our active management areas is simply not plausible especially if we are favoring mining concerns over our water tables.”
Peard: “We must, must, must update Arizona’s Groundwater Management Act of 1980. It was an innovative and first-of-its-kind state law when it was enacted 40 years ago. But, in order to get bipartisan buy-in, the legislators exempted the mining industry from most of its provisions. Additionally, the Groundwater Management Act largely regulates only five limited areas in the state. We ought to expand the number of Active Management Areas (AMAs) and roll back the exemptions afforded to the mining industry. I am hopeful that this can be done, as the political influence of the mining industry has declined since 1980 when the original act was negotiated.”
Dalessandro: “While much of this is out of the jurisdiction of state government, I will continue to fight for thorough environmental impacts studies and take the recommendations of those studies seriously. I will oppose any efforts to weaken and ignore those laws as the Trump administration has been doing. I am on the record with Save the Scenic Santa Ritas for being in opposition to the Rosemont/Hudbay mine which would deplete the groundwater in the Green Valley/Sahuarita area where I reside. Carolyn Shafer periodically fully briefs me on mine activity and local challenges in Santa Cruz County. We also need to be more aggressive on cross-border management of the Santa Cruz River and its effluent flow to protect groundwater and riparian habitat.”
For this Friday Flora Feature, we’re exploring a rare herb-succulent found in the Arizona Sky Islands. Commonly called the Patagonia Mountain leatherpetal, Bartram’s stonecrop, or Graptopetalum bartramii Rose, G. bartramii belongs to the Crassulaceae (stonecrop) family. It is native to Arizona and has not been discovered in any other U.S. states or territories.
G. bartramii is a perennial plant species that naturally grows in deep mountain canyons and rocky overhangs. It is easily identifiable by its pointed leaves and colors ranging from pale, dusky blues, greens, and purples to darker greens with reddish tips. Each plant flowers in autumn, sending up one to four stalks that release seeds for propagation. They prefer shaded areas with a dense collection of plant matter, like leaves, bark, and moss, and typically grow in areas that are within 50 feet of creeks, springs, or other water sources.
While they are often referred to as Patagonia Mountain leatherpetal, G. bartramii can be found all over the Sky Islands, including in these mountain ranges: Atascosa, Baboquivari, Chiricahua, Dragoon, Empire, Mule, Pajarito, Rincon, Santa Rita, and Whetstone (source: FWS). G. bartramii is also native to parts of Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico. The Center of Biological Diversity reports 34 known populations of G. bartramii in Arizona and three known G. bartramii populations in Mexico, but these numbers are currently threatened by climate change and industrial development.
G. bartramii is listed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a “salvage restricted” species. Environmental stressors, including watershed erosion, soil disturbance, drought, winter freezing, overgrazing, and illegal harvesting, have weakened G. bartramii’s ability to remain fully resilient in its natural habitats.
In December 2019, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to add G. bartramii to their Engaged Species Act list for better protection and conservation. The FWS made a proposal to add G. bartramii to this list soon after. Their decision is currently pending.
Photo Credit: Alan Cressler
Photo Credit: Glen Goodwin
Additional Flora Features (from PARA’s Partner Sky Island Alliance):
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, PARA has been using Zoom to meet safely with our board, family, friends, and loved ones. We suspect you may be embracing the same technology (or similar programs, like Skype) to stay connected with the world.
Did you know Zoom and Skype offer a trendy feature that allows you to conceal the clutter of home with a cool background image? To spruce up your weekly calls and meetings, here are six photos from the Patagonia region you can download (for free!) to use as a video call background. Not only will you represent a unique area rich in biodiversity and geography, you may also attract questions about Patagonia from your out-of-town friends and family—all of which help garner additional support and interest in the Patagonia Mountains. So if you’ve ever wondered how to bring up PARA’s mission with others, this may be a good segue into the topics of protecting and nurturing our stunning environment!
Today, we’re excited to feature the hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura). This little creature has been captured on Sky Island Alliance cameras as part of the Border Wildlife Study and captured on Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) cameras on the west side of the Patagonia Mountains. Through this collaboration, we’re excited to observe how hooded skunks migrate between the U.S. and Mexico, seeking habitats that include lowlands, wooded mountains, and areas with streams and springs.
Here are some facts about hooded skunks to get you acquainted with their habits and habitats—all without having to get up close and personal!
1. The hooded skunk species is found throughout the American Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas), Mexico, and Central America.
Hooded Skunk Range. Source: The Animal Files
2. Within the Mephitis macroura species, there are four subspecies. Only one, the Mephitis macroura milleri, is found in the American Southwest and in northern Mexico.
3. When compared to the size of other skunk species, the hooded skunk falls right in the middle. It is smaller than striped skunks and larger than spotted skunks. (All three of these species have been caught on PARA and Sky Island Alliance cameras.)
4. Hooded skunks are easily identified by the long white hair that covers their bodies and necks. Their heads and sides are often black, however, giving them the appearance of wearing a hood. Their tails tend to be bushier than other skunk species with a feather-like appearance.
5. Hooded skunks build dens in habitats with rocks and plentiful vegetation. They like to live near a water source, such as a river, spring, or stream, and tend to prefer areas with lowlands, forests, or the high desert.
6. Mating season for hooded skunks typically falls between February and March. Females will carry their young, called kits, for two months before giving birth to a litter. Each litter contains three to eight offspring.
7. Hooded skunks live an average of three years, though they tend to live shorter in the wild due to predators.
8. Hooded skunks are nocturnal. They leave their dens near dusk and spend the night searching for food.
9. Like raccoons, hooded skunks have been known to seek out and eat human garbage. Mostly, though, their diet consists of insects, vertebrates, and a little bit of plant material (such as fruit).
10. Hooded skunks are threatened by humans (hunting, roadkill) more than any other predator. To protect themselves from predators, they will hide in the burrows or dens of other animals or take cover in cholla cacti. They can also spray in defense like other skunk species.
The hooded skunk species’ conservation status is listed as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List, and it’s believed their population is steadily increasing across the U.S., Mexico, and Central America.
Today, we’re sharing a story written by our communications coordinator, Anna Sofia. Sofia shadowed PARA as a field volunteer for a few months before coming to work with us and wrote this story as part of her MA in Science Writing thesis at Johns Hopkins University.
Canyon wrens flew overhead as I scaled a rocky wash in Humboldt Canyon, an inner arm of Arizona’s Patagonia Mountains. Over a dozen puddles of water glistened around me, some small as frying pans and others wide as boulders, all connected by streams of icy November rain. I followed the flow along crumbling cliff walls until I reached the source — a chain of plunge pools. The one nearest me was four feet deep.
I paused to assess my options. I had volunteered to check a local nonprofit’s remote wildlife camera in this canyon, and the board warned me of a challenging trip. After a bumpy, two-hour drive to the end of a road, I would need to don a pack and enter the backcountry, hike loose dirt hills, cross rapid streams, and bushwhack through a snare of thorny brush. This, I could do. What I hadn’t been told was that the camera was beyond these pools. To move forward, I’d need to suck it up and wade through them.
I grounded myself with the reminder that, by volunteering in the field, I was part of a growing movement of “citizen scientists:” people who collect data, either on their own or with a coordinated group, to support local conservation efforts. In Arizona, citizen scientists like me satisfy many needs for wildlife organizations. We take photos of animals and plants and either share them directly with nonprofits or upload them to databases like Nature’s Notebook, The Hummingbird Project, and iNaturalist. Citizen scientists are also “watchdogs,” people who report concerning or exciting developments in nature — like acid mine drainage or a rare jaguar sighting — to local nonprofits.
I wanted to help fight hard rock mining in the Patagonia Mountains, say no to America’s border wall, and raise a flag for today’s climate crisis — that’s why I was there. So I stripped from the waist down, hugged my shoes and pants to my chest, and hauled into the water with little more grace than a cow. The sounds that burst from my chest echoed a cow, too, as the region’s recent rains froze my skin and splashed up my thighs.
I climbed out of the pools when the canyon walls widened enough, sun dried until I could redress, and kept hiking. The trees above me — home to a bonded pair of Mexican Spotted Owls — shook their branches in the wind, and a camera sat just beyond a bend where I’d been told I would find it.
Pulling the camera from its box, I sat in the shade of wilted leaves and flipped through the photos. The images on this camera would help nonprofits and their alliances educate legislators and file lawsuits. Just a few years before, a Patagonia-based nonprofit had protected the pair of Mexican Spotted Owls from mining for a second time, all thanks to citizen scientists and the data collected in this canyon.
What else, I wondered, could citizen scientists help accomplish along the U.S.-Mexico border? What other fights could we win for wildlife, if given the chance?
To answer these questions, I shadowed two Arizona locals: Glen Goodwin, a long-term citizen scientist and cofounder of Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), and Emily Burns, a scientist for Tucson-based nonprofit Sky Island Alliance. Both shared their thoughts on the challenge of collecting data in Arizona, the importance of citizen scientists, and how newcomers can contribute to ongoing conservation efforts.
We at Patagonia Area Resource Alliance are excited to share details on a new partnership with Tucson-based nonprofit Sky Island Alliance. The work being done in Sky Island Alliance’s “Wildlife at the Wall” study will capture real-time data of the species found in the Patagonia Mountains, the Huachuca Mountains, and the San Rafael Valley—data that is vitally important in helping oppose Trump’s border wall.
Over 50 cameras have been deployed for this project with more planned for the future. Three weeks in, over 30 species have been documented—including, Sky Island Alliance reports, “mountain lion, white-nosed coati, ringtail, bobcat, gray fox, javelina, kangaroo rat, whitetailed and mule deer, Montezuma quail, American kestrel, Northern harrier, Mexican jay, and red-tailed hawk.”
OR, just keep reading for more details on this critical project!
SKY ISLAND ALLIANCE PRESS RELEASE — APRIL 2, 2020
Conservation scientists launch binational effort to document wildlife in the path of Trump’s border wall.
New study fills gap left by waiver of environmental laws at the U.S.-Mexico border Tucson, AZ—Sky Island Alliance announced the launch today of an unprecedented study to document the diversity of wildlife threatened by the U.S.-Mexico border wall. The Trump Administration has waived dozens of laws to fast-track border wall construction, and is set to build 30-foot tall steel walls in sensitive wildlife areas without any meaningful environmental review or mitigation.
“With border wall already under construction in Southern Arizona, it’s a race against time to document wildlife living in unwalled stretches of the international border,” said Emily Burns, Ph.D., lead scientist on the project and Program Director at Sky Island Alliance. “We don’t even have a complete list of species that live in these beautiful grasslands and forests, so we can’t even begin to estimate the toll of border wall construction on the remarkable animals of this region.”
Sky Island Alliance is partnering with Mexican nonprofit Naturalia and U.S. nonprofit Patagonia Area Resource Alliance to contribute vital science to fill the monumental information gap created by the Trump administration’s refusal to follow environmental laws. The study detects data using wildlife camera array along 34 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border in Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico.
Sky Island Alliance has already installed over 50 wildlife cameras across the Patagonia Mountains, San Rafael Valley, and Huachuca Mountains over the past few weeks, with more on the way. Capturing photos and video 24/7, the project will generate thousands of images weekly. Sky Island Alliance and partners plan to use this information to both document the incredible diversity of wildlife in this rugged and remote area—and advocate for the urgent protection of vital wildlife corridors in the face of border wall construction.
“The remarkable wildlife of the border region deserve a voice in the decisions being made in Washington D.C. that will damage their habitat and sever their migration corridors,” says Louise Misztal, Sky Island Alliance Executive Director. “We want to ensure the American public understands the enormous harm to wildlife and local communities from the border wall. We hope this study will catalyze efforts to protect our region.”
“For more than 15 years, our organization and Mexican environmental federal agencies have made extraordinary efforts to maintain the great biological corridors of the borderlands and to conserve priority species present on both sides of the border,” says Gerardo Carreón, Conservation Director of Naturalia, AC. “In Sonora and particularly in the Los Fresnos conservation area on the border, there are extensive areas of passage for wildlife through permeable fences that must remain so. In this region there are Mexican records of black bear, jaguar, cougar, bobcat, beaver, pronghorn, mule deer, white-tailed deer, javelina, and an enormous diversity of migratory birds such as the bald eagle, ducks, and grassland birds. We are happy to participate in this important border wildlife study.”
The study is already detecting a remarkable diversity of wildlife species – more than 27 species within just days of camera installation. Wildlife detected include: mountain lion, white-nosed coati, ringtail, bobcat, gray fox, javelina, kangaroo rat, whitetailed and mule deer, Montezuma quail, American kestrel, Northern harrier, Mexican jay, and red-tailed hawk.
“We’ve studied wildlife movement in the Sky Island region for decades and know that it can take two years to document a complete list of species in a given area,” Burns said. “To have detected so many species this quickly highlights the incredible diversity here and the critical need to protect the connected border landscapes that these iconic animals depend on.”
The U.S.-Mexico border region is a diverse mosaic of ecosystems from deserts to grasslands and oak forests—and home to more plant and animal species than anywhere else in inland North America. Border wall construction will stop many wildlife species in their tracks, preventing the recovery of iconic species such as jaguar, wolves, and ocelots in the U.S., and putting numerous species like pronghorn, black bears, pygmy owls, box turtles, and white-nosed coati at risk.
Despite calls to halt border wall construction to ensure community safety during the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration is continuing to advance more than 150 miles of new border walls in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, using more than $3.8 billion taken from Department of Defense projects. If completed, 30-foot tall border walls would block nearly the entire Southern Arizona border with Mexico and cut the Sky Island bioregion in two. Numerous parks, wilderness areas, wildlife refuges, national monuments, sacred Native American sites, and beloved cultural sites across the southern border region will also be harmed.
Many of us rely on information shared by industries, scientists, and economic professionals. We follow published reports—reading them in hopes we’ll learn something new, make better decisions, or plan appropriately for our lives. However, not all reports are created equal. Some of them take advantage of public trust, concealing underlying facts that could change how we view their data.
Knowing how to tell fact from fiction is a great skill to have. Use this blog to learn what to look for in economic reports, and you’ll become a savvy reader in no time!
What are economic reports?
Economics reports highlight statistics and numbers, usually financial, about the impacts particular companies, areas, or industries may have on local economies. These reports can cover economies at a community, state, or federal level and often include an outlook on job prospects, median incomes, population numbers, and tax revenues. They may also use scientific data or agency findings to back their claims.
What to look for in a report?
Most reports can be trustworthy and accurate if they use the information in a genuine way.
However, it’s important to remain skeptical: don’t just take the report at face value. Communication professionals in master’s programs (like the author of this article) learn how to vet journals and reports during school. You can learn this too, and you don’t even need to pursue higher education!
Here are a few things to look for when reading scientific or economic reports:
Questionable Funding Sources
The first thing to check is the report’s funding sources. Was the report developed independently, or did the report’s authors, university, or agency accept payment for the work done?
Funding in itself isn’t a red flag. While scientists often get grants for their projects, many universities and agencies cannot produce work without money—and many often do work for specific clients. However, there is a big difference between simply accepting funding (and then doing the work independently) and accepting funding that then directly impacts the report’s results.
Start by looking at the report topic, then look at the funding source. Could the funder be directly impacted by the results of the report?
Here’s an example:
Let’s say a lab releases a report on how Aspirin (negatively or positively) affects Alzheimer’s patients. If some of the funding comes from a company that produces Aspirin, you should assume the company is very interested in the results of the report being positive. Proceed carefully.
Here’s a real-life example:
In 2017, Arizona State University released an economic impact report on mining in Arizona. This Chamber of Commerce article reports on the “mine of tomorrow,” writing: “According to a 2017 economic impact by the L. William Seidman Research Institute at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University that was commissioned by Arizona Mining, the project would benefit Santa Cruz, Pima, and Cochise counties, and Arizona as a whole.”
Take a careful look at who funded the report. It was written by a university but commissioned—in other words, paid for—by Arizona Mining Inc. (AMI), a mining company operating in the Patagonia Mountains (they have since been purchased by South32).
As a result, this 2017 economic report is likely biased. It only talks about what the project expects to add to the economy in a perfect-world scenario; there was no discussion of the downsides of this level of industrialized mining in a biologically diverse ecosystem. A better report would forgo funding by a mining company and deliver real, honest information on the benefits and pitfalls of mining on economies in southwest Arizona. By pushing this report independently, the writers and experts would’ve had less pressure to please AMI with their final product.
For a true idea of what impact mining could have on Arizona communities, look for economic reports that are independently researched and produced. And when in doubt, always do your own fact checking.
Partial Author Affiliations
Does the report’s funding seem squeaky clean? Or perhaps it’s independently developed? We’re making progress, but the report isn’t off the hook yet. The next step is to check the authors and review their listed affiliations.
Even if a report isn’t directly funded, its writers and contributors can be. An expert that contributes to an economic report on a particular industry, for example, may work for an agency or organization that only supports that industry. A scientist may have consulted on pro-industry reports in the past and therefore does not have an unbiased perspective on the topic.
Here’s an example:
A university publishes their findings on the benefits of consuming dairy. It is funded by general grants, so the funding source is clean. However, two of the experts have a long list of publications they’ve contributed to about dairy and health. Looking deeper, several of the previous publications were funded by the dairy industry. One expert also worked as a fellow for a dairy association.
Be wary of these affiliations. Proceed with caution and vet the facts.
As for our real-life example…
The 2017 economic report by the L. William Seidman Research Institute at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University does not list who worked on the report. There are no author names attached, and the report does not indicate whether the information within was reviewed by a team of independent editors or economists. This makes it hard to give the authors a background check—and makes it even harder to know whether we should trust the data provided.
Biased Sources
If funding sources and author affiliations are A-OK, it’s likely the report is unbiased. There’s just one last thing to check now: the resources the authors used to back their claims. When looking at the sources, scan for the following red flags.
Old sources only: A mix of old and new sources ensure there are no gaps in research.
Many sources by one author: One author could be biased or have questionable affiliations.
Non-peer reviewed sources: Peer-reviewed sources are vetted by a committee of scientists or editors, which makes them more likely to be accurate.
Non-scientific sources: Don’t trust anything that quotes tabloids or clickbait materials.
Industry sources: For a report, you want the sources to come from trustworthy sites, not from the industry that has a lot to gain from a glowing review.
As for our real-life example…
The 2017 economic report lists six references. These include a resource by Ernst & Young (a company that offers professional services, like tax and financial, to industries including mining) and a technical report provided by Arizona Mining Inc. Furthermore, the report states that inputs (e.g., the data) were provided by the Hermosa Project—not pulled or projected independently.
The bottom line
Many economic reports are valid. We don’t want you to be jaded, but we do encourage you to be skeptical of what you read. If you take reports with a grain of salt and put in a little bit of research yourself, you’ll quickly be able to determine if the information presented is accurate or not.
BONUS: Here are a few more tips for you as you foray into the world of report reading!
If the journal article/report praises a specific agenda, it may be one-sided.
Always look for third-party verifications of the report. Have trustworthy websites/journalists/scientists reviewed the information? Do they agree or disagree with the report? Can you find other sources that back up—or dismiss—the report?
Do the statistics and data in the report make sense? Ask someone else to take a look, then see what conclusion they come to. Sometimes fresh eyes can be very helpful!
Anna Sofia is PARA’s Communications and Outreach Coordinator. She has a B.A. in Technical Communication & Professional Writing and is currently an M.A. candidate for a degree in Science Writing. Anna believes deeply in protecting the water and wildlife of the Patagonia Mountains, and holds that all organizations should consider scientific facts first before making decisions for profit.
Join us on Tuesday, August 7th for “Water Matters More”!
Tuesday, August 7th from 6:00-7:30pm
at the Tin Shed Theater in Patagonia, Arizona
Dear friends of the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance,
We’re writing because we are so excited to share “Water Matters More” with you! It is our newest short film that tells the story of the Sonoita Creek watershed, the Patagonia community, and the threats posed to both by Canadian mining company Arizona Mining, Inc. (soon to be South32). The film focuses on our region’s thriving, nature-based economy and the local residents, scientists, and organizations working to protect human and non-human life in the region—many of whom are featured in the film. Those making an appearance include Ravens-Way Wild Journeys, Borderlands Restoration, James Callegary from USGS, Deep Dirt Farm Institute,Laura Norman from USGS, Susan Montgomery, Esq., Earthworks, not to mention many beloved area residents and activists.
Michele Gisser has been working for months to create and shape this film, doing so with financial support from the Story of Stuff Project, the Friends of Sonoita Creek, and the Friends of the Santa Cruz River. We hold deep gratitude to Michele and our sponsors for allowing us to tell this story through film, and we want to thank all of you who went in front of the camera to share your truth.
To accompany the film, we’ll give a short presentation and share updates about PARA’s advocacy efforts. The event is free, though we encourage attendees to support the Tin Shed Theater with a donation (there will be a donations bucket) and by purchasing refreshments (beer, wine, beverages, snacks, etc—do bring cash)!
