It’s hard to believe that the end of the year is approaching! When 2013 began your friends, neighbors, and colleagues here at the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) were gearing up for a busy year promoting the incredible beauty, community and natural heritage of your Town of Patagonia and the Patagonia Mountains. Little did we know what a whirlwind this year would be! The past eleven months have seemingly sped by while we have been advocating to protect this amazing place that we all treasure from the multiple threats that exploratory drilling and mining pose to our small community.
PARA was formed in 2011 to educate and engage the community about the risks and realities of mining, to promote local sustainable economies like ecotourism, to better understand our precious and imperiled natural resources such as clean water and wildlife, and to actively advocate for the protection of those resources in concert with Patagonia’s distinct and serene rural way of life.
You have helped us along the way this year! You have volunteered, come to public meetings, wrote letters to elected and appointed officials; you have taken a class to learn more about the wildlife in our midst and asked poignant questions about the future of our community. Together, we have contributed over 5000 volunteer hours already in 2013!
It has been an amazing and transforming year for PARA, but we have so much more to do! PARA runs on a shoestring budget with the human power of an almost entirely volunteer workforce and just one part-time, coordinator. We’d like to do so much more! Please consider making a donation to PARA this year to support and grow this critical work in our community.
We’d like to share with you just a few of the activities and milestones reached this year through the contributions of all of PARA’s supporters, volunteers and partners:
PARA Board members Michael & Carolyn
Educating the Community, Empowering Ourselves
With a grant awarded from Patagonia® Inc, PARA and Sky Island Alliance (SIA) co-hosted an Advocacy workshop for area residents with national expert Dinah Bear on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We put on two additional NEPA environmental impact scoping comment workshops on mining proposals and held four more letter writing sessions. The PARA Board also participated in our own workshops with SIA Executive Director, Melanie Emerson. Read more…
Dr. Van Devender & scientists in Harshaw Creek
Documenting Patagonia’s Natural History
We hosted a BioBlitz in the Patagonia Mountains with Dr. Tom Van Devender of SIA and scientists from all over the Southwest. 418 different species of plants and animals were documented in one weekend–including a new American record of the Willowleaf Oak (Quercus viminea). Results are being used to protect species and habitats imperiled by mining and drilling proposals and can be viewed online at www.madrean.org. Read more…
Sergio Avila and John Davis on American Peak
Advocating for Protection Through Tireless Outreach
PARA steadfastly engages elected officials and national organizations regarding the perils that Patagonia faces with proposed mining. This year we conducted tours of proposed mine sites to representatives from the U.S. Senate, Defenders of Wildlife, EARTHWORKS, TrekWest and the media. We remain dogged in our outreach to get and keep attention focused here. Read more…
Board member Gooch hiking in Humboldt Canyon
Ensuring Agencies’ Due Diligence
We successfully made the case that the NEPA scoping period for Regal Resources mineral drilling proposal in Humboldt Canyon be re-opened. PARA advocated and reasoned with the District Ranger of the US Forest Service that NEPA decisions should be made using current rather than outdated information. He concurred and ultimately gave us all two additional years to prepare data for more comprehensive scoping comments that can accurately articulate the broadest range of potential impacts. Read more…
To learn more about our 2013 accomplishments and efforts, please take a look at PARA’s “Report to the Community” available on our website at: www.patagoniaalliance.org/our-activities-outreach/
Looking Ahead…
Unceasing Protection of the Patagonia Mountains.
With continued legal assistance from Defenders of Wildlife, PARA strives to hold mining companies, the US Forest Service and all agencies accountable to follow the laws and regulations designed to protect our water, air, surrounding ecosystems and communities. We are positioned to respond to future public scoping notices for exploratory mining proposals scheduled for the Patagonia Mountains.
Sustaining Wildlife Data Documentation and Collaborations
Citizen scientists from the Town of Patagonia continue wildlife monitoring efforts in the Patagonia Mountains focusing on areas immediately at risk by proposed mining activities. Data gathered is used to fight mining proposals through species lists, presence of vulnerable species and habitat analysis. Additional collaborations are ongoing with Defenders of Wildlife, EARTHWORKS, Sky Island Alliance and others to ensure this data is applied to advocacy efforts in the most effective ways.
Increasing Our Outreach for 2014
PARA is strategizing to expand community education activities to grow our base of support and empower concerned residents with potential actions to keep mining out of the Patagonia Mountains. We recognize the need to establish sustainable funding to maintain core functions and seek to expand funding sources. Receiving our own 501(c)(3) non-profit status was just the first step. With additional staff funding in the 2014 budget, we plan to add members to our team to continue to expand our outreach beyond our community boundaries. Our 2013 Financial Report is also available online: www.patagoniaalliance.org/our-activities-outreach/
For A Thriving Community in 2014 and beyond
PARA recognizes that the health and economic prosperity of our community are deeply connected to the wellbeing of the Patagonia Mountains and the Harshaw/Sonoita Creek watershed. They are the source of our drinking water, clean air and the centerpiece for the tourism that drives our local economy.
Please make a Year-End Gift to PARA
There are many needs in our community and many compelling requests for support. We believe one of the most fundamental is protecting our drinking water and our community from the well-known detrimental effects of open pit mining. To that end, PARA is seeking to raise $19,000 by the end of 2013 to support the several ongoing and new initiatives outlined above as we move into 2014. We are fortunate to have a group of amazingly committed community members and generous donors supporting our work, but we are looking to broaden the base of support to ensure not only financial sustainability, but also the ability to impact local, regional and national decision-making on our own behalf. That’s where you come in. The work necessary to make this vision of 2014 a reality is possible only because of your time and your financial support. Please make a gift today.
Please donate to PARA securely online at: www.patagoniaalliance.org/donations/
Every single contribution makes a sizable difference to our organization and ultimately for our community. It is only because of the generous support from people like you that we can undertake this critical work. Thank you!
Your PARA Board and Coordinator
Carolyn Shafer, Cliff Hirsch, Gooch Goodwin, Joseph Nitsche, Katie Flemming-Ballard, Lee Rogers, Michael Stabile and Wendy Russell
