Good News for Tumamoc Hill...
Posted: Feb 24 2009 8:05 am
for those of us interested in the hill and the State Trust lands system!
Earlier today, Pima County successfully acquired Tumamoc Hill for
preservation! The county purchased the 320 acre parcel
from the Arizona State Land Department at the appraised value of
$4,700,000. For many years the community has expressed its desire to
have this landmark conserved and protected from development. In 1997,
voters approved the sale of bonds allocating over $30 million to
acquire land in order to protect natural, historic and cultural
resources. In 2004, voters again approved over $190 million for these
same purposes. Tumamoc Hill was included as a priority for acquisition
in 1997 and in 2004. Over the years numerous conservation strategies
were employed, but all to no avail.
Today, we were successful. Monies from the 1997 and the 2004 bonds
were used to ensure the continued preservation of this historical site
and biologically important area. This effort was made possible through
the hard work of many throughout the community including environmental
and neighborhood groups, Congressman Raul Grijalva, Councilwoman
Regina Romero and the Tucson City Council, the University of Arizona's
Tumamoc's Alliance for Reconciliation Ecology, and especially Pima
County and their diligent staffers who never gave up on finding a way
to protect Tumamoc Hill.
The preservation of Tumamoc is a key example of what can be achieved
through successful bond programs. We hope that you will join the
Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection in advocating for $285 million
to fully fund the Pima County Conservation Acquisition Program.
Please contact Pima County and say THANK YOU! for preserving this
Tucson landmark and let them know you support allocating $285 Million
for the acquisition of conservation lands: bondinfo@pima.gov or
740-8450.
Also, if you have not already done so, please take 1 minute and fill
out this bond survey and mark Open Space, Archaeological and Historic
Conservation as Very Important (#5):
--
Sean Sullivan
Associate Director
Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection