COALITION FOR SONORAN DESERT PROTECTION

When the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl first received federal protection under the Endangered Species Act in 1997, it spurred over 40 conservation and neighborhood groups to come together to form the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection. Our goal was to bring sound science and planning into the equation as Pima County, Arizona adopted and began its implementation of the ground-breaking Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.

We have since become a regional leader in virtually every conservation issue in Pima County, including development of Pima County’s Multi-Species Conservation Plan and other jurisdictional Habitat Conservation Plans; the preservation of Sonoran Desert wildlife linkages; water resource planning and policy; riparian habitat protection, restoration, and mitigation; smart planning for renewable energy development; and private development consultation and oversight. We also have one of the largest and longest running community science wildlife camera monitoring programs in southern Arizona.

The Coalition is currently comprised of 30 member groups, representing over 30,000 members, in addition to its own community of members, volunteers, and donors. Our wide array of outreach, education, advocacy, grassroots activism, community science, and conservation planning activities are focused on achieving consensus between key stakeholder groups on a variety of issues that have a connection to the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. We continue to successfully bring people together to save the desert.