Pima County sets aside areas for conservation while still providing opportunities for economic growth. | Stock Photo
Pima County sets aside areas for conservation while still providing opportunities for economic growth. | Stock Photo
Pima County recently approved two land donations totaling 113 acres, according to a press release from the county.
The donated areas include a hilly region in Cochie Canyon south of the Tortolita Mountain Park and a region of the Brawley Wash in Avra Valley, a tributary of the Santa Cruz River. These areas will be set aside for conservation.
“This is a real win-win,” said Jenny Neeley, program manager with the Pima County Office of Sustainability and Conservation. “The developer is able to move ahead with its development and some really valuable wildlife habitat will be protected for many, many years to come.”
KB Home donated the land to offset the impacts of a new 32-acre housing development project located northwest of Tucson in the Maeveen Marie Behan Conservation Land System (CLS).
The Board of Supervisors adopted the Conservation Land System as part of the county’s Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, which protects the regions biological resources by establishing guidelines for developers to follow regarding natural open-space mitigation. To meet guidelines, developers set aside natural open space to mitigate the environmental impact of their developments.
Since the plan’s inception, Pima County has purchased or leased over 180,000 acres within the CLS.
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