Conservationists and officials have devised a robust plan to restore and protect the Santa Cruz River, including advocating for the river's designation as a national wildlife refuge.
This project was started in response to the nonprofit environmental advocacy group American Rivers naming the Santa Cruz as one of America's most endangered rivers, according to Southern Arizona's AZPM.
If the river obtains the national wildlife refuge designation, federal protection of the area would be extended to include about seven miles of river bank habitat.
Plans for this process took a leap forward recently when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a landscape conservation design — a kind of blueprint — that detailed habitats and species located in the Southwest that require protection.
Some of the environments designated by the LCD include areas that federally listed species such as the western yellow-billed cuckoo and Mexican garter snake depend on for survival. The plan also includes a proposal for an urban partnership program in Tucson, per AZPM.
Nancy Brown, public outreach specialist with the service, said this planning process has been a community-driven effort.
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"They're the ones that put this forth to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for consideration and the service signed off on that, that landscape conservation design essentially saying that we think this has merit," Brown said.
Conservation efforts are crucial to maintaining aspects of our environment that support human life, including freshwater sources such as the Santa Cruz River. Reviving these devastated areas is also critical for the health of the plants and wildlife that depend on it.
The service plans to collaborate with community partners to hold workshops at Pima Community College's Desert Vista Campus. These workshops will encourage community-driven action and focus on developing comprehensive plans for the river's long-term protection.
"What are the different potential demographics or socioeconomic needs? There are a lot of factors that need to be considered, including the health of that river," Brown told AZPM.
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