Arizona Desert Conservation Plan Wins National Award

January 25, 2002 
Washington, D.C. -
Five decades of steady growth in Pima County, Arizona, stressed the need for effective planning that would protect critical habitat and endangered species in the region, as well as sustain economic expansion. Bringing planning to a level not seen in the nation heretofore, Pima County planners have taken bold steps to meet their challenges and successfully rise above them.
The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP) represents the most advanced state in the evolution of conservation planning in the U.S. The foresight of Pima County leaders and the unselfish contributions of state and federal agencies, planners, ranchers, developers, citizens, and environmental organizations have redefined the process and the results of comprehensive conservation planning.
For these efforts, the American Planning Association (APA) has selected the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan as this year's winner of the national Outstanding Planning Award for a Plan. The SDCP will be honored at APA's National Planning Conference during a luncheon event at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on April 16, 2002. In addition, highlights of the SDCP will be featured in the March 2002 issue of Planning.
" The SDCP has taken conservation planning to the next level by integrating ecosystems, economic growth, cultural resources, and development," said Bruce Knight, AICP, chair of APA's Awards Jury. "This is an excellent model of creative planning that shows growing communities how to balance our built and natural environments."
The rapidly growing Tucson region will use the SDCP to manage growth while protecting valuable biological and cultural resources and providing dedicated open space. To achieve these goals, the planning process brought together divergent interest groups to work together to create a balanced and fair approach to planning and decision making.
Hundreds of participating agencies, citizens, and organizations contributed thousands of hours to meetings and workshops. The effort included planners, scientists, and resource experts from Pima County and local governments, the University of Arizona, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resources Conservation Services, and The Nature Conservancy. A citizen-led steering committee of 84 members held more than 400 public meetings, while regional public land-use panels have more than 250 members.
Pima County's environmental consulting firm for the plan, RECON, worked extensively with the Science Technical Advisory Team and county staff in conducting detailed analyses and GIS mapping of priority species' habitat distribution. Together they have developed a plan for an interconnected system of conservation lands to provide long-term protection for more than 50 of the most sensitive plant and wildlife species in southern Arizona. RECON prepared the easily read final documents, incorporating many of the graphic illustrations created by Pima County's graphic design team.
Early results of the SDCP include the designation of the Ironwood Forest National Monument and the completion of studies supporting the establishment of the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. Recently, on December 18, the Board of Supervisors adopted the 2001 Updated Comprehensive Plan. Included were policies, directives, and land-use designations that support the goals and conservation lands system of the SDCP. Implementing other elements of the plan will require continuous cooperation between governments, interest groups, and citizens over the next 20 years but, given the level of community interest during the planning process, Pima County leaders are optimistic.
The APA National Awards for Planning are part of a proud tradition established more than 50 years ago.