Newsletter of the Sky Island Alliance Vol. 6 Issue 3 Fall 2003 Peck Canyon, Tumacacori Highlands roadless area; powerline proposed to bisect this roadless area INSIDE: Tumacacori Highlands: threats and opportunities plus... After the fire Fall outings Sky Island events Fall 2003 Sky Island Alliance 1 Many Thanks to Our Contributors! Ellie Kurtz, Marshal Magruder, and Maggie Milinovitch, concerned citizens against the powerlines; Sky Island Bob VanDeven, photographer and writer extraordinaire; Joe Cicero, Alliance Front cover: Peck Canyon, Tumacacori Mountains, photo by Matt Scroch. SIA volunteer entomologist; The power pole shown is from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (see Suzanne L. Collins, Center for Protecting page four), one of two types proposed for this line that would either cross North American Herpetology in Our Mountain Islands (western route) or run right down the middle of this canyon (crossover route). Lawrence KS; Sally Gall, assistant manager of Buenos Aires NWR; & Desert Seas Back cover: sunset over Atascosa Peak and Lookout Peak, photo by Bob Sky Jacobs, self-trained naturalist 520/624-7080 • fax 520/791-7709 VanDeven. Powerline (western route) would cut straight across the and artist; Albert Lannon, SIA [email protected] foreground of this image. tracker; Paul Mirocha, naturalist www.skyislandalliance.org and professional artist; Dennis P.O. B ox 41165 Eratum: Yes, we goofed. Last issue’s cover shot was labeled as Appleton- Pepe, owner of the excelent Green Tucson, AZ 85717 Whittell Research Ranch. In fact, it was taken nearby on Fort Huachuca. Fire Bookshop in Tucson, AZ; Office: Both sites have active prescribed fire programs. Mary Scott, local webmaster and Historic YWCA photographer (see more of her 738 N. 5th Avenue, Suite 201 photos at Birdingamerica.com); Lyn Wilson, Arizona League of Sky Island Alliance is a non-profit Conservation Voters; and, of membership organization dedicated to TableTable ofof ContentsContents course, the SIA staff. restoring and protecting the unique diversity of the Sky Islands of South- eastern Arizona, Southwestern New Comings and goings Mexico, and Northern Mexico. Comings and goings Welcome back on the board to one S T AFF of SIA’s founding members, environ- David Hodges Executive Director mental historian Paul Hirt. Paul [email protected] worked on the 1984 National Matt Skroch Forest Wilderness Act and the first Field Program Director Coronado National Forest Plans, co- [email protected] founded the Coalition for the Pres- Acasia Berry ervation of Mt. Graham, and has Program Associate [email protected] worked on many other campaigns Trevor Hare on public land, grazing, mining, wa- Conservation Biologist ter, and urban spraw issuesl. He is [email protected] now a professor of History and Cory Jones Rambling Rants from the Director’s Desk.........................................3 American Studies at Washington GIS Specialist [email protected] On Wilderness..................................................................................................3 State University, and author of a Janice Przybyl number of books and articles includ- Wildlife Monitoring Program A Monumental Threat to Sky Island Wildlands.........................4 ing A Conspiracy Of Optimism: [email protected] Protected Area Profile: Arivaca Cienega..........................................6 Management Of The National For- Caroline “Frog” Tinker ests Since World War II. Paul and Events Coordinator Canyon Perspective.........................................................................................7 [email protected] wife Linda live in Pullman, WA, but Jennifer Wolfsong After the Fires...................................................................................................8 return frequently to their “real Legal Intern home” in the Chiricahuas, where Fabulous Fireflies............................................................................................10 [email protected] Fabulous Fireflies............................................................................................10 SIA had its founding gathering way Lenny Alvarado Arizona Conservation Alliance Summit............................................10 back in 1991. Legal Intern photo by Bob VanDeven • Roseanne Hanson has bowed out Wild News...........................................................................................................11 [email protected] of board responsibilities, and we Jennifer Katcher Road Rattlings.................................................................................................12 thank her roundly for her years of Webmaster service! [email protected] Poetry.....................................................................................................................13 Lisa Labita • Rachel Kondor has seized the op- Conservation Biology Intern Book Notes: Michael Logan’s The Lessening Stream...............14 portunity to reform Washington [email protected] D.C., taking a position as congress- Tumacacori Highlands Map and Profile..........................................16 Newsletter man Raul Grijalva’s cheif environ- Gita Bodner and mental aid. Go Rachel! Go Rachel! Dug Schoellkopf, editors Thumb Butte, Tumacacori Highlands Board of Directors Seeking SIA newsletter submissions: Rod Mondt, President Randall Gray, Vice President Send us your poetry, your words of wisdom, your art! Nancy Zierenberg, Secretary We want to keep this newsletter filled with inspirational, informative material, and we’d like your help! Do you write Dale Turner, Treasurer poetry? Draw, sketch, paint, or photograph? Like to address regional conservation issues? Review books or websites? Gita Bodner Anything that relates to the Sky Islands region is fair game! You can respond to items in our recent newsletter, comment on Curtis Bradley your experiences as a volunteer or conference-goer, etc. Also, let us know if you’d like to be a regular contributor, e.g. with a Paul Hirt column each issue. The deadline for our next newsletter is November 10, 2003. Material submitted after that date may be Lainie Levick Rurik List saved for subsequent issues. Please email submissions to [email protected], or mail them to Sky Island Alli- Carlos Lopez Gonzalez ance attn: Gita, P.O. Box 41165, Tucson, AZ 85717. Resolution of digital images should be at least 300 dpi if possible, but we Steve Marlatt can work with some lower resolution images. Miss our restaurant reviews? Thank’s because no one sent us any! C’mon, folks, Todd Schulke you know there are some great eats out there. Give your favorite small town restaurant a boost by letting us promote it! 2 Sky Island Alliance Fall 2003 What were they thinking? You ever get that feeling? You know protective designation and the long-term We need your help in stopping this the one I’m talking about, the one that health of this special area. powerline. If we are going to retain our makes you scratch your head in puzzle- Recently, in the Arizona Daily Star, a rights to clean air and water, protect our ment and tear out your hair. Well, I’ve been spokesperson from TEP stated this public lands, defend imperiled species, and struck by that feeling a lot lately–so much powerline would have no negative impact retain our ability to participate in land use so that I’m becoming a sorehead. What on the environment and the issue is simply decisions, it will be because of private citi- with gutting environmental laws and regu- one of aesthetics. Several things bother me zens such as you. Those of us that care lations in order to save the environment about this nonsensical statement. One, they about healthy landscapes must make our and cutting down all the trees to save the fail to recognize the disruption to wildlife, voices heard. We are asking you to take forest, I’m afraid if Bush gets re-elected, as well as habitat fragmentation caused by the time today to write two letters, one to I’ll be bald by 2008! road construction. Federally listed species the Department of Energy and the other to One of the dumbest ideas that I’ve that would be impacted by this powerline the Forest Service. Many people underes- heard in a long time is this roadless area include the jaguar, Chiricahua leopard frog, timate the effectiveness of this, but when powerline proposal being advanced by lesser long-nosed bat, Mexican gray wolf, land management agencies and/or politicians Tucson Electric Power (TEP). If approved Mexican spotted owl, cactus ferruginous receive letters (and lots of them), it does it would run for 30 miles through the heart pygmy-owl, Gila topminnow, Pima pine- initiate change. On page 4, you will find of the Tumacacori Highlands, which, at apple cactus, Sonora chub, and the south- “Monumental Threat to Sky Island Wild- dues paying members of Sky Island Alliance, almost 85,000 acres, is the largest unpro- western willow flycatcher, as well as an- lands.” This article contains information on THANK YOU. Your support allows us to tected roadless area in Arizona. The High- other 74 special status species. how to comment as well as talking points to do the important work needed to save spe- lands consist of the Tumacacori, Atascosa, My other problem with TEP’s state- mention in your letters; please feel free to cial places. You can stop reading now, go to and Pajarito Mountains, as well as Sy- ment is their failure to recognize the im- plagiarize.