Month: January 2009

Arizona Heritage Fund offers a diversity of positive impacts

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[Commentary by Rich Glinski, Park Supervisor, Desert Outdoor Center at Lake Pleasant, Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department] — While working in the Nongame and Habitat programs at Arizona Game and Fish Department, I had a first-hand opportunity to witness the benefits of Heritage dollars working for wildlife. From gathering data on little known species, to implementing needed wildlife management actions and acquiring important habitat, the Heritage Fund to me represented a means of doing great things for wildlife resources.

After retiring from the AGFD I began managing an educational facility for Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department. The Desert Outdoor Center at Lake Pleasant has given me an opportunity to work with a great variety of interpreters and teachers, many of whom have reaped benefits for kids by involving them with Heritage projects. I have become keenly aware of the wonderful educational opportunities afforded by Heritage dollars.

And as the new and exciting world of parks and recreation has unfolded before me, my formal involvement with the professionals in Arizona Parks and Recreation Association has enhanced further my notion of the broad-reaching influence of Heritage Fund money. From acquiring park lands to providing interpretive signage, Heritage dollars seemingly are always at it, making Arizona a better place to live.

As with my work on wildlife issues, my new connections with education, parks and recreation have made me aware of the diverse array of challenges our great state faces, and how much the Heritage Fund is critical to providing opportunities to meet these challenges. This is especially true with the new economic gloom, which threatens to un-do much of the wonderful production gained by Heritage dollars thus far.

The diversity of impacts that the Heritage Program has spread across Arizona’s landscape is truly impressive. If your life meanderings have not given you the opportunity to assess this first-hand, I hope you will visit the websites of the Heritage Alliance, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, or the Arizona State Parks. Look over the accomplishments, savor them, and then please work hard to protect this opportunity.

Track condors with the Arizona Heritage Alliance, March 20-22

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Join the Arizona Heritage Alliance on a three-day field trip to Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Friday, March 20 to Sunday, March 22.  Join a condor research team as it tracks the progress of rare and endangered California condors.  For this once-in-a-lifetime (and fun) activity, click here for more information or to register.

Collaboration may put Papago Park in Phoenix on par with Central Park

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[Source: Dianna M. Nanez, The Arizona Republic] – – A collaboration involving three Valley cities and a Native American community could put Papago Park on a par with New York City’s Central Park or San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.  While some public projects, especially those needing the blessing of multiple government agencies, often run out of steam before they ever reach fruition, the stars seem to have aligned behind plans to revamp the Papago area.

A $576,897 bill for a consultant to assess the more than 1,500 acres of central desert land bordering Scottsdale and sprawling over Phoenix and Tempe would be a lofty goal, even in brighter economic times. But Tempe, Phoenix and Scottsdale, the cities leading the Papago Park effort, can thank Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community for covering more than half of the consultant fee. The Native American community awarded Tempe a $100,000 grant in 2007 and Phoenix two grants totaling $284,000 to develop a Papago Park master plan. That plan would involve developing a Web site for public input, looking at the area’s natural resources and facilities, studying the culture and historical ties dating to ancient times when the Hohokam Indians cultivated the land and balancing the area’s future development with preservation and educational efforts. The remainder of the funding is coming from $100,000 in Tempe bond funds and Phoenix is assessing a $100,000 contribution. [Note: to read this full article click here.]

Comment sought on nature park plan in Yuma

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[Source: YumaSun.com] — The public is invited to review and comment on the preliminary plans for a new park proposed for the Yuma East Wetlands on Friday.  An open house for the Yuma Nature Park, as it is now being called, will be held 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the room formerly used as the council chambers at 180 W. 1st St.

The park is one of two envisioned in the master plan for the East Wetlands and permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  The proposed location is within Yuma city limits, just inside the levee at the alignment of Pacific Avenue.  The plan calls for picnic shelters or ramadas, hiking trails and access to bird-watching, canoeing and kayaking.

“For the past five years, our focus has been, by necessity, the clearing of non-native vegetation and planting of native trees and grasses,” Charles Flynn, director of the Heritage Area, said in a news release.  “But we always planned on making the area more accessible with a limited number of parks and trails.” [Note: to read the full article click here.]