azheritage2, Author at Arizona Heritage Alliance

Urgent: AZ SHPO Funding Crisis Threatens Protection of Cultural Resources on Public Lands

May 19, 2025 by azheritage2

On behalf of the Alliance Board of Directors, I am reaching out to the Alliance’s partners, members and
friends regarding an urgent situation that directly threatens the mission that the Alliance has championed since 1992 – protecting, preserving, and enhancing Arizona’s historic, cultural, and natural heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which manages significant portions of the State Parks Heritage Fund and numerous other heritage-related programs, is facing imminent closure by August 2025 due to a severe funding crisis.

Crisis Directly Impacts Alliance Mission

This situation strikes at the core of the Alliance’s founding purpose and goals:

Protecting the Integrity of the Heritage Fund: Without SHPO to administer the preservation components of the State Parks Heritage Fund, these resources would effectively be frozen or redirected, undermining the voter intent that the Alliance has worked to protect for over 30 years.
Sustainable Funding for Heritage Programs: SHPO’s crisis exemplifies exactly what the Alliance has fought against – the vulnerability of heritage programs without dedicated, sustainable funding sources. SHPO operates with 87% federal funding and only minimal state support, creating the precarious situation we now face.
Public Education About Heritage Benefits: The potential loss of SHPO would severely impact public awareness and appreciation of Arizona’s historic resources, directly countering the Alliance’s goal of educating Arizonans about the benefits of our cultural heritage.

The Funding Crisis

SHPO operates with just 12 full-time employees, supported primarily by federal Historic Preservation Fund grants (approximately $1.1 million annually). The situation has become critical due to:

No dedicated line item in the State FY2026 Budget for SHPO operations
Delays in the disbursement of 2025 federal grant reimbursements
Proposed federal budget cuts that threaten future funding

Since 2009, SHPO has met its required 40% state match through in-kind volunteer hours from the Site Steward Program rather than direct state funding. This arrangement, while cost-effective, has left SHPO exceptionally vulnerable to federal funding disruptions.

Heritage Programs at Risk

If SHPO ceases operations, numerous programs that align with the Alliance’s mission would be severely impacted:

Historic preservation grants to communities across Arizona
Technical assistance for heritage tourism initiatives
Support for the adaptive reuse of historic buildings
Documentation and protection of archaeological resources
The Site Steward Program’s 500+ volunteers who monitor archaeological sites

Additionally, SHPO’s role in reviewing development projects would be eliminated, forcing Arizona projects to consult directly with federal authorities in Washington, D.C. – adding months of delays to critical infrastructure projects while potentially reducing protection for heritage resources.

The Alliance’s Unique Position to Help

As the organization specifically dedicated to protecting the integrity and voter intent of the Heritage Fund, the Alliance is uniquely positioned to lead on this issue. Our bipartisan composition and focused mission make your advocacy particularly powerful.

Your support is urgently needed to:

Advocate for emergency gap funding to sustain SHPO through the remainder of FY2025
Support the establishment of a dedicated SHPO line item in the FY2026 state budget
Mobilize your network to highlight the importance of SHPO’s functions to legislators
Frame this crisis as a direct threat to the Heritage Fund’s voter intent and effectiveness

While this challenge originates at the federal level and affects SHPOs nationwide, Arizona is particularly vulnerable due to minimal direct state financial support. The Alliance’s 30-year commitment to sustainable heritage funding makes you the ideal voice to address this structural vulnerability.

Your leadership on this issue would be invaluable in preserving the heritage protection infrastructure that Arizonans have consistently supported. Thank you for your consideration and your continued dedication to Arizona’s historic, cultural, and natural heritage.

Jim McPherson, President
Arizona Heritage Alliance
azheritage.org
mail@azheritage.org

2025/2026 Legislative and Budget Updates: Positive News for State Parks Heritage Fund

January 20, 2025 by azheritage2

On behalf of the Arizona Heritage Alliance Board of Directors, I am delighted to share two significant updates that demonstrate strong support for the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund:

Governor Katie Hobbs’ Executive Budget includes a one-time $2.5 million General Fund deposit into the State Parks Heritage Fund for FY26. The budget also outlines additional funding enhancements for the Arizona State Parks and Trails Department and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. This marks a crucial step forward in preserving Arizona’s natural and cultural resources. Details are available on page 41 of the budget summary.

HCR2011, introduced by State Representative Stacey Travers (D-Chandler) and Senator T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge), proposes an annual allocation of $10 million from the state lottery fund to the Heritage Fund, contingent on voter approval in 2026. It’s our understanding that Senator Shope is preparing a Senate version of HCR2011.

Reflecting on a Decade of Impact

Since the reinstatement of the State Parks Heritage Fund in 2019, $25,782,739 has been allocated to critical projects. Now, with a FY26 appropriation and full funding approved by voters like you in 2026, so much more can be done.
These investments, along with earlier projects from 1992 to 2008, have transformed Arizona’s outdoor spaces and cultural heritage, benefiting millions of residents and visitors. Learn more here.

Your Voice Matters

We encourage you to continue advocating for the Heritage Fund and the communities in which you live, work, and play:

Express support for HCR2011 using the RTS system.
Contact your representatives to share why this funding matters.
Thank leaders like Gov. Hobbs, Rep. Travers, Senator Shope, and their teams for championing this effort.

Make a Difference Today

Your support sustains our mission to promote both the State Parks Heritage Fund and Game & Fish Heritage Fund for better days ahead. Contribute online at azheritage.org or by mail: Arizona Heritage Alliance, P.O. Box 16282, Phoenix, AZ 85011.

Together, we can ensure Arizona’s natural, cultural, and historic resources are preserved for generations to come.

With gratitude,

Jim McPherson, President, Board of Directors
Arizona Heritage Alliance
AZHeritage.org
mail@azheritage.org

AZGFD and its Arizona Partners Put Record $24 million into Wildlife Conservation in 2023

September 22, 2024 by azheritage2

Press Release: Arizona Game and Fish – September 18, 2024

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), partnering with Arizona’s wildlife conservation organizations, put a combined total of $24.2 million into on-the-ground projects for terrestrial and aquatic wildlife conservation in 2023.

Equally impressive to the dollar amount was the teamwork it took to make these projects happen: 151 conservation partners helped complete 867 distinct efforts. See the summary list of projects, funding amounts and partners.

“It’s a great achievement, but we couldn’t have done it without all of our partners,” said Dan Sturla, AZGFD’s Landowner Relations & Habitat Enhancement program manager. “It’s all hands on deck to get that amount of money on the ground.” Although project selection focused on those involving game species and projects that improved hunting and fishing opportunities throughout the state, many non-game species will benefit from this work as well.

“For example,” said Kyle Dutro, AZGFD habitat enhancement coordinator, “projects that involve removing encroaching woody vegetation from historic grasslands can benefit everything from pronghorn and elk to prairie dogs, ferrets, and other grassland obligate species.”

The summary list is Arizona-specific. While federal partners make significant contributions to the state’s wildlife, this list highlights what was done by AZGFD and its in-state, non-governmental partners. “Although some of our efforts may include federal funding,” said Sturla, “we wanted to focus this list on efforts led by non-federal partners.” A record-breaking year of investment in Arizona’s wildlife is exciting on its own and it’s also helping build momentum for the future. “As soon as good things are done for wildlife, it grows and we bring in more and more partners,” said Jake Jaeger, AZGFD Landowner Relations program coordinator. “It wouldn’t surprise me if next year it’s even bigger.”

A few highlights of the conservation work benefitting Arizona and its wildlife:

Aquatic Projects

Almost $2 million dollars for fish stockings, including 51 Community Fishing Program lakes across the state; walleye, crappie and largemouth bass stockings in Region 6; five Colorado river rainbow trout stockings; youth events; and more.
Over $1.5 million for the operation and maintenance of fish hatcheries, enabling over 600 stockings of sport fish at 100 locations across Arizona.
$124,000 for aquatic habitat enhancement, including 241 structures placed at Alamo Lake; fish habitat structures installed in Show Low Lake; as well as structures installed in three reservoirs.

Terrestrial Projects

Over $14 million for habitat enhancement and restoration, including 15,000 acres of grassland, browse, and forest restoration efforts to improve forage and habitat for a variety of wildlife; the removal of 44 acres of invasive tamarisk near I-85; restoration of Tacna Marsh; migratory bird crop planting; and increased public recreational access.
$2.6 million in wildlife water building and repair, including a rain tank rebuild in Kaibab National Forest; constructing a wildlife water at Whitewater Draw; and redeveloping, constructing and performing major maintenance of wildlife waters statewide.
$725,000 for big game population surveys.
Over $200,000 in special projects, including monitoring deer and sheep for Gonzales pass crossing and translocating turkeys from Region 1 to Region 6.

Tourism to Grand Canyon National Park contributed $768 million to local economy in 2023

September 15, 2024 by azheritage2

A group of visitors stands at the rim of the canyon taking photos of the sunrise — Yavapai Point sunrise, Sept. 2023

NPS Photo/J. Baird

News Release Date: September 11, 2024

Contact: Grand Canyon Office of Communications

A new National Park Service report shows that 4.7 million visitors to Grand Canyon National Park in 2023 spent $768 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 10,100 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $1.0 billion.

“I’m so proud that our parks and the stories we tell make a lasting impact on more than 300 million visitors a year,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “And I’m just as proud to see those visitors making positive impacts of their own, by supporting local economies and jobs in every state in the country.”

“We’re excited to see how the Grand Canyon continues to drive economic growth in our local communities,” said Grand Canyon Superintendent Ed Keable. “The spending by our visitors not only underscores the park’s allure but also highlights its vital role in supporting jobs and boosting the regional economy.”

The National Park Service report, 2023 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, finds that 325.5 million visitors spent $26.4 billion in communities near national parks. This spending supported 415,400 jobs, provided $19.4 billion in labor income and $55.6 billion in economic output to the U.S. economy. The lodging sector had the highest direct contributions with $9.9 billion in economic output and 89,200 jobs. The restaurants received the next greatest direct contributions with $5.2 billion in economic output and 68,600 jobs.

An interactive tool is available to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, and total economic contribution by sector for national, state and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available on the NPS website.

To learn more about national parks in Arizona and how the National Park Service works with state name communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to https://www.nps.gov/state/az/index.htm