"One in five species in the United States are at risk of extinction. Yet there is hope. Over 20 years of scientific research, which I’ve had the privilege of being a participant, have shown maintaining habitat connectivity in corridors is one big solution to healing our broken landscape. And so, we really have to take action."
- E. O. Wilson, renowned Harvard biologist speaking to U.S. Congress on behalf of the “Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2019” at a Congressional Briefing July 23, 2019. -
Connectivity Initiative
Did you know that habitat fragmentation from urbanization is the #1 threat to Sonoran Desert ecosystems?
In 2019, Maricopa County was named the fastest growing county in the nation for the 3rd year in a row. To accommodate this growth over the next 20-30 years, nearly 2,000,000 acres of natural Sonoran Desert will be transformed to urban use. Much of that urbanization will occur in communities that will surround the White Tank Mountains.
The White Tank Mountains are a living, breathing icon of the West Valley and visited by thousands of people each year. Beloved by visitors and residents alike, the Mountains are still wild — home to an abundance of plants and animals, some of which have disappeared from other urban neighboring preserves. Mule deer, mountain lion, javelina, kit fox, roadrunners, Great-horned owl, desert tortoise and many other Sonoran Desert species thrive in the White Tank Mountains. This biodiversity exists today, because these mountains are still connected to natural Sonoran Desert landscapes to the west and north.
However, the future will change these mountains. Lands surrounding the mountains are slated for urban development.
Historically, rapid urbanization throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area has tended to surround natural areas, creating isolated urban preserves. Land ‘islands’ in a sea of urbanization, such as the Phoenix Mountain Preserves. Decades of research tell us that this pattern of development is very detrimental to ecosystems; resulting in habitat loss, fragmentation, edge effects, ecological isolation and loss of biodiversity.
Knowing this history, how can we do better for the White Tank Mountains ecosystem?
There is growing recognition across the U.S. and globe about the urgent need to transform how we build future cities and communities. In Maricopa County citizens, state, county, and municipal leaders, as well as outdoor recreation and conservation minded organizations agree. There are sustainability and green infrastructure principles and development solutions that could protect regional biodiversity, promote healthy lifestyles, and improve the quality of our lives while balancing economic growth. We need to act now, for the benefit of generations to come 50 to 100 years from now.
The White Tank Mountains Conservancy is committed to finding and advocating for solutions that will conserve the natural heritage of the White Tank Mountains while supporting a 21st century economy and quality of life for regional residents. Our "Connectivity Initiative" is about bringing diverse interests together to envision and innovate a better future for the White Tank Mountains ecosystem and the western Maricopa County region.
Together, we can we grow our communities AND conserve the natural heritage of this special place…the only Sonoran Desert in the world.
Habitat Loss & Fragmentation is a National and Global Crisis
At a national level, the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2019, introduced in both houses of Congress May 2019, could become the most significant step toward wildlife conservation for the U.S. in decades. If passed, it will establish a National Wildlife Corridors System on federal public lands and provide funding to maintain corridors on nonfederal lands. Learn More
Since 2007, the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) has developed policies (07-01 and 2019-08) to protect wildlife migration corridors and crucial habitats by launching a multi-state effort to identify crucial habitats and corridors critical to regional biodiversity; and to call on federal agencies to support locally developed initiatives to conserve migration corridors and habitat through consultation and funding. The WGA, in partnership with the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), created the Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool to aid planning between development and wildlife conservation interests. Learn More
The United Nation's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES has 130 member governments) released its’ most comprehensive global assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services ever completed. Over 145 expert authors and 50 countries contributed to a systematic review of ~15,000 scientific and government sources. Learn More
The report details unprecedented global declines in biodiversity (~1 million species within decades). It names five direct drivers of change, of which change in land use and sea use are the most significant (75% of the terrestrial environment has been "severely altered" by human use).
Within the state of Arizona, wildlife experts have collaborated on identification of important areas to conserve as wildlife corridors for well over a decade. You can learn more about these plans here.
