Public Forum - sponsored by the friends of madera canyon

The Friends of Madera Canyon sponsored an open public forum on March 1, 2008 at the Community Methodist Church in Green Valley. The forum began at 10 a.m. but many participants crowded the church lobby examining the literature and maps of several environmental groups concerned with the development of areas in and around the Santa Rita Mountains before 10. The forum was hosted by The Defenders of Madera Canyon, a committee of the Friends of Madera Canyon.

Dr. Tom Purdon led the event and introduced the speakers. Doug Moore, Friends of Madera Canyon Director of Education, provided an ecological overview of the importance of the Santa Rita sky island and compared it with the overdeveloped base of the Santa Catalina sky island in Tucson. Luis Calvo, chairman of the Defenders of Madera Canyon spoke about the need to meet up close and personal with those government officials who have the authority to influence the development of the grasslands bajada below Madera Canyon. Gayle Hartman from Save The Scenic Santa Ritas outlined the current status of the Rosemont Mine, especially the problem with lack of water. Carl Jones described the initiative to protect the 2,000 acres of land between the developed portions of western Green Valley and the mine tailings, an area known as The West Desert Preserve. Supervisor Ray Carroll emphasized the power of citizens' coalitions that can influence large-scale decisions. The question and answer session followed the speakers and revolved around suggestions of the best way to fight the development in the Santa Ritas and protect the landscape and the water needed for life in this arid region.

Other groups in attendance, mostly with display tables in the lobby, were Sky Island Alliance, the Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists, the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project, Tucson Audubon Society, Committee for Responsible Growth, Friends of Tumacacori Highlands, and Cactus Huggers.

All these groups are combined under a temporary new name called the SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS CONSERVATION COALITION.

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