Grand opening of the Bud Gode Interpretive Nature Trail - October 13, 2007
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Speech to the Friends of Madera Canyon
Thank you and good morning. Welcome to Madera Canyon! Aren’t we fortunate to have this wondrous place to enjoy together?
I want to thank The Friends of Madera Canyon, and Luis Calvo, chairperson of the Defenders of Madera Canyon, for inviting me to share this special occasion with you. I am honored to join with you on this beautiful day to celebrate the opening of the Bud Gode Interpretive Nature Trail.
To the members of the Gode Family who are with us today and on behalf of everyone who loves Madera Canyon and everyone who has yet to discover its charms, I say thank you for your vision of the Bud Gode Interpretive Nature Trail and your generous gift to make it a reality.
I am pleased to share the stage with our distinguished speakers: Mary Gode; Pima County Supervisor, Ray Carroll; State Senator Tim Bee; Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Jim DiGiacomo.
Isn’t this just an incredible place? Let’s pause for a moment and look around. What do you hear? What do you smell? What a treasure we southern Arizonans have in Madera Canyon. Here, above the Sonoran desert, this “sky island” provides a cool, verdant oasis and a sanctuary from the hectic urban life just a short drive away. The restorative powers of the canyon are appreciated by more than just harried city dwellers; the canyon is home or a stopover to reptiles, insects, mammals, and literally hundreds of species of birds.
Because of this abundance and diversity of life, the reputation of Madera Canyon has spread far and wide. Bird and wildlife watchers from around the world journey to our backyard to marvel at this little corner of paradise. We are truly blessed.
Places like Madera Canyon are not frivolous luxuries. They are an essential part of the American West, and the American character. Wallace Stegner, often called the “Dean of Western Writers,” captured it beautifully with these evocative words: “There is something about living in big empty space, Where people are few and distant, Under a great sky that is alternately serene and furious, Exposed to sun from four in the morning to nine at night, And to a wind that never seems to rest. There is something about exposure to that big country, That not only tells an individual how small he is. But steadily tells him who he is.”
Not many of us live in big empty spaces anymore, not even in the West, which is why it is so important that we have places like Madera Canyon and the Santa Rita Mountains, where we can return – for inspiration, for respite, for contemplation.
For many of us who grew up in Tucson or the surrounding area, myself included, the first introduction to the canyon came as schoolchildren. This was one of the first places where we experienced the wonder of nature; one of the first places we explored the interconnected web of life; one of the first places we fell in love with the outdoors. In later years, many of us have continued to return to the canyon to take advantage of its recreational opportunities, its beauty, and its tranquility. It is no wonder that Madera Canyon is so treasured by our community – it is an old friend, a place where we can come to reconnect with nature.
Bud Gode didn’t get to know Madera Canyon as a child, but when he discovered it as an adult he immediately recognized its special qualities. Maybe that’s because he never lost his youthful sense of curiosity and wonder. Shortly after moving to Green Valley from Iowa in 1998, Bud discovered the canyon and fell in love. From that time on, he devoted himself to exploring and caring for this special place.
I never had the pleasure to know Bud personally, but knowing that he treasured this place is enough for me to feel as though I did. Although we never met, we share a common bond and it is a bond that is shared by all people who love and care for this corner of the world. And it is abundantly clear that Bud loved Madera Canyon. Starting shortly after he moved to the area, he would visit the canyon four or five times a week. He hiked every trail, picking up litter as he went. A long-time naturalist, Bud quickly got to know the many habitats of the canyon and the abundant wildlife that occupies them. He never tired of sharing his knowledge and infectious enthusiasm with fellow visitors.
It didn’t take Bud long to discover the Friends of Madera Canyon. He joined the organization shortly after he started hiking the canyon and quickly became one of its most active volunteers. He did everything from chairing the Monday morning Cleanup Committee – in which capacity he led cleanup crews each Monday morning to pick up after the weekend’s visitors – to serving on the Board of Directors. In fact, he was in the middle of a term as President of the Board at the time of his untimely passing in 2005.
But of all his activities with the Friends, Bud may have taken the greatest pleasure in his role as chairman of the Education Committee. In this capacity he organized field trips to the canyon each year for 4th grade students from elementary schools. A natural teacher with an unabashed love of his subject, Bud introduced hundreds of children to the wonders of this unique ecosystem, and taught them to respect and cherish the natural world. This is a gift not just to these children, but to our entire community, for out of these seeds will grow the commitment of tomorrow’s leaders to continue conserving and caring for nature. The positive effects of Bud’s work with young people will ripple through our community for many decades to come.
Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring and the mother of the modern environmental movement, once said: “Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.”
I think she must have been talking about Bud: naturalist, scientist, explorer, educator, lover of nature and of life…a truly indefatigable spirit.
All of which makes it such an excellent choice to honor Bud’s memory with a nature trail, complete with a self-guided introduction to the canyon he loved. The Bud Gode Interpretative Nature Trail has five sites along its length, each with information on different elements of the canyon environment. Taken together, the different exhibits contain information about the different players in the diverse ecology and natural history of the canyon: animals, plants, the climate and seasons, geology, fire, insects, water, and native peoples.
It is easy to see the trail we celebrate today as an extension of the mission that Bud embraced during his life. Though no interpretative placard can ever fully capture the joy and enthusiasm that Bud exuded in person, we can take heart in the knowledge that his legacy will be the ongoing education of future visitors to Madera Canyon.
So let us take a moment to acknowledge and thank the people and organizations whose hard work and generous gifts have made the Bud Gode trail a reality.
First and foremost is Bud’s family: his wife Mary, and his children Larry, Tom, “O.J.”, and Jeanne.
The State of Arizona Department of Tourism also helped with additional financial resources.
The U.S. Forest Service has been instrumental in granting the necessary permits and helping to coordinate construction.
And, of course, the many volunteers of the Friends of Madera Canyon, without whose organization and oversight this project would never have reached completion.
All of us, who appreciate the special gift that is Madera Canyon, thank all of you who have worked so hard to make this vision a reality.
While today is about a very important celebration of a place and a man who loved it, I cannot speak to you here without also addressing; an issue that I know troubles many of you.
I am, of course, talking about the proposed Cielo Madera Estates. This is the residential housing development that has been proposed for privately-owned land just outside the entrance to Madera Canyon. As many of you know, the approval for this development falls under the jurisdiction of Pima County. The County “Design Review Committee” is responsible for reviewing the proposal and ensuring that it meets all county requirements. The Committee has not yet given official approval to the plan to build a 280-home cluster style development. The committee has requested additional information from the developer. Several outstanding issues must be resolved before the plan can be approved. The committee will convene again in November to discuss the updated proposal.
For my part, I have very serious concerns about this development proposal. In addition to the negative visual impact this development would have on this beautiful place, I see at least nine problem areas. They are: Light pollution that would diminish the effectiveness of the Whipple Observatory; The impact of, a proposed wastewater treatment plant; Increased vehicle traffic; Conflict with the open range designation for the area; Fire safety issues in an area with frequent wildfires; The availability of an adequate water supply; Inadequate protections for wildlife and vegetation resources; Inadequate protection of archaeological resources; and Encroachment of the proposed cluster development into riparian areas
That’s a pretty long list and a lot of unanswered questions. Until they are answered satisfactorily, this development should not go forward. Personally, given the proximity of this land to Madera Canyon, and its location within the greater canyon ecosystem, I believe that it should not go forward at all.
I am concerned that even if the county ultimately rejects the cluster development plan, it is not clear that they can deny a more traditional subdivision of the property, a route the owner has indicated he is willing to consider if the cluster proposal is not approved. This is an important issue for the County and I hope that there is a way the County can yet prevent this development.
I intend to join this fight and I am prepared to work in partnership with the County to find a solution. Two ideas for federal intervention have been proposed. The first would be for Congress to designate the Santa Rita Experimental Range as a National Historic Site. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that such a move would stop the development in question, as the private land is located adjacent to, but not on, the experimental range. The second proposal is to extend the boundary of the Coronado National Forest to include the grassland below Madera Canyon. I have asked my staff to explore this as a course of action and, based on their investigation, I am prepared to introduce legislation to pursue this option.
In addition to this effort, we are exploring all federal options that might ultimately lead to the conservation of this land as open space.
While I cannot today predict the outcome of these explorations, I want you to know that as your representative in Congress, I am committed to using the full resources of my office to find a way to preserve this place we all love.
Assuming the county does not prohibit development outright, it is important to remember that any solution that conserves the land, including an extension of the Forest boundary, must include just compensation to the private landowners. This is a legal requirement. For this to happen, two things are necessary: a willing seller and sufficient funds.
A willing seller is essential because without it, there can be no acquisition and transfer to an entity dedicated to conservation.
I will reach to out the land owner to see what might be negotiated on the price of this land. I will work closely with the various stakeholders as we make this contact.
I will also work with you to identify sources of federal money that may be able to contribute to this effort. It is unlikely that federal funds alone would be sufficient, but in partnership with the county and others, it is entirely possible that we can put together the funds that are needed. As these actions are underway, I encourage those of you who oppose this development to cultivate local sources of funds, whether public, private.
I stand ready to assist you in reaching out to organizations whose mission it is to preserve open spaces. These non-profit organizations specialize in acquiring land for conservation purposes and they can be a source of both expertise and financial resources.
While there is no simple solution to this problem I urge you not to lose heart. The Defenders of Madera Canyon is doing a great job opposing this development. It has done its homework, conducted the necessary research and made its self heard with local government and with my office.
I am not opposed to all development. Done well, development can be an engine of economic growth and community renewal, without degrading the natural environment. But I believe development must be done “smart.” One of the facts of life in our region is that we live in a fragile desert environment, where resources are scarce and impacts are lasting. So when we develop, we must choose our locations carefully and minimize our impact. To do otherwise is irresponsible and disrespects our common future.
It is hard to see how this proposed development can be done without causing irreparable harm to this national treasure. I believe we can – and we must – find ways to accommodate Arizona’s growing economy and expanding population, yet still preserve what remains of our rapidly diminishing open spaces. These are the spaces that nourish our bodies and our spirits. These are the spaces that Wallace Stegner called “a part of the geography of hope.” These are the spaces that define the West and its people, and preservation of such spaces is critically important for all of us.
For what do we gain from a thriving and prosperous Arizona, if we sacrifice the essence of Arizona to achieve it?
Thank you all for being a part of this special occasion and for allowing me to share these thoughts with you today.
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