Lower San Pedro Watershed Alliance

THE MISSION OF THE LOWER SAN PEDRO WATERSHED ALLIANCE IS TO UNITE CONSERVATION-MINDED INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS AND AGENCIES TO PROTECT THE THREATENED LOWER SAN PEDRO RIVER ECOSYSTEM AND ITS SUPPORTING WATERSHED.

CONSERVATION EASEMENT MONITORING, MANAGING, AND REPORTING: INVESTMENT EARNINGS GENERATED BY AN ENDOWMENT FROM THE U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT HOLDER) TO CONDUCT THIS CONTRACTED WORK. OUR FINANCIAL COMMITTEE, CONSISTING OF TWO LSPWA DIRECTORS, VOLUNTARILY CONTINUED TO MONITOR AND REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE ENDOWMENT ACCOUNT DURING 2022. THE 3-LINKS FIELD MONITORING COMMITTEE, CONSISTING OF FOUR VOLUNTEER LSPWA DIRECTORS, CONTINUED TO REVIEW, EDIT, AND APPROVE ALL QUARTERLY AND ANNUAL REPORTS PREPARED BY OUR CONTRACTED FIELD MANAGER UNTIL THAT CONTRACT WAS TERMINATED AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, THE FIELD COMMITTEE DEVELOPED AN EXTENSIVE SUPPLEMENTAL VIOLATION REPORT IN 2022 THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE EASEMENT HOLDER. IN TOTAL, OUR VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE MEMBERS INVESTED APPROXIMATELY 800 VOLUNTEER HOURS TO THE PAST YEARS ACTIVITIES IN THIS PROGRAM AREA.

LEGAL/ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS EFFORTS: ASSOCIATED WITH ADVOCACY FOR FOLLOWING CONSERVATION LAWS. LSPWA INVESTED APPROXIMATELY 1400 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER TIME RESPONDING TO PERMIT APPLICATIONS AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS BY A PRIVATE CORPORATION THAT DESIRES TO ESTABLISH A NEW INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDOR THROUGH 33 MILES OF PREVIOUSLY UNDISTURBED LANDSCAPE IN THE MOST ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE PORTION OF THE LOWER SAN PEDRO VALLEY. WE ALSO WRAPPED UP OUR INVOLVEMENT IN ANOTHER CASE, WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ADMITTING THAT THEY IMPROPERLY ISSUED A CLEAN WATER ACT PERMIT TO A PRIVATE CORPORATION DESIRING TO BUILD A 70,000-RESIDENT DEVELOPMENT ON THE RIVER. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS AGREED TO REIMBURSE LEGAL EXPENSES TO LSPWA, FIVE CO-PLAINTIFFS, AND ATTORNEYS AT EARTHJUSTICE. THREE MEMBERS OF LSPWA (TWO DIRECTORS AND ONE MEMBER AT LARGE) SERVED ON THE LITIGATION REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND OTHER LSPWA MEMBERS CONTRIBUTED VOLUNTEER HOURS.

COLLABORATIVE CONSERVATION: LSPWA SPENT ABOUT 350 HOURS OF LSPWA VOLUNTEER TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN QUARTERLY MEETINGS, WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, FIELD EVENTS, FENCE REMOVAL WORK, WILDLIFE MONITORING, INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL, AND DOCUMENT PREPARATION. THIS PROGRAM AREA BENEFITS OUR MISSION BY DEVELOPING COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PARTIES INTERESTED IN CONSERVING THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE LOWER SAN PEDRO WATERSHED, AS WE ACCOMPLISH CONSERVATION GOALS RELATED TO PUBLIC EDUCATION, SUSTAINABLE RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, APPROPRIATE RECREATION, WILDLIFE CORRIDOR CONNECTIVITY, THE COORDINATION OF VARIOUS COUNTY RESOURCE PLANS, SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION, AND THE ABATEMENT OF INVASIVE VEGETATION SPECIES.

COMMENTING ON GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS AFFECTING THE LSPW: LSPWA VOLUNTEERS INVESTED APPROXIMATELY 160 VOLUNTEER HOURS PROVIDING SOLICITED WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS TO THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, AND THE U.S. AIR FORCE REGARDING FOUR DIFFERENT ACTION PROPOSALS. THIS PROGRAM AREA SUPPORTS OUR MISSION BY CONTRIBUTING OUR EXPERTISE AND CONSERVATION PERSPECTIVE TO PROPOSALS AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS OVERSEEN BY GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES.