In early April 2004, the Arizona Wildlife Federation (AWF) endorsed the proposal to grant federal wilderness designation on the Tumacacori Highlands. "We believe that wilderness designation, while preserving public access, best meets the needs of wildlife and the protection of this area's unique resources," says Mike Perkinson, AWF's president.
Rated "excellent" by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Highlands are an exceptional whitetail deer hunting ground. The primitive nature and backcountry areas of the Tumacacori Highlands also offer hunters an increasingly rare and traditional outdoor experience in Arizona.
AWF is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and our natural resources, the protection of the rights of Arizona outdoorsmen, and the improvement of outdoor recreation. With this important backing, wilderness proponents will now present the proposal before the Arizona Game and Fish Commission later this month.
Background
Located 15 miles northwest of Nogales, Arizona, on the west side of the Santa Cruz River, the Tumacacori Highlands are known for their spectacularly eroded, lichen-drenched cliffs and undulating hills of grass and madrean oaks. The area, which lies within the Coronado National Forest, is home to an array of sub-tropical and northern plant and animal species, many of which are rare and do not exist anywhere else in the United States. On January 10, Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) along with members of the community, local elected officials and environmental groups, unveiled a proposal for permanently protecting Arizona's Tumacacori Highlands. Rep. Grijalva has been working with local groups and stakeholders to develop a proposal for legislation to designate approximately 85,000 acres of this magnificent, roadless landscape as wilderness.
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