Residents rally for rural life & wildlife on Montana pass · Susan Heyneman Fishtail, Montana Martha Hunter Phoenix, Arizona Bill Jack Westcliffe, Colorado Nyda Jones-Church San Diego,

The Sonoran Institute promotes community decisions that respect the land & people of the West

It’s not unusual to see deer, elk, or an occasional moose or black bear bound across

Interstate 90 between Bozemanand Livingston, Montana. TheBozeman Pass area is a vitalwildlife corridor connectingYellowstone Park and wild lands to the north.

When an energy companyannounced plans to explore forcoalbed methane five years ago,area residents were shocked.However, “instead of paralyzingour community, the threat galva-nized us,” said Gray Davidson, aBozeman Pass landowner. “Westuck with it for four years. Wedidn’t agree on everything, butwe forged a compromise that willprotect our rural way of life andthe wildlife.”

Sonoran Institute staff helpedbring together diverse residents –old-timers, newcomers, owners ofsmall properties and those withlarge holdings – for neighborhoodmeetings, two petition drives andthousands of volunteer hours. TheInstitute facilitated the planningprocess and gathered technicaland scientific information.

“We learned that our ownhomes, roads, fences and dogs arealready creating a bottleneck forwildlife,” said landowner TinaVisscher. “To protect wildlife,

water supplies and open space, we couldn’t focus solely oncoalbed methane development;we also had to limit subdividingof our own property. I’m extreme-ly proud that my neighbors cametogether and did this.”

“Such citizen stewardshipgives hope that we can live in thisprecious landscape and provideroom for nature to thrive,” saidDr. Gary Tabor, director of theNorth American Program of theWildlife Conservation Society.

The Gallatin CountyCommission did its part in Mayby approving the 26,000-acreBozeman Pass Zoning Districtwith safeguards from coalbed

methane development and poorlyplanned growth. The new zoninglimits average density in futuresubdivisions to one house per 40 or 80 acres, depending on thearea. Energy companies now muststudy water supplies and othersensitive resources, submit plansfor local approval before drilling,use the best available technology,and post a bond to pay for anyneeded cleanup.

The Sonoran Institute’sNorthern Rockies DirectorDennis Glick credits area resi-dents. “If wildlife is able to movethrough this landscape a genera-tion from now, it will be becauseof the efforts of these people.”

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Residents rally for rural life & wildlife on Montana pass

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 2 • FALL 2006 • WWW.SONORAN.ORG

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Building on the momentum of the Bozeman Pass effort, Gallatin County may become one of the few Montanacounties to have countywide zoning. Dennis Glick, director of the Sonoran Institute’s Northern Rockies office, reports that the county’s commissioners are presenting a countywide zoning initiative at public forums this fall. The commissioners’ final decision on the proposed initiative is expected before the end of the year.

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Sonoran Institute ProgramsCentral RockiesConservation & Land DevelopmentEnergy Impacts & PolicyLand & Water PolicyNorthern RockiesSocioeconomicsSonoran Desert

Board of DirectorsFred Borcherdt Wilcox, ArizonaKathy Borgen Denver, ColoradoFred Bosselman Evanston, IllinoisExequiel Ezcurra La Mesa, CaliforniaLouise Glasser Lake Forest, IllinoisAndy Gordon Phoenix, ArizonaSusan Heyneman Fishtail, MontanaMartha Hunter Phoenix, ArizonaBill Jack Westcliffe, ColoradoNyda Jones-Church San Diego, CaliforniaDarlene Lavender Calgary, AlbertaGretchen Long Wilson, WyomingDennis Minano Tucson, ArizonaBryan Morgan Boulder, ColoradoDavid Parsons Tucson, ArizonaLouise Benz Plank Banner, WyomingAnna Hill Price Tucson, ArizonaJane Ragle Tucson, ArizonaKaren Wade Fortine, Montana

Leadership TeamLuther Propst Executive DirectorDon Chatfield Associate Director,

Development & CommunicationsJohn Shepard Associate Director, ProgramsGinny Zaccheo Associate Director,

Finance & Administration

Offices7650 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite #203TUCSON, AZ 85710520-290-0828 Fax: 520-290-0969

201 S. Wallace Ave., Suite #B3CBOZEMAN, MT 59715406-587-7331 Fax: 406-587-2027

4835 E. Cactus Rd., Suite #270PHOENIX, AZ 85254 602-393-4310 Fax: 602-393-4319

101 S. Third St., Suite #350GRAND JUNCTION, CO 81501970-263-9635 Fax: 970-263-9639

Magisterio #627, Col. Profesores Federales,Mexicali, Baja California, C.P. 21370 MEXICOTel: 011-52-686-580-1701

P.O. Box 543 HELENA, MT 59624Tel/Fax: 406-449-6086

IndexPage 1..................Montanans Rally

Page 3..................Trust Lands in Demand

Page 4..................Foundation Means Business

Page 5..................Restoring the Delta

Page 6..................Monitoring the Gila

Page 8..................New Geotours

Dear Friends,Among the Sonoran Institute’s greatest strengths are

the strong, collaborative relationships we have with otherswho share our passion for the West and respect for thepeople who live here. Our work with several fine partnersis featured in this issue.

One of our most outstanding partners is the LincolnInstitute of Land Policy. Through our joint State TrustLands Project, we assist state trust land managers in a Westthat’s changing at breakneck speed. Our training programs,demonstration projects and research publications offerpractical, innovative “best practices” and recommenda-tions for trust-land management. An excellent example isthe recent report, Building Trust: Lessons from Collaborative Planning on State TrustLands, which highlights challenges and opportunities in eight case studies fromArizona to Washington state.

We greatly value our friendship with the folks at the Lincoln Institute – they are absolutely the best in the field of land-policy research and education. Find outmore about their work at www.lincolninst.edu.

As you look through this newsletter, you will see the results of some of our otherpartnerships. We believe working together – with organizations, government agencies,communities, grassroots groups and engaged citizens – is the best way to protect theWest’s natural and cultural assets, its prosperity and its quality of life.

Luther PropstExecutive Director

Editor: Victoria Collier ([email protected])Design: Teri Reindl BinghamPhoto Credits: Page 1: Sonoran Institute. Page 2: LutherPropst by Liz Storer. Page 3: White Tank Mountains, Ariz., by Jason Meininger, Sonoran Institute. Page 4: courtesy ofEarth Friends Wildlife Foundation. Page 5: Colorado RiverDelta by Francisco Zamora, Sonoran Institute. Page 6: GilaCliff Dwellings National Monument, New Mexico, by JeffBalmat, Theresa Mau-Crimmins, National Park Service andSarah Studd, Sonoran Institute. Page 8: courtesy of SonoranOffice of Tourism.

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C E L E B R AT I N G O U R PA R T N E R S

Conservation of public lands is key to attracting hunting and fishing revenues. Thatmessage received robust attention in the media and elsewhere with the June releaseof Backcountry Bounty: Hunters, Anglers and Prosperity in the American West by the

Sonoran Institute and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. The report’s central themes are:

• Business related to hunting and fishing adds billions of dollars to the West’s economyeach year and is a foundation for prosperity in many rural communities.

• Wildlife and, therefore, hunters and anglers depend on public lands, including roadless backcountry accessed by trails.

A new federal rule calls on governors to submit petitions regarding how roadless areason National Forest lands in their states are managed. The U. S. Forest Service is acceptingpetitions until November. The Backcountry Bounty report was presented at the WesternGovernors’ Association conference in June to encourage the petitioners to factor in theimportance of roadless areas to sportsmen and women and to state and local economies.

More than 56 million acres, or 97 percent, of the country’s inventoried roadless areasare in 12 Western states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada,New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

The report can be read or downloaded at sonoran.org.

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Roadless lands reel in revenue

Old laws, new demands spark changes in trust land management

PROP 106:Conserving Arizona’s Future

The Sonoran Institute is part of

Conserving Arizona’s Future, a broad coalition

of conservationists, educators and business

leaders working for passage of Proposition

106 in November’s election. The measure

will protect 694,000 acres in special natural

areas from development, including lands

surrounding state and national parks, and

it will require the state land department

to cooperate with local governments for

planning on state trust lands. At the same

time, Prop 106 will protect and guarantee

funding for Arizona’s schools.

While many state trust landshave passed into private own-ership, much of the remaining

46 million acres is in nine Western states,making up a significant part of theregion’s landscape.

Congress granted these lands to stateswhen they entered the Union to supportessential public institutions, principallyschools. State trust land managers leaseand sell the lands for a range of uses togenerate revenue for the designated beneficiaries.

With the West’s booming populationand changing economy, these managersare facing new, sometimes conflicting,demands on the use of state trust lands.These lands offer opportunities for com-mercial, residential and industrial uses toaccommodate the explosive growth. Atthe same time, cultural, environmentaland recreational amenities are increasing-ly important, and people want to protectqualities that attracted them to theregion. Some of the West’s prime areas fornatural beauty and recreation are on statetrust land.

Trust-land managers are respondingto new demographic and economic realities with strategies that:

• balance short-term revenue genera-tion with longer-term values;

• use collaborative approaches to better meet the needs and interestsof communities;

• encourage sustainable and large-scaledevelopment to accommodate rapidgrowth;

• support conservation projects giventhe increased demand to preservenatural areas.

Laws establishing the trust-land systemdate to the time of statehood, so someWestern states are introducing reforms tocreate more flexible, accountable trust-landmanagement and to protect the quality oflife now and in the future (see sidebar,Conserving Arizona’s Future).

The State Trust Lands Project, a partnership of the Sonoran Institute and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy,helps trust land managers better plan for growth and change. Building Trust:Lessons from Collaborative Planning onState Trust Lands, a publication releasedthis summer, is one example of theresearch, information, tools and trainingthe Project offers. See trustland.org formore information.

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CORPORATE & ORGANIZATIONALAltria Group, Inc.American Conservation Real EstateBlake NurseryCarondelet Health NetworkChelan Land TrustConservation Properties, Inc.Island PressLeon-Taylor Management, Inc.Lyle Anderson CompanyPorteen & AssociatesSweetgrass DevelopmentTejon RanchTwin Buttes Properties, Inc.

FOUNDATION & GRANTBrainerd FoundationBullitt FoundationCamp-Younts FoundationCabot Foundation

The Christensen FundCompton FoundationDavid Rockefeller FundEarth Friends Wildlife FoundationGeorge Binney Conservation FoundationGates Family FoundationThe William and Flora Hewlett FoundationJ. M. Kaplan FundHenry P. Kendall FoundationKendeda Sustainability

Fund of the Tides FoundationL. P. Brown FoundationLaSalle Adams FundLincoln Institute of Land PolicyMaki FoundationMountain Sky Guest Ranch FundM. J. Murdock Charitable TrustNew York Community TrustNorthern Environmental Support TrustNational Forest Foundation

The David and Lucile Packard FoundationNina Mason Pulliam Charitable TrustSteele-Reese FoundationTinker Foundation IncorporatedTurner FoundationV. Kann Rasmussen FoundationWallace Global FundWeeden FoundationThe Wyss Foundation

GOVERNMENT & NONPROFITCampaign for America’s WildernessCICESECity of TucsonThe Conservation FundEnvironmental DefenseGreater Yellowstone CoalitionThe MBA-Nonprofit ConnectionNational Fish & Wildlife FoundationNational Parks Conservation Association

National Wildlife FederationThe Nature ConservancyPronatura Santa Lucia ConservancySonoran Office of TourismSublette County, WyomingTeddy Roosevelt Conservation PartnershipTown of Apache JunctionTown of SahuaritaUniversity of ColoradoUniversity of SonoraU. S. Air Force Legacy ProgramU. S. Army Yuma Proving GroundU. S. Bureau of Land ManagementU. S. National Park ServiceU. S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceU. S. Agency for International DevelopmentThe Wilderness Land Trust

S O N O R A N I N S T I T U T E ’ S C O R P O R A T E , F O U N D A T I O N , G O V E R N M E N T & N O N P R O F I T S U P P O R T

M a y T h r o u g h A u g u s t 2 0 0 6

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As Rick Flory changed his focusfrom pizza to wildlife for his second career, he kept an

entrepreneurial approach to his work. Prior to selling his successful pizza

franchise organization, Flory foundedEarth Friends Wildlife Foundation in1994 to provide financial support forconservation and wildlife protection.The Foundation now offers challengegrants to more than 100 groups includ-ing the Sonoran Institute.

Grantees are selected not only forthe type of work they do but also fortheir approach to fundraising. “We’rebusiness people,” Flory says of himselfand his wife and partner Lee Robert.“We want to put our money on the performers who make the most efficientuse of it and are strong fundraisers. Theyneed to understand marketing and thatgetting paid is important.”

Earth Friends prefers ongoing, long-term partnerships and considersincreasing funding each year to groupsthat meet or exceed the requirements of its challenge grants.

Flory refers to Earth Friends as“conservation’s community foundation,”something like a clearinghouse forreceiving and distributing funds as

well as providing information to otherfunders. “We’re a great source of knowl-edge about conservation groups andwhich ones are the most effective topartner with,” Flory said.

In its current “Partnership forEconomics and Wildlife” agreementwith the Sonoran Institute, theFoundation is offering a grant based onthe Institute raising four times thatamount in matching monies. Thesefunds are supporting socioeconomicprojects, such as a study of economic,environmental and social impacts ofspillover growth between counties inthe northern Rockies.

For more information about this Sonoran Institute partner, visitearthfriends.com.

Conservation Foundation Means Business

Earth Friends Wildlife Foundation PresidentRick Flory and Executive Director Lee Robertenjoy the wilds they help protect, here visiting Yellowstone National Park.

KENDEDA FUND DOUBLES GIFTS FROM NEW DONORS

The Kendeda Fund for Sustainability of the Tides Foundation matches –

dollar for dollar – gifts to the Sonoran Institute from first-time donors.

Join the growing list of those who support community decisions that

respect the land and people of the West with a gift to the Sonoran Institute.

The Sonoran Institute is a Charity Navigator Four-Star Charity (see p. 7).

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The once free and mightyColorado River collected siltalong its path, creating the

1,930,000-acre Colorado River Deltabefore disappearing into the Gulf ofCalifornia. Plants, fish, animals andsome native peoples flourished there.

Diversion and dam buildingchanged much of that by the mid-twen-tieth century, and many, including lead-ing scientist Exequiel Ezcurra, thought“the Delta was gone, vanished forever.”

However, according to Dr. Ezcurra,who recently became a SonoranInstitute board member, conservationgroups began “to defend this treasure …and to propose means to protect it …preserving a heritage we all thoughtwas gone forever.”

The Sonoran Institute, Environ-mental Defense and other partners devel-oped guidelines and recommendationsfor conservation in the Delta, and in2005, published Conservation Priorities inthe Colorado River Delta, reflecting the

contributions of many scientists, resourcemanagers and resource users. That reportwas adopted in April by the binationalMinute 306 Advisory Group, part of theInternational Boundary and WaterCommission, representing governmentand nongovernmental organizations.

As of July, the Advisory Groupidentified eighteen projects it will sup-port to address the report’s recommen-dations. This political support is criticalfor seeking funds for the projects, whichfall into three categories: restoration,policy and research.

The Sonoran Institute is leading orparticipating in several of these proj-ects, including restoration work in theColorado River riparian corridor andthe Río Hardy. Institute staff led byProject Manager Francisco Zamorastarted a Restoration DemonstrationSite, and in the next year they expectto plant 25 acres of native trees andrestore three acres of marsh wetland inbackwater areas.

Colorado River Delta Restoration Gets New Binational Support

Ecotour explainsborder lineBy Walt Staton, Sonoran Institute staff

Yuma, Arizona, is in the hottest,most arid part of the Southwest,yet Google Earth satellite photos

show green patchwork farmlands that wewould expect to see in the Midwest. Alsoclearly visible is a line where the landgoes from bright green to a lighter shadewith more brown areas. The borderbetween the United States and Mexicocan be seen from space! As I learned onan ecotour in June, it isn’t roads or walls,but policy and access to natural resourcesthat create this visual boundary.

I joined a group of law students fromSan Francisco on the trip led by La Rutade Sonora, a partner of the SonoranInstitute. The custom tour focused onwater, immigration and the environmentin southern Arizona and California,northern Baja California and Sonora, and the Cocopah and Tohono O’odhamreservations.

We saw dams, diversions and canalsthat distribute water across the desert – allon the U.S. side. We saw the ColoradoRiver reduced to a creek as it flowed intoMexico. We drove across a dusty plain, for-merly a gigantic wetland ecosystem in theriver’s delta, only to find a small ciénegacreated by discharged agricultural runoff.

We met with tribal leaders, govern-ment officials and NGO representativesfrom both countries and heard accountsof environmental tensions – everythingfrom court battles over mismanagedfloods to naval interventions to stop illegal fishing.

Best of all, we witnessed some amaz-ing on-the-ground conservation effortsled by the Sonoran Institute and othergroups to revitalize the region’s ecosystemand educate people about its importance.

I heard that some of the law studentson the tour will return as volunteers thiswinter to do restoration work. Maybethey’ll plant trees in the Delta, adding alittle more green to the “other” side of the line.

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Stream ScienceSONORAN INSTITUTE & PARK SERVICE TEAM UP TO MONITOR VITAL SIGNS OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Cheryl McIntyre, the Sonoran Institute’s ecosystem monitoring project manager, sets up a “total station,” (left) which shoots a laser beam to prismpoles to measure the stream’s path, width and depth. Getting accurate data requires about 300 shots in each quarter mile of a stream. Gettinginto her work often means getting wet for Cheryl. Here she uses a densiometer to measure overhanging vegetation, which helps determine howmuch of the stream’s habitat is suitable for fish.

The Institute’s Jason Welborn (left) collects periphyton, while teammate Mark Zepp uses a kick net to gather macroinvertebrates. The condition and community structures of their“catch” help assess long-term water quality.

Sarah Studd (left) of the Sonoran Institute and DanaBacker of the National Park Service record habitatdata along the West Fork of the Gila River. The blueflags mark sample sites.

Sonoran Institute scientists have been working with the National Park Service (NPS) for four yearsto design and implement a monitoring program to determine the health of natural resources inNPS’s 11-unit Sonoran Desert Network. Teams camp out at various sites where they collect datathat help the Park Service make resource-management decisions based on sound science. The network includes New Mexico’s Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument where a monitoring team collected data on nine vital signs this summer, as shown in these photos.

Three significant community decisions in Montana

Diligent work by citizens, assistedby Sonoran Institute staff from theMontana Smart Growth Coalition(MSGC) and Northern RockiesProgram, paid off recently inMontana.

• Ravalli County: After morethan 800 people attended apublic hearing to discuss theimpact of a proposed Wal-Marton the rural county’s small towns, commissioners passed a zoning ordinance to protect downtown vitality by restrictingthe size of big-box stores.

• Gallatin County: Thousands of volunteer hours led to the protection of open space and wildlife habitat on Bozeman Pass.See the story on page 1.

• Missoula County: Commissioners approved a developmentthat will protect McCauley Butte and Bitterroot Riverfrontage with conservation easements that preserve 266 of 286 acres as open space. Walkable, traditional neighborhoodswill occupy 19.4 acres. The developers collaborated with gov-ernment and community groups to forge plans for the area.

In these politically diverse counties – one conservative, one liberal, one moderate – people want a stronger voice in how theircommunities grow, says Tim Davis, MSGC project manager. “Theywant to make sure what they love about this place is protected.”

Takings initiatives threaten community planning decisions

Communities like the three in Montana in the above story couldbe prevented from protecting quality of life, open space, wildlife, andother natural and cultural assets if the “takings” initiatives on thisNovember’s ballot in several states are passed. The Sonoran Instituteis part of broad-based coalitions in Montana and Arizona opposed tothese initiatives.

Cloaked as efforts to limit eminent domain or to protect propertyrights, these initiatives would nullify state and local land-use regulationsthat protect neighborhoods, the environment and property values.

A recent article in the High Country News mentioned GallatinCounty, Mont., as an example where passage of the takings initiativewould kill “an effort to begin countywide zoning to address chaoticsprawl, increased traffic congestion, strain on all government services,worsening air pollution, and disappearing open space; the countywould not be able to pass or enforce any new regulations. Also, therewould be no more grassroots efforts to create small zoning districts, as the residents of Bozeman Pass just did.”

Scientist joins Institute board Dr. Exequiel Ezcurra,provost of the San Diego Natural History Museum anddirector of its Biodiversity Research Center of the Californias,is a new member of the Sonoran Institute’s board of direc-tors. Dr. Ezcurra has written more than 70 scientific journalarticles and eight books and he coproduced the award-winning film, “Ocean Oasis.” He served three years as presi-dent of Mexico’s National Institute of Ecology. Dr. Ezcurrareceived the prestigious Conservation Biology Award fromthe Society for Conservation Biology in 1994.

Money goes where it counts The Sonoran Institute’s commitment to put its resources where they do themost good for communities and land inwestern North America has earned it afour-star rating from Charity Navigator,America’s largest independent evaluatorof charities. Charity Navigator wrote that “receiving fourout of a possible four stars indicates that [the SonoranInstitute] excels in successfully managing finances in anefficient and effective manner.”

Citizens learn leadership skills As we go to press,the Sonoran Institute’s first Western Leadership Institute(WLI) is underway in Park City, Utah. Forty-one citizensfrom eight counties in Montana, Idaho, Colorado andArizona are learning to lead others in their communitiesto become involved with growth and land-use issues and decisions. WLI is an outgrowth of the WesternCommunity Stewardship Forum (WCSF), which providesland-use training and tools to help local officials managechange in their fast-growing communities. Many ofthose officials encouraged the new WLI project, with onesaying, “The political leaders have gone thru WCSF andbeen inspired; now they need an inspired citizenship tosupport decisions about the future.”

Program director makes a municipal bond Jim Spehar, director of Sonoran Institute’sCentral Rockies Program, is the 2006-07 board president of the Colorado Municipal League, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of 265cities and towns. Jim has served on the boardsince 2003 and on the Grand Junction CityCouncil since 1999. “The League puts me intouch with people from communities theSonoran Institute is serving as we expand in this region,”Jim says. “Both organizations are tackling big issues thesecommunities face.”

A R O U N D T H E W E S T . . .

in a word

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RIO SONORA TOUR – RURAL CULTURE & TRADITIONS

Following the course of the Río Sonora from its headwatersin Cananea, Sonora, to Hermosillo, the state’s capital, this touroffers a fascinating glimpse into 400 years of northern Mexico’shistory. Along this picturesque route, we will encounter colorfulflora and fauna, ongoing ranching traditions, and spectacularexamples of colonial architecture. We tour quaint towns andenjoy local delicacies, spicy chilies and the relaxed way of lifealong the Río Sonora. 4 days/ 3 nights. December 7-10

THE O’ODHAM HIMDAG TOUR – WAY OF LIFE OF THE DESERT PEOPLE

Our visit with the Tohono O’odham, the Desert People,starts with an overview of their Hohokam ancestors. We’llexplore Ventana Cave and examine ancient petroglyphs. The Children’s Shrine offers a glimpse into the mystical world of O’odham storytelling. At Baboquivari Peak, the center of O’odham cosmology, we are introduced to traditionalspiritual beliefs. A stop in Sells gives insight into the tribal government and economy. This unique journey concludes at a farming project reviving the traditional Himdag or lifeways.December 1-2

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Two New Geotours Explore Mexican and Native Lands, Cultures, Traditions

MORE LA RUTA DE SONORA GEOTOURS• Heritage Tour – November 3-5 • Colorado River Delta Tour – November 9-13 • Desert & Sea Tour – November 17-19

For more information, visit laruta.org or call Monica Durand at 800-806-0766.

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