Tucson Audubon speaks out

April 7th, 2006

As published in their April newsletter, here’s what the Tucson Audubon Society has to say about Questions 1 and 2…

The plan includes $45 million for the creation of wildlife crossing structures. As a part of our mission statement, Tucson Audubon is committed to advocating for all wildlife, especially birds, and the habitat on which they depend… For the first time, we have the opportunity to partner with one another in an integrated, regional planning process that takes into account wildlife/vehicle collisions and the devastating effects of roadkill on our ecosystem, while providing for the connectivity that allows animals to move through the landscape and accomplish their life processes naturally.

Unlike previous proposals, this plan calls for the involvement and input of locally affected neighbors and small business owners, who will assist in determining the nature of the impacts. Also, for the first time, $10 million is dedicated to assist small businesses in mitigating for those impacts.

No plan is perfect for everyone, yet we found this plan to be a big improvement over previous pavement-only proposals and were encouraged by the inclusion of many positive aspects never advanced before. As well, the public process was fair, open and thorough.

Entry Filed under: Featured Articles, Balance, Widespread support, Environmental preservation