Sky Island Alliance
Submitted by:
Matt Skroch, Executive Director
Sky Island Alliance supports Questions 1 and 2, the Regional Transportation Plan and Revenue Source.
Sky Island Alliance is a regional land and wildlife conservation organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of native plants and animals in the sky island of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The Regional Transportation Plan incorporates the needs of wildlife into future roadway planning, and will help reduce animal/vehicle conflicts – an issue that Sky Island Alliance has been working on for 15 years.
Unique to this plan and worthy of our support is funding to plan and build corridors in the interest of our wildlife heritage in Pima County. Roads present a significant barrier to wildlife and kill hundreds of thousands of critters every year – posing threats to the ecology of our region as well as to our safety. For the first time, this plan provides funding specifically for wildlife crossing structures. These structures, in conjunction with regional conservation and open space acquisition efforts will protect and enhance our natural environment.
In addition, the plan funds a significant expansion of our public transit system, hundreds of miles of bikeways and sidewalks, and services for our elderly and disabled community.
For these reasons, Sky Island Alliance supports Questions 1 and 2, and we urge Pima County voters to do the same.
