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desertgirl
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 3350
Location: Chandler, AZ
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 Posted: 3/25/2009, 1:30 pm Post subject: Fossil Creek is now added to Wild & Scenic Rivers |
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http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/ShaunMcKinnon/49171
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AZ river, public lands win protection
Over strong objections by Republican opponents, the House passed a sweeping wilderness bill today, strengthening protection of millions of acres of public lands.
For Arizona, the most-watched provision of the bill is the addition of Fossil Creek to the nation's roster of Wild and Scenic Rivers. That status will help preserve the free flow of the creek, which bubbles up from springs on the downward side of the Mogollon Rim and flows 17 miles to the Verde River.
Fossil creek was restored in 2005 nearly a century after its flow was diverted into a flume that serviced two power plants.
The measure also makes permanent the National Landscape Conservation System, which protects public lands set aside as monuments, preserves or wilderness areas.
"This is the biggest wilderness protection bill in decades," said Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope. "Today, Congress has helped ensure that we will have a wild legacy to pass on to our children and grandchildren."
House approval had been expected for weeks after the Senate voted it out as one of its first acts of the new session. But Democratic leaders were unable to secure the needed votes to fast-track the bill and set it aside to deal with the stimulus package and other measures seen as more urgent.
President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill, which passed without several GOP amendments, including one to restore the right to carry a concealed firearm in a national park or wildlife refuge.
Adding Fossil Creek to the Wild and Scenic Rivers list is an important victory for conservation advocates in Arizona. The creek flows year-round from a springs on the slopes of the rim, bubbling up at a consistent temperature and volume. The minerals in the water create stunning travertine pools, which can harbor native fish.
Wild and Scenic status would block new dams or diversion structures on the creek, along with any development on public lands. It would not close any areas to public use.
“This is a tremendously rewarding day for all Arizonans because Fossil Creek is an irreplaceable icon of natural and cultural significance in the state,” says Kevin Gaither-Banchoff, executive director with the statewide Arizona Wilderness Coalition.
Michelle Harrington, rivers conservation manager for the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity, called Fossil Creek "the poster child for restoration and conservation in Arizona," but she said the waterway still needs help in managing its resources.
The creek's close proximity to Phoenix, Payson and Flagstaff make it a popular getaway, but with no comprehensive recreation plan, Harrington said, "it is in danger of being loved to death." Wild and Scenic designation could speed the process of creating a management plan.
The creek's significance reaches beyond hikers and conservation groups.
“Fossil Creek is hallowed ground for us as a people,” says Thomas Beauty, chairman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation. “To our traditional Apache people, it is important that this holy and culturally significant place is protected from litter, pollution, and a damaged ecological environment."
Until now, Arizona had just one river -- a stretch of the middle Verde -- on the Wild and Scenic list. Work has begun already on a plan to list part of the Blue River, an eastern Arizona tributary to the San Francisco River.
“These rivers are the lifeblood of the land and our communities and the Wild and Scenic River designations are a tremendous gift to future generations," said Rebecca Wodder, president of the group American Rivers
The wilderness bill did not create any new wilderness areas in Arizona, but in making permanent the landscape conservation system, the measure could add new protection for existing areas:
The Vermilion Cliffs, Grand Canyon-Parashant, Agua Fria (shown above), Sonoran Desert and Ironwood Forest national monuments; the San Pedro Riparian (at left), Gila Box Riparian and Las Cienegas national conservation areas; and the Juan Bautista de Anza and Old Spanish National Historic Trails.
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Deborah
Joined: 06 Oct 2008
Posts: 297
Location: Tucson
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| Posted: 3/25/2009, 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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RIGHT ON! I love Fossil Creek!
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Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. - Rachel Carson |
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