Dec. 17, 2009
The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department has successfully purchased another 294 acres of pristine desert for the city’s newest preserve.
The parcel, located near Seventh Street and Carefree Highway, is the fifth-large piece of state trust land the city has purchased for the Sonoran Desert Preserve. The $9.4 million purchase was completed at an Arizona State Land Department auction Dec. 15. The Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative and an Arizona Preserve Initiative (Growing Smarter Funds) matching-fund grant each provided half of the funding for the purchase.
The Parks and Recreation Department previously purchased 5250 acres for the preserve. This latest acquisition brings the total to nearly 5,544 acres.
"Once a piece of the desert is gone, it's gone,” Mayor Phil Gordon said. “The Sonoran Desert remains as some of God's best work. Our job, as stewards of this little part of the world, is to preserve it for the future. If we don't do this now, our children and grandchildren may never get the chance."
“People live and come to visit Arizona to enjoy the serenity of our deserts. By preserving it today, we are giving our future generations the best of what our state has to offer,” said Councilwoman Peggy Neely.
Media Contacts:
| David Urbinato Cell Cynthia Peters |
602-262-4994 602-350-1506 602-262-4997 |