(November 20) New county department: Pima County may establish a Conservation Lands and Resources Department to oversee the 250,000 acres the county acquired over the past 25 years through the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, County Administrator Jan Lesher wrote in a memo to the Board of Supervisors.

(May 6) The Santa Cruz River has been getting some much-needed care in recent years. Now the county and local groups are pushing to get areas along the river designated as an urban wildlife refuge, which would bring federal support for conservation and recreation. Supervisor Adelita Grijalva wrote a letter to federal officials April 30 laying out the case for the refuge and three areas along the river that could be the refuge’s base: 307 acres in the Midvale Park area, 230 acres along Paseo de las Iglesias, and 93 acres south of downtown along the West Branch of the river.

“Those entering the Tucson metro area from the north via Interstate 10 initially see sand and gravel pits, a cement plant, and other industrial uses that line the banks of the Santa Cruz River,” Grijalva wrote. “To the casual observer, what may not be readily apparent are the many more recent community efforts that are slowly improving stretches of the river, bringing it back to life and bringing the community back to its banks.” (Tucson Agenda)

(March 18) In county land-use news, the expansion of the Mt. Lemmon Lodge is ruffling some feathers. The owners of the lodge want permission from the Pima County Board of Supervisors to expand the lodge and parking lot, partly due to the increased customers stopping by the Beyond Bread restaurant in the lodge building. Neighbors and nearby business owners wrote letters to county officials, with quite a few arguing against it. The owners of the Mt. Lemmon General Store, directly across the street from the lodge, said they’ve been struggling to deal with overflow parking from the lodge and Beyond Bread, including hiring an attendant to keep people out of the store’s spots. Other neighbors came to the lodge owners’ defense and said they’ve been a boon to the community. (Tucson Agenda)

(April 16) In zoning news, the owners of a property on Old Spanish Trail want to restore a longtime restaurant that closed seven years ago. They want to open a steakhouse, but first they need to get the county to rezone six acres of land, and that means overcoming complaints from neighbors. The property is at 5400 S. Old Spanish Trail, near the corner of East Saguaro Crest Place and right across the street from the Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park. Neighbors complained about noise from the previous restaurant, along with headlights from the parking lot and trash that attracted coyotes and javelina. They also said the property owners pump water from a well they share with neighbors, even though it has access to Tucson Water, while others said they bought property nearby because of the peace and quiet, which would be ruined by the restaurant. (Tucson Agenda)

(April 29) Happy trails: Pima County officials quietly shut down the Campbell Trail and Trailhead earlier this month, tearing out the paved parking lot and blocking the entrance, the Star’s Henry Brean writes. The trail was one of nine leading into the Santa Catalina Mountains as part of a trail access plan adopted by the board of supervisors nearly 50 years ago. Officials say the half-mile Campbell Trail leading north into the Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area was decommissioned because it did not connect to any established U.S. Forest Service Trails and didn’t meet the county’s standards for safety and accessibility.

(January 5) If your New Year’s resolutions include being more environmentally friendly, Pima County has a program that can help kickstart that goal. You can turn in your gas-guzzling mowers and garden equipment for up to $400 in vouchers to spend on electric, battery or manual models through the Cut Down Pollution program, which was launched in January 2020. (Tucson Agenda)