Stop I-11 Through The Avra Valley: Protect Saguaro National Park

Park

Saguaro National Park

It’s the iconic image of the American Southwest: The giant saguaro cactus, standing tall amid the arid desert, arms perpetually raised to the sky. At Saguaro National Park, you can…

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Interstate 11 (I-11) is a proposed highway project that will span 280 miles across Arizona, with a critical segment proposed along the west side of Saguaro National Park.

For a segment through Tucson, Arizona, planners are considering two options.

1. An East Option would overlay existing I-10 and I-19 highways, requiring no new highways constructed.
2. A West Option would construct a new highway that would cut through Avra Valley near Saguaro National Park and Ironwood Forest National Monument.

The Federal Highway Administration currently favors the West Option, even though it would cost $2 billion and place Saguaro National Park directly in the crosshairs by cutting off connections to surrounding public lands.

The park’s wildlife depends on connected desert corridors to move freely, find food and water, and safely reproduce. Highway development near the park also poses an enormous threat to Saguaro’s renowned night skies, clean air, and accessible outdoor spaces, and would disrupt a network of public lands that together sustain the Sonoran Desert ecosystem.

4x more expensive

to build the West Option which would harm wildlife at Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park is a Refuge

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Killer on the Road

Cars helped make national parks America’s most beloved landscapes — and wreaked havoc on wildlife. What will it take to repair the damage?

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• Wildlife depends on connected landscapes. With javelinas, roadrunners, jackrabbits, coatis and endangered desert tortoises, Saguaro is a refuge for diverse desert species. But research shows highways cause disruptive noise and harm delicate landscapes. A new highway through the Avra Valley would block movement through migration corridors isolating park wildlife from surrounding habitat they rely on to forage, reproduce, and survive. Desert bighorn sheep have recently returned to protected lands east of the park after disappearing for 60 years, raising hopes they will reestablish a presence in the park. This proposed highway option would permanently cut off that possibility by blocking movement into the park.

• An increased risk of wildfire. A highway corridor near Saguaro would fuel the spread of invasive buffelgrass, which thrives along roads in disturbed soil and moisture from road runoff. Buffelgrass increases wildfire risk and would make the park’s prevention efforts more difficult and costly.

Magazine Article

Parks After Dark

National parks are offering a growing number of nighttime programs for visitors looking for novel experiences or those eager to avoid daytime crowds and rising temperatures.

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• Dark skies are an awe-inspiring part of the park. Saguaro National Park is a designated Urban Night Sky Place, one of only nine in the world. The night skies offer clear views of the stars just outside of Tucson, Arizona and support nocturnal wildlife. A new highway would bring permanent light pollution. Once lost, dark skies are nearly impossible to restore.

• We must protect clean air and quiet spaces. Highways bring constant noise and create areas that wildlife avoid, further fragmenting habitat. A new highway would drown out the natural sounds of the Sonoran Desert and drive wildlife away. Air pollution from increased traffic would also impact the experience of visitors who come to encounter the sweeping views that span all the way to Mexico.

• A place for visitors to experience the solitude of the desert. An interstate would trade the park’s quiet for traffic noise. Much of Saguaro National Park’s wilderness is defined by its natural soundscapes and the remote feel of its wide-open landscapes.

Defending Saguaro for Future Generations

At NPCA, we’re opposing the West Option and urging the Federal Highways Administration to select the East Option, which would overlay the highway on existing routes rather than carve new highways through sensitive desert landscapes.

We are connecting with local partners, agencies and elected officials to mobilize park advocates and protect desert wildlife.

The Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration may ask for public comment on this project, giving the public a critical opportunity to speak up for Saguaro National Park by opposing the West Option and urging decision makers to choose the East Option for the I-11 corridor.

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