[Source: Arizona Reporter] -- The Trust for Public Land (TPL), First United Realty, Inc., Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today the permanent protection of 795 acres in Santa Cruz County. This is the third and final purchase in a multi-year effort to conserve ecologically significant portions of the historic Salero Ranch. The property is located in Ash Canyon, just two miles upstream from Patagonia Lake State Park. It will be managed for wildlife habitat by the Arizona Game and Fish Department in cooperation with Arizona State Parks as a part of the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area. The property will offer hiking, bird watching, hunting and camping opportunities. This acquisition expands protection of the watershed in an important tributary to Sonoita Creek. The property contains a portion of Ash Canyon, a drainage to Patagonia Lake, and several springs. The largest, called George Wise Spring, contains perennial ponds and riparian forest. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
