Last year, when the federal government
designated Tucson’s northwest side as critical habitat for the
endangered cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (HCN, 8/30/99: A
pocket-sized bird takes on Sunbelt subdivisions), developers feared
their boom had busted. But a federal Fish and Wildlife Service
decision in late July may bring the bulldozers
back.
The agency says developer Eric Tobin can
blade more than 20 acres of desert on his property to make room for
nearly 100 homes. In exchange, Tobin will leave about three acres
undisturbed and buy an additional 60 acres of undeveloped critical
habitat elsewhere.
“We feel this is defensible,”
Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Mike Wrigley says. “It provides
some good conservation measures for the owl as well as Mr. Tobin’s
project.”
Barbee Hanson, a consultant to Tobin,
says the decision ends a “nightmare” of changing and conflicting
federal actions on the project. The property was rezoned for
residential development more than a year ago. Construction will
wait another nine to 12 months, until Tobin secures approval from
local officials for final subdivision
plans.
There are more than 50 construction
projects proposed for critical owl habitat in northwest Tucson,
including a 6,500-home development called Dove Mountain.
Environmentalists fear the recent approval is only the first of
many. David Hogan of the Center for Biological Diversity says the
federal government should have barred development on this parcel
and compensated Tobin with fees raised from other developments in
the county.
“By definition, critical habitat
includes those areas essential for survival and recovery of the
pygmy-owl,” he says, “so you can understand our concern and
confusion when the service elects to permit destruction of critical
habitat.” The center wants to establish in court that no
development is permitted in critical habitat; staffers plan to
eventually file a lawsuit on the issue in Arizona or
California.
Copyright © 2000 HCN and Tony Davis
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Subdivision approved in owl habitat.
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