Funding for Arizona’s Lands and Waters

Whereas there are numerous necessary wants that come up when crafting a state price range, legislators and the Governor should bear in mind the important pure sources that enable Arizonans to thrive right here within the first place—our lands and waters.  

And it’s important that we keep and shield them. 

To take action, Audubon Southwest has outlined three key price range provisions that ought to be thought of for inclusion into subsequent fiscal 12 months’s state price range (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027).  

1. Put money into water safety: To proceed to adapt to our drier future, we should shield and stretch our water provides within the quickest and most cost-effective methods—by investing in conservation, effectivity, reuse, groundwater recharge, and forest and watershed health.   
2. Assist essential state businesses: The state businesses tasked with defending the state’s water high quality and amount—the Arizona Division of Water Assets and the Arizona Division of Environmental High quality—want ample funding to do their job.
   • Preserve the present funding ranges on the Arizona Division of Water Assets. With new Lively Administration Areas to implement and handle, together with ongoing negotiations and administration selections on the Colorado River, this just isn’t the time to scale back  funding for this state company tasked with safeguarding Arizona’s water provides.
   • $9.5 million to the Water High quality Charge Fund will assist the Arizona Division of Environmental High quality develop and keep the state and federally mandated packages that  shield the standard of Arizona’s floor, floor, and consuming water. 

3. Preserve landscapes. Audubon helps the next extra priorities:
   • Senate Bill 1677 would allocate $3 million to the Arizona Division of Forestry and Fireplace Administration to cut back flood and fireplace danger by strategically take away salt cedar and reestablishing native vegetation, restoring habitat alongside the Decrease Gila River west of Phoenix and alongside the confluence of the Gila and Colorado Rivers, close to Yuma. This invoice unanimously handed the Home Pure Assets, Power, and Water Committee on March 24. It should be integrated into the state price range to develop into a actuality.
   • $100,000 for the upkeep and enchancment of the Arizona Trail, which spans 800 miles, offering leisure alternatives and crossing necessary habitats for birds like Cooper’s Hawks and American Goshawks.
   • $1 million to the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund, which helps to guard and promote our state’s historic, cultural, and pure treasures. 

Stewarding Arizona’s lands and waters for generations to come back is important—for individuals, birds, fish, and different wildlife. We urge legislators to prioritize these funding wants to make sure we are able to adequately shield them.