This group, The Sonoran Desert National Park Project, is actively seeking donations to support their cause. The money will be used to persuade Congress to grant national park and preserve status to three tracts of land already owned by the federal government. The Sonoran Desert National Park Project can be contacted at its web site, SonoranDesertNP.org, or by phone at 520-206-9691 or by writing to:
The Sonoran Desert National Park Project,
P.O. Box 40427,
Tucson, AZ 85717-0427
How much does this cost?
According to the Sonoran Desert National Park Project, the federal government currently spends more than $4 million administering the three tracts of land being proposed for park and preserve status: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Range and the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range. This compares to the similarly-sized Death Valley National Park's budget of $5 million. Additional moneys will be required to consolidate the three areas and start up the new national park and preserve.
Who is this for?
The project, if approved, will provide the maximum protection available under
existing law to the plants and animals of this unique ecosystem. The citizens
of the United States and Mexico, numbering more than 400 million, will be able to enjoy the Sonoran Desert National Park and Preserve for generations to come.
What is the next step?
Continuing pressure must be applied to the United States Congress. Sen. John McCain, (R-AZ), has introduced a bill to study the feasibility of legislating national park and preserve status for the Sonoran Desert.
What are the obstacles?
One potential obstacle concerns the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range. While the members of the Sonoran Desert National Park Project seem willing 
to concede this land to military use (as long as it is granted national preserve status), other groups remain skeptical. These groups include The Wilderness Society, Friends of Cabeza Prieta and Defenders of Wildlife. Their concerns are voiced in the 1998 scoping comments for the Air Force Range's Renewal Legislative EIS, available at www.rama-usa.org/goldwat.htm
Another obstacle comes from groups who are concerned that national park and preserve status will limit, and perhaps totally prohibit, the use of Off Highway Vehicles (OHVs) in the area. While these groups, which include the American Motorcycle Association and various OHV manufacturers, remain unorganized at this time, an extremely vocal backlash has been developing in the wake of recent public land closures to OHVs across the United States.
What does this all mean?
Polls have shown that the people of Arizona overwhelmingly support the creation of the Sonoran Desert National Park and Preserve. If the current political climate holds, it seems entirely plausible that Congress will grant the Sonoran Desert national park and preserve status sometime in the near future.
