The Last Land Votes “YES”!Friends of the Scenic Drive Supports Proposition 103
Proposition 103 “Our Lands Our Schools” is a 2008 statewide initiative to amend the Arizona state constitution so that state trust lands can be managed and sold for conservation purposes. Friends of the Scenic Drive urges Arizona voters to approve Prop 103, which will be on the November 4th ballot. A “Yes” vote will help Scottsdale eventually complete the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, bolster the conservation efforts of the Desert Foothills Land Trust, boost the preservation efforts of other municipalities, and protect special landscapes across the state from the fate of the landscape seen from the Scenic Drive. In addition, it will contribute to the future preservation of the last piece of available open space on the Scenic Drive, it’s “Last Land.” The
Desert Foothills Scenic Drive is both a landmark and a preservation
effort. It is part of our community’s past and its future, and its
story The Past In 1912, when current law governing trust lands was adopted, most of the land that can now be seen from the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive was used by cattle ranchers. When the Scenic Drive was created by residents in 1963, it was 13 miles in length and seen as the tourist gateway to the tiny villages of Cave Creek and Carefree. It passed through an expanse of mostly vacant, saguaro-studded desert that was either privately owned or trust land owned by the state. In 1963, volunteers erected an entry sign just north of the intersection of Happy Valley Road and Scottsdale Road that accurately described the land, “Entering Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, The Most Beautiful Desert in the World.” An identical sign was erected on Cave Creek Road, just south of Pinnacle Peak Road. The effort was one of the Valley of the Sun’s first preservation initiatives. The goal of the effort was to encourage tourism and protect quality of life by preserving desert vistas and roadsides vegetation and educating the public about Sonoran flora. The Present
Forty-five years have passed since the Scenic Drive was established, and urban growth has taken a toll. Today, the entry sign on Cave Creek Road (now under the jurisdiction of Phoenix) is gone, and only the Scottsdale Road leg of the Scenic Drive (now under the jurisdiction of Scottsdale) remains. Several years ago, the state began planning to auction for development of 10-square miles of trust land between the two legs of the original Scenic Drive. Much of the “Most Beautiful Desert in the World” is now home for neighborhoods and shopping centers. Almost all the trust land that was available has been sold to developers because local municipalities and land trusts could not afford to purchase and preserve the land. Along the Scenic Drive on Scottsdale Road and the entire 27-mile length of Scottsdale Road only one parcel of open land, the “Last Land” located on the east side, from Happy Valley to Jomax Road, is available for preservation and the enjoyment of tourists. What urban growth has brought to the vicinity of the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive threatens to bring to many of Arizona’s remaining special places. Prop 103 Provisions Prop 103 includes provisions that: · Protect and conserve 570,000 acres of land that are essential in protecting Arizona’s water sources across Arizona. Some of the beautiful lands that will be preserved immediately include the Grand Canyon Scenic Corridor, areas of the McDowell, Superstition, White Tank Mountains, and Picacho Peak, and the headwaters of the Verde River. · Provide immediate protection of 5,000 acres in the planned McDowell Sonoran Preserve and significant open space within lands within the Desert Foothills Land Trust priority area. These lands include acreage near the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, Continental Mountain Section 2, and areas near the Cave Creek Conservation area. · Permit local governments to purchase other State Trust Land for preservation and open space at fair market value, giving Scottsdale the option of acquiring the “Last Land” without having to bid against developers. · Require the State Land Department and local communities to cooperate in planning for trust land, giving towns and cities more control over their own destinies. Thus, if tourism is important to a community, they can plan development accordingly. · Protect and guarantee essential classroom funding through improved management of trust land. The Future If Prop 103 is approved, Scottsdale will not have to expend voter-approved funds to purchase 5,000 acres of land, meaning that the savings can be used toward purchasing other land targeted for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, including the “Last Land” and land bordering the Dynamite Road and Pima Road Scenic Corridors. This land will be preserved, avoiding the costs associated with development and increased population (infrastructure needs, new schools, more roads, more traffic, more pollution, etc.), preserving wildlife habitats, desert vistas, and future tourism revenue for Scottsdale, its neighbors, and Arizona.
In 2000, Scottsdale voters approved a $27 million bond initiative to beautify and enhance the entire length of Scottsdale Road. Consultants, city staff, and residents are now working to implement that initiative, which will result in approximately $7.5 million being invested in the northernmost part of Scottsdale Road, the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive. Over a year ago, and in support of the initiative, Friends of the Scenic Drive embarked on a project to enhance the “Last Land,” which is the site of current Scenic Drive monument sign and tourist exhibit, by creating a “Memory Park” to showcase the history of the Desert Foothills and its preservation efforts for the education of tourists and residents. Please Vote “Yes” Friends of the Scenic Drive urges you to cast your vote with the Last Land; vote “Yes” for Prop 103. If Prop 103 fails to be approved, municipalities across the state will be unable to preserve and protect the land that is important to them. It’s unlikely that Scottsdale will be able to afford completion of its preserve, and it’s very unlikely that the “Last Land” on the Scenic Drive will be saved for the enjoyment of future generations. In time, “The Most Beautiful Desert in the World,” showcased by the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, will be victimized by urban sprawl. Moreover, many of Arizona’s most beautiful places will suffer the same fate.
For
Additional Information
Friends of the Scenic Drive |
illustrates why it is imperative that trust land reform take
place. 
