“Forging a Sustainable Southwest” by Stephen E. Strom (University of Arizona Press) $35.00, Kindle $33.25
Stephen Strom’s “Forging a Sustainable Southwest” provides the backstory, the science and a wealth of photographs and graphics that describe the efforts—beginning in the 1980s—to address and restore the historical and diverse landscapes of Southern Arizona and adjacent regions. But, much more than that, the book zeroes in on one crucial element: the need for collaboration between all stakeholders. We are in this together, and the path to success is finding common ground.
Strom, who lived in Sonoita from 1998 to 2022, is an astronomer whose research was focused on studying the formation of stars and planetary systems. He is also a well known photographer whose work has illustrated several books. While living in Sonoita, he collaborated with ecologists Jane and Carl Bock on “Sonoita Plain: Views of a Southwestern Grassland.”
In “Forging a Sustainable Southwest,” Strom states that “over the past two centuries in particular, the rapid growth of human populations and advancements in technology have reached a point where the environment has been impacted on all scales.” Solutions, he posits, can be found when a “community begins to take collective responsibility for what all its members share in common.”
He takes the reader through the collaborative efforts that led to the establishment of four conservation areas; the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, the development of the Malpai Borderlands Group, the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan and, finally, the ongoing environmental restoration of the 80,000-acre Cienega Ranch that rests between the Dos Cabezas and Chiricahua Mountains.
The impetus for such work was the torrential rain and subsequent flooding that ultimately caused the deaths of 14 and injuries to nearly 1000 amid the widespread destruction of infrastructure and property in Tucson in 1983.
The book takes you behind the scenes to the people—public and private—that were, and continue to be, committed to what Strom calls a “large landscape perspective.” Well-known figures like former Arizona governor and interior secretary Bruce Babbitt and Congressman Jim Kolbe were key players, but no more so than Bureau of Land Management and Nature Conservancy staff.
Strom spends the most time discussing the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (NCA) and its lifeblood, the Cienega Creek. He traces the flow of water from its birthplace in the Canelo Hills to Elgin and Sonoita and finally into Vail and Tucson. On its way, it feeds the Pantano Wash, the Rillito and, lastly, the Santa Cruz River. Strom delves into the history of the region, explaining the crucial role of Cienega Creek over thousands of years, and how it remains crucial today.
Mining, agriculture, and ranching, he points out, fueled by the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad, accelerated population growth and brought environmental changes to the Sonoita Valley. When the deadly flood of 1983 crashed through Tucson, it was clear to leaders like Pima County Regional Flood Control Director Chuck Huckelberry that “if you can preserve upper watersheds you have a better ability to withstand future flooding.” That meant all eyes were turned to Cienega Creek.
The book shines brightest as Strom provides a detailed look at those who understood that “by restoring riparian areas to their natural function, they became better ‘sponges’ for floodwaters, as well as providing more favorable habitat for mammalian, avian and amphibian species.”
As he highlights the people and many organizations that played a vital role, he also gives equal importance to local groups like the Sonoita Crossroads Community Forum.
It took 17 years of meetings and perseverance before the 42,000-acre NCA became a reality in December of 2000, and Strom goes to great lengths to show just how many were involved in its creation and in the generation of ideas for a broader vision of the Sonoita Valley.
Local ranchers, environmentalists and many others all helped form the backbones to each of the endeavors. Strom points to the work of Bill McDonald, one of the founders of the Malpai Borderlands Group, quoting him extensively. McDonald explains the rationale behind his group’s mission: “We ranchers were concerned about what the future of this landscape would be, not just for the sake of ranching but also for the sake of wildlife, the open-space values that are here.”
At nearly one million acres on both sides of the Arizona and New Mexico border, the Malpai Region had reached a point in the 1990s when it became clear that the potential of housing developments, a steady decline in forage for livestock and decreasing wildlife diversity could no longer be ignored. A founding document of the Malpai Borderlands Group spelled out exactly what was needed. “Where a community agrees about its conservation principles and how to implement them, it can enact its land ethic as the law of its land, formulated in conservation covenants.”
Again and again, Strom points the way to healing the land. The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan is the most ambitious, covering an area of nearly six million acres. It isn’t just about wildlife. The far-reaching agreement certainly protects biological corridors, but also seeks to protect working ranches, mountain parks and cultural sites.
Finally, Strom focuses on the 40-year effort of Cienega Ranch owner Josiah Austin to show that “economically viable working ranches represent one of the best options for protecting open spaces and wildlife habitat.”
Each of the parts of Strom’s book highlight “collaborative conservation,” an approach that “integrate(s) human and environmental needs…while creating a positive social context for long-term cooperation among stakeholders.” He pulls no punches, though, about the struggle still ahead. Climate change and population growth, along with the threat of corporate interests, will require the ongoing diligence of all of us.
For all of the data contained in this book, “Forging a Sustainable Southwest” flows easily and propels the reader onward. It is both informative and satisfying, appealing to all who care about who we are and the land we inhabit.
For Strom, our future in this diverse and beautiful place comes down to this question: “Can our society rediscover shared purpose in protecting and cherishing these masterpieces [of evolution], stewarding our endowment, and in the process, restoring the commons?”
“Forging a Sustainable Southwest” is his answer, and it’s a good one.