Environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, the Chiricahua Regional Council, Natural Allies, Wild Arizona, and Conservation CATalyst, filed a lawsuit today challenging the U.S. Forest Service’s plan to build new roads and allow increased motorized access through three sensitive canyons in the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona. Roads in these remote canyons would put…
Today, conservation groups, including Center for Biological Diversity, Sky Island Alliance, and Chiricahua Regional Council, petitioned the U.S. Forest Service to designate a 5,500-acre swath of the western Chiricahua Mountains as the Izęę’ Bich’ilwozh (Medicine Canyon) Zoological-Botanical Area. The designation, which can be made at the discretion of Regional Forester Michiko Martin, would protect the…
CRC’s Stewardship Program replaced many of the posts and signs along the Chiricahua Crest Trail this spring. The project grew out of discussions between CRC President Dirk Sigler and Douglas District Ranger Doug Ruppel to develop a plan to renovate the deteriorated signage across the trail system. This long-standing need goes back over a decade….
The CRC Stewardship Program joined forces with the Chiricahua Wilderness Trail Crew, the Portal-Rodeo Hiking Group, Wild Arizona, and the Coronado National Forest to do maintenance on several popular trails. Beginning with the Greenhouse Trail, logs were removed to a point well above the Winn Falls overlook. Then shifting to areas near Rustler Park, once…
As an environmental group pledged to protect intact habitats and natural resources, CRC acknowledges that groundwater pumping for industrial scale agriculture and mining poses very real threats to underground aquifers and the health of riparian habitats. Wildlife and human communities depend on reliable water resources. Aquifers are being over exploited in many parts of the…
The 30-day window to comment on the Forest Service’s draft environmental assessment for their proposed Peloncillo Firescape Project closes March 15. The Chiricahua Regional Council (CRC) recognizes the need for public land managers to address the threats posed by wildland fire. In our age of climate change, this has grown in importance. Although the CRC…
The Coronado NF just released the Draft Environmental Assessment for the Peloncillo Firescape project. This plan will determine how the Forest Service manages the vegetation and watersheds in the National Forest portion of the Peloncillo Mountains for the next 20+ years. The 30 day comment period will end on March 15. Here is a summary…
CRC held its annual meeting on January 26, and the board has elected new officers. Elly van Gelderen is the new Secretary. Michele Lanan served in that position for several years and moves to the Advisory Council. Curt Bradley became the Vice President. Former VP Dirk Sigler is our new President. Wynne Brown (President 2012…
The Chiricahua Regional Council has been extremely fortunate to have had Wynne Brown at the helm the past 12 years. Wynne’s leadership has been crucial to maintaining the council’s mission as a vital conservation group in the region. She is stepping aside as CRC’s president, effective immediately, to devote more time to new projects. She…
CRC’s Stewardship Program had an active 2023. Working with partner organizations, we amassed over 750 hours of volunteer time. In the winter, we installed wilderness portal signs in several Chiricahua locations, including Price Canyon, Rucker Canyon, and Cave Creek Canyon. The program organized monthly trail maintenance days for the Portal-Rodeo Hiking Group. These dedicated volunteers…
