ABSTRACT
Pima County, Arizona, aims to go beyond the mere peaceful coexistence of nature and humankind. It wants to nurture something that almost sounds like a good marriage: "an interdependent relationship, where one enhances the other". Pima County surrounds the City of Tucson, in south-central Arizona, and shares a 125-mile-long border with Mexico. In 1986, Pima County voters again stepped up to the plate and approved a $17 million open space bond that jump-started the acquisition of Tortolita Mountain Park. Outstanding historic and archaeological sites were protected in Pima County prior to the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP). The element of the SDCP calls for additional protection of Pima County's archaeological sites, landmark structures, historic communities, ghost towns, and historic trails using a wide range of preservation tools. Pima County's mountain park system has been significantly supplemented by national forests, parks, and monuments.
