October 29, 2007 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.
This column
often features stories about lost gold, prospectors, geology, and a
variety of associated topics. However, the real gold of the Superstition
Wilderness Area is its natural ecosystem.
The region is part of the fragile Upper
Sonoran Desert life zone controlled by precipitation, sun angle, slope
angle and elevation. The fauna and flora exhibit a wide-range diversity
with plants ranging from the magnificent Saguaro cactus to the stately
Ponderosa pine.
The fauna represents almost the entire
spectrum of biological forms. The survival of animals and plants are
dependent on the controls placed on man. Actually man is the most
destructive predator placed in any natural ecosystem. The desert is a
very fragile and sensitive environment easily disrupted by the
activities of humans.
The statement “man should be only a
temporary visitor to a wilderness,” is philosophically sound. However,
the temporary visitation of man to a wilderness is not realistic if
limitations are not placed on the number of visitors or visitations. As
Americans, we must determine what portion of our public lands should be
preserved in their natural state and what lands should be highly
impacted by development.
All development and no preservation causes the crowding of too many people into one place and eventually leads to urban blight.
Arizona’s greatest assets are its public
lands (open spaces) and its climate. The two are entwined in minds of
visitors and new and old residents alike. Each year more and more of our
public lands are slated for development with little or no concern for
the future of open space. Some politicians believe open space is not a
cost-effective option for public lands.
The National Wilderness Act of 1964 and
1984 preserved several million acres of Arizona’s public lands for
future generations of Americans to enjoy. Each year more and more
Americans want to have a wilderness experience. These enormous demands
have impacted the wilderness areas and state public lands. There is a
tremendous need in our state for open space, access to public lands, and
green belts within communities, not just golf courses (which are
considered ‘open spaces’). Golf courses are not an efficient or
effective use of water resources. Families with small children or school
children don’t have much use for golf courses. Arizona has a great
opportunity to become a special place in America, not just another
California or Los Angeles.
The Superstition Wilderness Area is
slowly becoming an urban wilderness with little protection for its
ecosystem. The wilderness serves as a large hiking and riding park for
the Phoenix metropolitan area and surrounding communities that have
limited open space. The Tonto National Forest ranger district has taken
steps to control the impact on the Superstition Wilderness Area by
assessing parking fees and limiting parking space at two of the major
trailheads. An estimated 70,000 to 100,000 visitors access the
Superstition Wilderness Area each year and, as the Phoenix metropolitan
area continues to grow, the impact on the far East Valley and Apache
Junction will increase.
Open space is one of America’s most
valuable resources and, while its value cannot be measured easily, it is
in tremendous demand. Real estate prices along the Tonto National
Forest fence line east of Apache Junction should convince anyone how
valuable open space is. Lyle Anderson’s Superstition Mountain
development should also give you some idea.
There is an old saying, “Our hearts scream open space, however our pocket books scream for profit.”
The real gold of the Sonoran Desert
region is in the open space that has survived development, and the
Superstition Wilderness Area is one of those real treasures. These lands
and their ecosystem are protected from development, but not overuse.
This vast wilderness preserves a large tract of public land for future
Americans to enjoy. Fifty years from now our descendents will appreciate
any effort we make today to preserve open space for the future. They
will also recognize the immense value of the Superstition Wilderness
Area to our nation and its citizens.
After all,
a true wilderness is a place where man is only a temporary visitor and
leaves no trace, therefore protecting a fragile ecosystem.