Weigh in on Army Corps section 404 permit for Vigneto

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The US Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comment on whether to grant the developer of the Villages at Vigneto a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit. The developer El Dorado Benson L.L.C plans to build 28,000 new homes in Benson, Arizona.  See the Public Notice that provides the project purpose, description, mitigation and conditions for the permit from the Army Corps.

Are you concerned about the prospect of groundwater pumping for all these Vigneto homes in Benson near the San Pedro River?  Make your voice be heard!  Send your comments to the Army Corps on the Section 404 permit for Villages at Vigneto by the Nov. 4 deadline.  Comments can be submitted via email to Kathleen.A.Tucker@usace.army.mil.

The following link briefly summarizes the issue:

http://tucson.com/news/local/public-comments-sought-on-re-evaluation-of-benson-area-vigneto/article_1566ff87-0a43-5afe-b796-8f72dcd85d1b.html?utm_medium=social

Your comments should stress the need for a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and a public hearing given the size, scope and impacts of this proposed residential development.

Please share this call to action with your friends and other concerned residents.

BLM Announces Temporary Closure of San Pedro House and Surrounding Area

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The Bureau of Land Management has notified us that pruning of the two large cottonwood trees near San Pedro House will begin Monday, October 16, and will require that San Pedro House and the surrounding area be closed to the public for up to three weeks.

Saturday River Walks scheduled for October 21 and 28 have been cancelled. The Bird Walks scheduled for October 28 and November 1 have also been canceled.

Please consider visiting some of the other recreation areas in the SPRNCA during this period, such as Millville, Fairbank, and Murray Springs.

History walks scheduled October 21 at Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate and October 28 at Grand Central Mill will not be affected by this closure. We hope to see you there!

History Walks Scheduled for Fall, 2017

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Come participate in walks to some of the most historic spots in Cochise County. The Friends of the San Pedro River are happy to announce our schedule for History Walks this fall. These outings to historic sites within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area are led by our knowledgeable Friends of the San Pedro River Docents. We will offer walks to Millville, Fairbank, the Grand Central Mill, Murray Springs, the Clanton Ranch and Terrenate.

A special event this fall is an FSPR members-only walk to Contention on November 11th. Local historian and long time Friends docent Richard Bauer will lead this walk. You must be a member of the Friends to attend. We will have a sign-up roster; look for more information on this web site as the event approaches.

Get on out to visit these great spots and share an outdoor adventure in the SPRNCA!

Descriptions of volunteer services

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New! In order to complete the revised BLM Volunteer Service Agreement form (available in hardcopy) for fiscal year 2017 starting October 1, 2016, volunteers should check each of the boxes listing the services they plan to provide during the course of the year.  The volunteer roles associated with those services are described in the pages below: