TUCSON, Ariz. (13News) – The Santa Cruz River could soon be designated an urban wildlife refuge.

The Tucson City Council is scheduled to debate whether to support it during a study session on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

13News spoke with two local environmental groups who said most of Southern Arizona already supports turning the river into a wildlife refuge, and Tucson doing so is just the final piece of the puzzle.

“The shelter brings federal support, federal recognition, federal resources that make it easier for us to accomplish our mission.” Sonoran Institute.

If the Santa Cruz River becomes an urban wildlife refuge, it will be the first of its kind in Arizona, and what sets it apart from other wildlife refuges is its proximity to a city.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service deserves credit for supporting their mission and recognizing that what they're not serving are the human needs of the people in the communities that live in these areas,” said Arizona Fish and Wildlife Director Mike Quigley. Wilderness Society. “The idea is to bring new amenities and opportunities to urban communities.”

Trails and other amenities — there's already the Chuck Huckleberry Loop around the Santa Cruz River, but construction is just beginning — will be similar to another preserve in New Mexico, in fact.

“Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge is in many ways the template for Santa Cruz National Wildlife Refuge,” Cole said.

“There's a lot of overlap,” Quigley added. “For example, this area of ​​Albuquerque has historically been the site of a lot of environmental injustice, and now the Fish and Wildlife Service and the urban conservation district are remedying that to some extent.”

The two groups are hopeful that if the city shows its support, the federal government will officially designate it.

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