Coyote-Baboquivari | Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy

Located 40 miles southwest of Tucson, this 5,080-acre COA includes the rugged and remote Coyote and Baboquivari mountain ranges with their rugged peaks, massive rounded bluffs, sheer cliff faces, and large open canyons. This upland Sonoran desert habitat type is dominated by palo verde, saguaro, chaparral, and oak woodlands. About half the area is owned and managed by the Tohono O’odham Nation with other land managers including BLM, ASLD, USFWS, and private landowners. For the intrepid visitor, the Coyote Mountain Wilderness offers challenging recreation opportunities such as day hiking, climbing, and photography.

Conservation Goals

To provide for the long-term protection and preservation of the area’s wilderness character in a manner that will leave the area unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness.
Foster binational cooperation with individuals, organizations, and agencies to strengthen endangered species management and habitat connectivity.

Map

Primary Threats

1. Agriculture

1.3: Livestock farming and ranching

4. Residential and Commercial Development

4.1: Housing and urban areas

7. Human Intrusions and Disturbance

7.1: Recreational activities

Potential Conservation Actions

1. Land and Water Protection

1.2: Resource and habitat protection

Develop conservation easements on public or private lands in order to maintain and protect wildlife corridors and buffer quality wildlife habitat.

2. Land and Water Management

2.1: Site/area management

Improve recreation management to preserve the wilderness experience.
Ensure appropriate grazing practices to avoid overuse in an effort to maintain rangeland health.
Design lighting and other security infrastructure along the borderlands that minimize disturbance to wildlife, but meet the needs of the Department of Homeland Security.

5. Law and Policy

5.4: Compliance and enforcement

Monitor and enforce compliance with management practices to reduce impacts of recreational activities.

7. External Capacity Building

7.2: Alliance and partnership development

Work with federal and state agencies to address the critical need for wildlife movement across the international border with Mexico, and help design any necessary border barriers to improve wildlife movement.
Collaborate with partners at different scales (e.g., statewide, regional, national, and international) to develop and implement management plans, conservation. agreements, recovery actions, research, management recommendations.

3. Species Management

3.1: Management of specific species of concern

Improve management and restoration of agave species to provide resources and migration corridors for lesser long-nosed bat and other pollinator species.