Town Causes Ecological Disaster: Water Pipeline Installation on the Silverhawke Trail Wreaks Havoc on the Environment. (Part 2)

Part 1 was published yesterday. If you missed it, please scroll down to view it. Today’s article includes the Town’s response to multiple complaints filed by two Oro Valley residents regarding the destruction of a natural desert habitat on what is designated as a “Conservation Trail.”
---
The Town finally responded on February 7
The Town responded that an Oro Valley Water Utility Engineering Manager is overseeing the project and claimed that after reviewing the pipeline work being done, it was determined that “the contractor has properly maintained the site.”

The Town added, “Prior to construction, the water utility performed Environmental Clearance Surveys, including a Cultural Resources Inventory, Biological Evaluation, and Native Plant Inventory.”

Regarding the widening of the construction zone beyond the original plans, the Town stated that “During the design phase it was discovered that the project could not take place within the limits of the existing dirt road” which necessitated the unplanned additional clearing to the east.

One wonders if the Town Logo, “It’s in Our Nature” is just lip service
Mr. Amato pointed out that despite the additional clearing to the east, there were multiple areas where a backhoe operator went off the designated road and plowed through the plants. He informed the Town that multiple large Palo Verde trees (the State tree) were destroyed and large cactus were uprooted from the ground and rolled down a hill.

He asked, “So, it’s in the nature of Oro Valley to destroy nature? Quite a slogan there.” He continued, “Animals, plants, trees, destroyed with no regard. Where is the conscience of the Oro Valley government? [This destruction] is within your standards?”

Just an inconvenience?
The Town closed their letter with the words… ”we apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused the surrounding community” which prompted Dr. Eisenberg to respond in part…

“Inconvenience?... These workers destroyed the flora that the tortoises depend on for life. It was completely unnecessary for these careless and sloppy workers to smash living shrubs and leave them broken and dying. Roots are the command center of these sentient beings that experience the pain from the slovenly onslaught…

It is deeply regrettable that you and your colleagues do not realize this or even understand this reality…This is a very serious violation… The damage is done…I am thoroughly shocked and appalled by such insensitivity, ignorance, and disrespect for life.”

Eisenberg and Amato have implored the Town to repair the native hacked trees, remove the trunks, limbs, and branches that were dumped onto native living plants, and to refrain from any further dumping of debris onto living plants. They have also asked to meet with whomever will be overseeing this work “before more sentient beings are destroyed, injured and left to die a painful death."

Be good for the town to follow its own directives!

- - -

Town Causes Ecological Disaster: Water Pipeline Installation on the Silverhawke Trail Wreaks Havoc on the Environment (Part 1)

The following information has been supplied to LOVE by Oro Valley residents Amy Eisenberg, Ph.D and John Amato. They are both devout protectors of desert tortoises and other wildlife. Dr. Eisenberg is an Associate Scholar at the Center for World Indigenous Studies at the University of Arizona and a Jane Goodall Institute grantee for Stewardship and the Preservation of Life. Mr. Amato is a visual anthropology and natural history photographer.
---
Purpose of the Project
According to the Town, “The purpose of this project is to provide second source of water to Catalina Shadows subdivision and Palisades area, as well as improving water quality to Palisades and Catalina Shadow...The project started early January and is expected to complete mid-March.” A separate Town document reveals that the new pipeline is 8 inches in diameter.

Total disregard for the sanctity of nature
In late January, Dr. Eisenberg and her partner, photographer John Amato, began contacting the Town of Oro Valley (mayor, council, town manager, and the planning and zoning administrator) and American Tower Corporation (the company that’s installing the water pipeline off Labyrinth Drive and the Silverhawke Conservation Trail) informing them that, “the heavy equipment operators are smashing trees unnecessarily and workers are dumping their equipment on living vegetation” that tortoises and other native creatures depend on for sustenance. They stated that the area is being “torn apart by indiscriminate driving of the large equipment.”

Although they acknowledge that the pipeline is needed, they described the method of installation as “irresponsible and careless” and asked for some oversight someone in the town.

Councilmember Bohen was the only councilmember to respond and visit the site
According to Eisenberg and Amato, the only person from the town who responded to their pleas is Councilmember Tim Bohen who agreed to visit the site. He believes that it is the responsibility of councilmembers “to oversee the Town Staff oversight of construction projects which have a negative impact on our beautiful environment…”

After visiting the site, Bohen said it was unclear to him why “more care is not being exercised in clearing the land.” He continued, “The contractor seems unaware of the habitat value of the land. Thus, standard techniques for clearing the land may be being used when there may be better options that allow the pipe to be installed with less impact to the habitat.”

What was supposed to happen vs. what actually happened
Mr. Amato informed LOVE that he encountered a town worker in that area some months ago and inquired about the plans. The town worker explained the scope of the work and assured Mr. Amato that the town would do all they could to preserve the lives of the tortoises and other wildlife, and that residents would be kept informed of what was going on and would be allowed to have input.

Mr. Amato states that this did not happen “and now life in the area where they are working is being destroyed. Trees torn apart, dens of tortoises and snakes gone…This is how to preserve and honor life? Where is the Mayor?”

20-60 foot wide swath of wildlife habitat destroyed for an 8-inch diameter pipe
The town worker told Mr. Amato that the trench for the water pipe would be about 12 feet wide, but Amato states that much of the destruction is 20 feet wide with some areas well over 30 feet wide and up to 60 feet wide. (Remember, this is for an 8-inch diameter pipe!) He asks, “Who is going to restore this area to its native state and who will oversee the restoration?”

Dr. Eisenberg stated that “this area has been severely impacted by American Tower workers, AT&T, Meritage Homes, and now Oro Valley government.” She said that the lack of response from Oro Valley government has been “deeply disheartening.”

The Town finally responded on February 7.
---
Part 2 of this story, including the Town’s response, will be published tomorrow.

Guest View: Amy Eisenberg, Ph.D. ~ Sonoran Desert Tortoises are Greatly Imperiled by Unsustainable Development in Oro Valley

This Guest View is derived from a letter sent by Dr. Eisenberg to the Town of Oro Valley regarding the proposed residential development of the Kai Property at First and Tangerine. LOVE added the subheadings. The destruction described below was witnessed on the large contiguous Kai parcel from Palisades Road to Tangerine. This is a large tortoise habitat that has been greatly reduced and fragmented due to development on that parcel.

A public hearing on this General Plan Amendment and Rezoning will be held this Wednesday, January 6th during a Town Council Special Session Zoom Meeting.  You may join the meeting and comment.  A link to the Zoom meeting can be found HERE

---

Sonoran Desert Tortoise dens destroyed by Meritage Homes and Capri Co., LLC
As stewards who reside in the adjacent community, we understand and witness that this parcel has environmental and archaeological significance: Sonoran Desert Tortoises - Gopherus morafkai reside on this parcel and some of their dens were destroyed during Capri Co., LLC trenching and Meritage Homes development during tortoise brumation! This is unlawful, unethical, unacceptable and disgraceful. I contacted the President of Meritage Homes, Jeff Grobstein and Steve Hilton as well as Game and Fish to no avail!

*No hired biologist monitored this before the destruction except myself, and I was not consulted by the developers who destroyed the tortoise dens and burrows.

An illegal dumping ground
There are significant native plants and trees on this parcel as well as ancestral tools, Native American trails, ceramic shards and worked stone. Kai and Capri have been irresponsible and negligent land owners and developers. Kai has allowed this parcel to be an illegal dumping ground for many years. As stewards, we reported illegal dumping on this site to the police on numerous occasions.

Unsustainable development of this parcel leads to environmental impacts to the native plant and animal communities as well as the human community. Meritage Homes is currently trashing the parcel and workers are leaving their garbage and recyclables all around the perimeter of the Meritage Homes development zone. It is disrespectful and unacceptable. I reported this illegal dumping to Oro Valley Government, the Arizona Attorney General, and the Better Business Bureau.

Lack of respect towards native plants, trees, and wildlife
A healthy intact environment sustains life. The continued destruction of this parcel with its significant plants, trees and animal communities will be further harmed by this proposed development and it will further impact the human community. Extensive trash, destruction of animal burrows and dens, workers treating the desert parcel as a wasteland, workers defecating and leaving their fecal matter and wiping paper is a health and sanitation hazard and violation. I reported this to Oro Valley government to no avail!

Tortoise Den on Kai parcel

Shame on Kai and Capri Co., LLC for their unethical and shoddy practices of digging deep vertical trenches that entrapped native animals without placing barriers, destroying tortoise habitat, burrows and dens, and archaeologically significant sites and trails. Our human health and well-being are inextricably tied to a healthy environment. Kai, Meritage Homes, and Capri Co., LLC have negatively impacted the environment with their irresponsible development practices, negligence and illegal dumping.


Oro Valley government is certainly complicit
Oro Valley gives a green light to many unsustainable developers who have irreparably altered the natural environment to a great extent. There are mounds of hundreds of pounds of rusting cables and rusting hardware on this parcel that have been dumped there for decades. This impedes the growth of native plants and the safety of native animals that travel in this zone. It appears that Kai is not at all concerned that illegal dumping has been occurring on this once beautiful parcel and this is lamentable. As Arizona stewards, we greatly care and have cleaned up hundreds of pounds of illegally dumped trash by Meritage Homes, American Tower workers, contractors, Capri Co., LLC workers and others. These irresponsible adults should be cleaning up after themselves, but sadly, this is not the case.

Demolished tortoise habitat

A sacred homeland
This type of shoddy development is unsustainable, unacceptable, and negligent. NO, indeed, we are strongly opposed to this proposed development project. Enough damage has been done to this once pristine and beautiful parcel that is rich with Native American history in the Tohono O’odham Haki: Dag - the sacred homeland of the Tohono O’odham Nation.

As knowledgeable stewards and citizens, we must all carefully and responsibly respect and safeguard the Sonoran Desert Tortoises that still live on this greatly fragmented parcel. Sonoran Desert Tortoises and their broken habitat will surely be further devastated by the impending proposed development. They will not survive the onslaught! Gopherus morafkai urgently need Federal Protection to ensure their perpetuity and wellbeing. These magnificent creatures of the Sonoran Desert greatly deserve this.

[As previously reported on LOVE, the proposals for the remaining undeveloped land on this parcel include five land use options: apartments, rental casitas, townhomes, senior care facility, and single family residential.]

- - -
Dr. Eisenberg is an ethnoecologist and botanist who teaches at the University of Arizona and is an Associate Scholar with Center for World Indigenous Studies. She has authored and co-authored numerous articles on indigenous peoples’ issues, social and environmental impact assessment, and sustainable natural resource management.