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The Desert Fence Busters is a collaborative conservation group working together to improve and enhance wildlife movement.
Press the PLAY button to watch the local news report about the March 2024 Desert Fence Busters event (~2 minutes).
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Desert Fence Busters is a science-led initiative, backed by the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, the AZGFD wildlife connectivity assessment and other research into wildlife corridors, to remove legacy fencing that hinders the movement of wildlife between natural areas.
Note: All fencing removal is pre-approved by the municipality that owns the property.
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
After a unique partnership began more than a decade ago to share information between agencies on projects centered in Avra Valley west of the Tucson Mountains, it emerged that multiple land management agencies had outdated fencing that are impeding wildlife, with animal carcasses found hung up on barbed wire while attempting to jump or crawl through the fence.
In response to this problem, in December 2021, over 65 volunteers came together one morning to remove three miles of old fencing, including three tons of fence posts and wire fencing, from an area in northern Avra Valley. Removing this fencing is important to improve the critical wildlife linkage areas between Tucson Mountain Park, Saguaro National Park, Ironwood Forest National Monument, and the Tohono O’odham Nation.
According to Don Swann, a biologist at Saguaro National Park, “Many studies have shown that barbed wire fences can stop large animals, change their movement patterns, and keep them away from water and food sources they need to survive. Animals can also be killed trying to jump over a barbed wire fence if they become entangled and are not able to free themselves.”
“Some of these fences have been around for a hundred years and have no current purpose,” said Carolyn Campbell, Board Member of the conservation group Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection. “But what they do is block the movement of wildlife throughout the landscape.”
Volunteers from a suite of agencies and NGOs are involved, including the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Friends of Ironwood Forest, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, National Park Service, Arizona Wildlife Federation, BKW, Tucson Audubon Society, and Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge.
"Some of these fences have been around for a hundred years and have no current purpose. But what they do is block the movement of wildlife throughout the landscape.”
Carolyn Campbell, Board Member
Coalition of Sonoran Desert Protection
WORK SUMMARY 2021-2024
WORK SUMMARY 2021-2024
The Desert Fence Busters spent much of 2021 exploring the extent of obsolete fences in the Avra Valley, raising awareness amongst stakeholders, obtaining permissions from land managers, and recruiting volunteers.
In 2022, "double fences” were identified as the highest priority for removal. Double fences are where two fence-lines run parallel and right next to another. These are particularly difficult for deer and other species to cross. Therefore, these fences were targeted as the highest priority for removal. The group continued to expand its network of partnerships with agencies and landowners to identify and remove obsolete fences with volunteer labor. Fencing was removed from three jurisdictions in 2022: City of Tucson (Tucson Water), Pima County, and the National Park Service.
In 2023, the Desert Fence Busters continued working with willing landowners in the Tucson area to identify and remove obsolete fences with volunteer labor. The group focused on properties with a high density of obsolete fences and continued to target double fences as the highest priority for removal. Fencing was removed from two jurisdictions in 2023: City of Tucson (Tucson Water) and the National Park Service.
In 2024, the Desert Fence Busters continued to refine strategies for prioritizing fence removals with a focus on:
Linkages/Corridors. Prioritize work within the Coyote-Ironwood-Tucson Linkage.
Bottlenecks/Chokepoints. Prioritize work that supports use of existing Central Arizona Project siphons, overchutes, and bridges, along with existing road culverts.
Obstructions. Prioritize work that reduces roadkill hotspots and impacts from obsolete irrigation ditches.
Fence Type. Prioritize fence removals, in this order:
Removal of double fences (leaving a single fence in place)
Full removal of obsolete fences
Conversion of fences to wildlife friendly standards
Accomplishments 2021-2024
Accomplishments 2021-2024
As shown in the table below, the accomplishments each year have continued to grow dramatically.
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