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| Every Picture Has a Story |
| Destruction of Pristine
Habitat for Profit |
| My image of the month column showcases some of the new
photos I've taken during recent travels, as well as some unique situations
that I have captured throughout the years. At times I may include a short
story which I feel may be of some interest. Enjoy! Approaching Storm - Santa Rita Mountains
Lightning Storm - Santa Rita Mountains
Well, it's finally happening right here in my own backyard. A developer from Massachusetts is trying to build a cluster of 288 homes at the base of the pristine Santa Rita Mountains. This is at the mouth of one of the most popular canyons in Southeast Arizona, Madera Canyon. I had no idea there was any private land up there. I was told it was all leased land from University of Arizona as an experimental range for 50 years. And the rest of the land was State Trust Land and BLM land. The impact of a development like this is the start of a biological and aesthetic disaster. Pima County designated this land as a high priority piece of land because of its strong biodiversity. The county tried to purchase it, but the developer wanted double what is was worth. Pima County can only buy at market value. In the past, the people of Green Valley joined together and won some the issues against other developers in the community, and we intend to do it again. Read our thoughts below and if anyone can help with advice in any way, please let me know. A donation to the Defenders of Madera Canyon would help us as we have retained an attorney and are hiring professionals to research water, waste and road issues etc. as we speak. Madera Canyon Thoughts
& Observations The 12 mile drive up to Madera Canyon from Green Valley is wondrous as you pass through the many habitats and life zones on the way. You can feel the stress leave your mind and body as you enjoy the wildness and openness of the desert into the grasslands and then viewing the beautiful Santa Rita Mountains up ahead. It's therapy for anyone who has visited here and even the locals who make that drive almost every day say it never gets old. The sense of wonder as to what lives there and just the thought of the peaceful untouched wilderness makes it an absolute pleasure to drive. My mother visited me a couple of years ago. She was 84 years old and I wanted to show her The Grand Canyon. She was overwhelmed with the views. Days later I took her up to Madera Canyon for a picnic and to this day that's all she talks about when we chat about her visit. She said it was extremely calming and quiet and all her aches and pains completely left her. The conversation goes something like this, "Oh, don't get me wrong, I loved the Grand Canyon; but I can't describe the peace, quiet and serenity I felt the day you took me up to Madera Canyon". As a professional wildlife and nature photographer who works with Arizona Highways, National Geographic and many other publications the thought of having a development to scuff the landscape of a pristine mountain range sickens me. I photograph the Santa Rita Mountain range through every season with stunning sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, lightening and even snow. Just the thought of recording a 288 home subdivision in my photos is repulsive. And of course the Kettenbach family who wants to develop this beautiful land lives in Massachusetts so why should they care; it's always the bottom line that matters. This is a global problem and something has to change because there is very little balance on this planet between land and development. The thought of peace, beauty, wilderness and our wildlife is hardly ever considered. It's always about money. Being the fastest growing state in our country sounds like it's something to be proud of but believe me it's not. Unless our state and counties get a grasp on this overwhelming issue, this area will not be a desirable place to live in the very near future. I think the state and counties should look to other states such as California and adopt some of their laws and restrictions and learn from their past experience. Who knows what Pima County is thinking? Attitude is everything and here's my concern. It seems they have a nonchalant attitude about the developer's rights saying that the cluster variance might be a better idea than having wildcat subdivisions spread across more acreage. Their mind set seems to be very narrow, not taking into consideration how close this development is to the mountains and the canyon and the negative impact it will have. They seem to be treating this land just like any other piece of land to develop. Well, it's not! This can ruin the whole feel of the valley and the canyon. Residential development of pristine land might be in Pima County's best interest as this will create more tax revenue and will also increase the value of the State Trust Land. Or, let me give Pima County the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the County has to give the developer a chance, even though they know the laws and restrictions will be too overwhelming. But it's disappointing to hear, private land or not. Other concerns are water, roads, waste water, ambulance, fire department, traffic etc. This canyon is like no other canyon in Southern Arizona. Madera Canyon and Green Valley have a perfect combination of quaintness and easy accessibility. Green Valley compliments the Canyon and vice versa. As you drive up from Green Valley to the Canyon, the uncluttered landscape has a magical feel that draws many visitors who will surely be disappointed when it is lost. Do we want the same look of the Catalina's in Tucson? I think not, that's why we live here. The other mind set that concerns me is that some of the people who live here take the attitude that "Well, it was bound to happen, look where we built". Wrong again. This land is unique because it shapes the persona of our valley. This is a negative phrase that allows people to justify not getting involved in the fight to save our valley. It is in our best interest to preserve the beauty and wildlife of this land. This is what attracted us to live here in the first place so let's fight to keep it! Friends of Madera Canyon just formed a new organization called The Defenders of Madera Canyon so we can fight this. They have already retained an attorney and will need more funds for possible research. You can help by sending a check to FMOC, PO Box 1203 Green Valley, AZ 85622-1203 and mark on your check that it's for The Defenders of Madera Canyon. Join me on a Botswana Photo Tour in 2007. I will be leading an African photo tour through Distinctive Journeys to Botswana and the Okavango Delta from November 30 to December 11, 2007, with an extension to Jack's Camp, another exciting location located deep in the Kalahari Desert, from December 11 to December 14, 2007. We changed the date by one day and changed one of the camps we will visit. We added some important highlights to this trip as well, so if you are interested, please read Botswana Photo Tour in 2007. My new book Wings of Spring wins an award!
Here's what they had to say: Wings of Spring represents some of the finest photography of birds ever published: A Great Egret tossing a stream of brightly-lit water droplets, a Wilson's Snipe standing on one leg forlorn in June snowfall, a Western Screech-Owl dangling a lizard from it's beak. One is amazed at the days and countless hours photographer Tom Vezo spent patiently waiting for these moments that he has so elegantly captured. Complimenting Vezo's photography is a comfortable and inviting design, and just the right amount of text to make the book useful as a bird guide as well as a work of artistry. How to order a signed copy of my books: WINGS OF SPRING - $40.00 S & H are included in the prices. Checks should be made out to "Tom Vezo" and sent to: Tom Vezo Be sure to include your name and shipping address and who you would like the book signed to, as it will make a great gift. How to order screensavers of my pictures: Second Nature Software has compiled has just compiled a new screensaver called Colorful Songbirds, which you can purchase online at www.secondnature.com. On this site, you can also view my three other screensavers: Backyard Birds, Birds of Prey, and Wings in the Wild. Second Nature Software is a proud supporter of nonprofit environmental organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, and through their sales has contributed more than $2.5 million dollars to help preserve the world's natural wonders and wildlife. |
Editor's Comment: Let us know what you think! Please email the Editor to let us know your thoughts. |
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Wings
of Spring: Courtship, Nesting, and Fledging Photographs by Tom Vezo,
Text by Chuck Hagner, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA is the winner of
the 2006 National Outdoor Book Awards in the category of Design and
Artistic Merit.