Sun Corridor Legacy Program

The “Sun Corridor” refers to Arizona’s megapolitan area stretching from Nogales in the south to Prescott in the north, with Phoenix at its core. The megapolitan is growing at a tremendous rate, and that rapid growth comes with the challenge of conserving natural desert and open space and urban quality of life. As one of the four keystone initiatives of the Sonoran Institute, the Sun Corridor Legacy Program addresses growth and change as models for sustainable development. Our three goals include:

• Advance the availability of clean and secure energy for the Sun Corridor
• Conserve more than one million acres in Arizona for future generations
• Encourage state policies that protect and restorefree flowing rivers in Arizona

The Sun Corridor’s desirable climate, affordable housing and relatively low cost of living are reasons why this area continues to attract new residents. The area’s future quality of life, environmental quality and economic prosperity will be determined largely by how well growth is managed. Going forward, regional solutions that comprehensively address conservation, development, transportation, water and energy issues will be critical to a sustainable future.

Arizonans must make better decisions about how to develop communities, preserve cherished open spaces, ensure an adequate high-quality water supply, protect our quality of life, and enhance economic prosperity. New approaches to leadership are needed to make this happen and Sonoran Institute finds them through work with federal agencies, cities, towns, and stakeholder groups to determine the best protection and mix of uses for lands in this region.            

Current Initiatives

Livable Communities Coalition – The Sun Corridor Legacy Program has partnered with a consortium of coalitions to form the Livable Communities Coalition. The group, comprised of various non profit, state, and local entities, is committed to helping Arizonans envision healthy community designs that result in vibrant, livable communities.

Imagine Greater Tucson – Sonoran Institute is proud to be a partner in this community based effort to create a common vision and action plan for the future of the Tucson region.

State Trust Lands – We produced a five report series on various aspects of state trust land reform: a primer of Arizona state trust land that offers suggestions for reform of the 100 year old law governing state trust land management; solar development; transportation policy; infrastructure development; and land tenure adjustments. Additionally, Sonoran Institute has compiled a database of lands, 1.5 million unique acres, that have been proposed for conservation by various groups in Arizona. Our ultimate goal is to inform Arizona citizens and influence policy reform.

Sonoran Desert Heritage - In 2006, the Sonoran Institute began collaborating with a broad group of stakeholders to develop a science based, landscape level conservation plan for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands in Western Maricopa County. This inclusionary process has produced the Sonoran Desert Heritage plan to conserve, connect, and protect BLM lands. To learn more please visit www.sonoranheritage.org.