Wed, Dec 03, 2008

Opinion

Federal funds may help restore Sabino Canyon

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 03.21.2007
And while we're talking about canyons, there was some good news for Sabino Canyon out of Washington on Tuesday.
U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Highway Commission had allocated more than $2 million to reimburse agencies working to restore the landmark north of Tucson to its state prior to last summer's floods. Kyl also announced that the state would receive more than $4 million for two forest-health projects.
The total allocation for Sabino Canyon is approximately $2.36 million, according to Kyl's office. That includes $1.29 million in reimbursement to the U.S. Forest Service, $979,000 to Pima County and $100,000 to the Central Federal Lands Highway Division.
At present, you can hike, picnic, ride the tram and stop by the visitor center and gift shop in Sabino Canyon. We're hopeful that the reimbursement allocation will help bring the recreation area back to its full, former glory.
Kyl's office also announced that the Forest Service approved $2 million for fiscal year 2007 for the Ecological Restoration Institute in Flagstaff and $2.3 million for the Payson and Verde forest-thinning projects, according to press materials.