Walkers in the proposed West Desert Preserve pause to admire a cactus bloom. The acreage is just west of Green Valley.

kelly presnell / arizona daily star

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Hikers, bikers and other fans of the proposed West Desert Preserve cheered last month when they learned that it had been added to a list of lands that could be protected under a bill making its way through the Legislature.

But the legislation has a long way to go before the 2,073-acre swath of land west of Green Valley would be kept from development.

So a local group wants to let people know about the area, which is laced with trails and peppered with an endangered species of cactus.

In the process, the group hopes to boost support for the legislation that would protect it and other state trust lands with conservation value, said Bill Adamson, chairman of the Committee to Save the West Desert Preserve.

"We're very happy that it's been added to the bill," Adamson said. "We'd like to see the laws changed, so that some of these trust lands can be protected."

The legislation, which has been approved by the Arizona House and is now under consideration in the Senate, would allow the state to offer for sale some 68,000 acres of state trust land in Pima County — 196,000 acres statewide — for preservation.

The bill must be approved by the Legislature before it would go before voters next year.

Adamson said his group was encouraged that the bill is backed by the two representatives and a senator in District 30, which encompasses the greater Green Valley-Sahuarita area.

And the district's senator is not just another legislator — it's Tim Bee, a Tucson lawmaker and Senate president.

Ray Carroll, the county supervisor whose district includes Green Valley and Sahuarita, said the Board of Supervisors asked Bee to add the preserve to the bill because it is so strongly supported by area residents.

Adamson said his committee's members have drummed up that strong support over the past year of grass-roots organizing and campaigning.

Their efforts to protect the land they dubbed the West Desert Preserve began in 2004, when they discovered that its excellent bicycling trails were located on state trust land.

Adamson, a retired aerospace worker and avid bicyclist, said he and his fellow bicyclists realized they needed to protect the area.

"We thought that's a big problem because it could be sold for development and we'd lose it," he said. "So we just kept after it, building more and more community support."

So far, the committee has enlisted support for the preserve from most of Green Valley's homeowners associations, the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council — a sort of unofficial governing body — and Green Valley Recreation Inc.

It also has the support of Phelps Dodge Co., which owns the Sierrita copper mine. The company operates a large well field in the preserve, which is located at the foot of the towering mountains of mine tailings generated by the mine.

The preserve serves as a sort of buffer between the tailings piles and Green Valley, he said. "It's literally located right by some people's backyards."

A survey conducted by committee members identified more than 90 endangered pineapple cacti around the preserve.

The committee persuaded county officials to include the preserve on a draft list of lands that will be considered for purchase via a program paid for through the sale of bonds.

Voters may consider the sale of those bonds next year, if the county Board of Supervisors votes to add that issue to next year's general-election ballot.

First, county officials must greatly pare down the wish list of bond projects, which exceeds $3 billion. County officials have estimated the county's bonding capacity at less than $1 billion — about $750 million, according to conservative estimates.

Carroll said he thinks the preserve stands a better chance with the legislation rather than the bond-financed purchase.

Adamson said he's concerned that other Southern Arizona lawmakers aren't yet fully supportive of the legislation. The committee will be communicating with other lawmakers to seek their support, he said.

"This isn't just about Sahuarita and Green Valley," he said. "It's for everyone in Pima County and Santa Cruz County."