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Pictures and a quick review of the BLM meeting in Sahuarita, AZ. One of many public meetings for the future of the Ironwood National monument north west of Tucson. I didn't use a flash or fancy camera, so please excuse the quality of the pictures

The BLM is in charge of the Ironwood National Monument, and they are attempting to set a plan of action. They've publicized a series of meetings to offer alternatives for the area in regards to public use and recreation. Part of their process is to have public meetings. Shooting is one of the recreational uses in the area, so we attended the meeting in Sahuarita, AZ on April 3, 2007.

Ironwood Forest National Monument

This 129,000-acre national monument contains a significant system of cultural and historical sites covering a 5,000 year period. Possessing one of the richest stands of Ironwood trees in the Sonoran Desert, the monument also encompasses several desert mountain ranges including the Silver Bell, Waterman and Sawtooth, with desert valleys in between. Elevation ranges from 1,800 to 4,261 feet. Three areas within the monument, the Los Robles Archeological District, the Mission of Santa Ana del Chiquiburitac and the Cocoraque Butte Archeological District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Here are some pictures and a simple review of that meeting. the BLM has to do their job, the job is to do something with IWNM, so they WILL do something, but WHAT they do is up to us.

But don't take my word for it, go to some of these meetings to see for yourself what should be done at IWNM

Ironwood Forest National Monument Resource Management Plan

Draft Resource Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(Files listed below are in Acrobat pdf format. Right-click a link to save without opening.)Files are presented both as the complete DRMP/DEIS (53M), and broken out below by Chapter / Section for easier downloading.

	Meeting was at Sahuarita jr high
	There was a 20-30 minute slideshow to cover the basic overview of the situation
	The public is invited to offer suggestions, comments and complaints. The BLM will take these comments into consideration when the time comes to make the final decision
	The Tucson meeting was standing room only, this meeting was small. My guess is less than 50 people showed up
	Law enforcement was represented. When asked about shooting, they were not opposed to legal shooting and they suggested the public who is able should carry when visiting the area because it's become dangerous with all the illegal (UDA) activity
	The BLM had plenty of visual aids. Mostly maps showing the impact and boundaries of the four choices. Also the basic premise and outlines of the process were available and easy to read
	The timeline of the process of definition, public input and final decision making was there to study. Not a quick process, no one can complain that the BLM is making a quick decision here with no public input. Just the opposite they are making quite an effort to listen to the public