A file image of the Sonoran Desert.
Pima County’s current office of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation will split up next summer, creating two new departments.
The Natural Resources Division within that department will merge with the Office of Sustainability and Conservation to create the new Conservation Lands and Resources Department.
Director of the Office of Sustainability and Conservation Linda Mayro said the interdisciplinary nature of the incoming staff will make the department more appealing to grant funding opportunities.
“We will have speciality disciplines in archeology, biology, ranch management, invasive species removal, ect, so I think we will appear as a very strong team to any grant funding organization that we might want to apply for,” she said.
In addition, the county’s parks and community centers will now be managed by the renamed Parks and Recreation Department. The Office of Sustainability and Conservation will also move its Sustainability Program under the Department of Environmental Quality.
Community Outreach Coordinator Nikki Reck says the move will streamline all preservation efforts of Pima County’s 250 thousand acres of conservation land.
“There’s a lot to gain from keeping these places in the best condition they can be, you know, remembering history or maintaining the desert beauty. It’s not only great for folks that live here but it can be a point of tourism to get folks out here,” Reck said.
The reorganization is expected to be completed by July 1, 2024.
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