Petition Seeks New Federal Protections for Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains

Today, conservation groups, including Center for Biological Diversity, Sky Island Alliance, and Chiricahua Regional Council, petitioned the U.S. Forest Service to designate a 5,500-acre swath of the western Chiricahua Mountains as the Izęę’ Bich’ilwozh (Medicine Canyon) Zoological-Botanical Area.

The designation, which can be made at the discretion of Regional Forester Michiko Martin, would protect the area’s globally important biological diversity from proposed road construction, hound hunting, motorized recreation and new mining.

“This stunning canyon and its perennial waters are critical to the survival of endangered species, but they’re currently threatened by a proposal to open a road right through the canyon’s heart,” said Laiken Jordahl, Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We hope the regional forester uses her authority to protect this remarkable, remote stronghold for wildlife by formally designating it as zoological-botanical area.”

The canyon’s exceptional biodiversity includes bears, coatimundis, bobcats, Mexican spotted owls, golden eagles, jaguars and elegant trogons. The area supports 102 Arizona Game and Fish species of concern and many rare and culturally significant species of plants.

The Forest Service’s September 2023 approval of the Chiricahua Public Access Project threatens to open this canyon to permanent motorized use, leading to the harassment of wildlife and increased risks of pollution, fire and poaching.

“This corner of the Chiricahua Mountains is a tranquil refuge for the plants and wildlife facing threats from climate change to habitat loss,” said Louise Misztal of Sky Island Alliance. “Protecting this peaceful canyon and keeping it wild is a gift to future generations and a lifeline for our most imperiled species.”

“Izęę’ “Bich’ilwozh” (Ih-zehy-ey Biy-chill-woozsh) means “Medicine Canyon” in Western Apache and spans the area commonly known as John Long Canyon. The White Mountain Apache Tribe’s cultural preservation office urged the Forest Service to designate the zoological-botanical area and offered the name based on consultation with the Tribe’s cultural advisors.

“This area of the Chiricahuas is unique,” said Dirk Sigler Chiricahua Regional Council president. “We feel strongly that it is under threat if motorized recreation is allowed to move forward. Our organization supports all other forms of access. The ZBA designation will go a long way to protect the canyon’s wilderness character and cultural significance. This is an opportunity for the Coronado National Forest to do the right thing.”