Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge
| Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge | |
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IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
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 Entering the Refuge via El Camino del Diablo, 2004 |
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| Location | Arizona, United States |
| Nearest city | Yuma, AZ |
| Coordinates | 32°19′N 113°26′W / 32.317°N 113.433°WCoordinates: 32°19′N 113°26′W / 32.317°N 113.433°W |
| Area | 860,010 acres (3,480.3 km2) |
| Established | 1939 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Official website | |
The Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Sonoran Desert in southwestern Arizona in the United States. The refuge, established in 1939 to protect Desert Bighorn Sheep, is located along 56 miles (90 km) of the U.S.-Mexico border, and covers 860,010 acres (3,480 km²) — larger than the land area of the state of Rhode Island.
Spanish for "dark head," the refuge's name comes from the Cabeza Prieta Mountains in the refuge's northwest part. Author Edward Abbey, a frequent visitor, described the Cabeza Prieta as "the best desert wilderness left in the USA."[1]
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[edit] Cabeza Prieta Wilderness Area
803,418 acres (3,251 km²) were preserved in 1990 as the Cabeza Prieta Wilderness Area. The refuge may be temporarily closed for training exercises on the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range. It is the third largest national wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states. The refuge is administered from offices in Ajo, Arizona.
[edit] Featured species include
- Desert Pocket Mouse
- Desert Bighorn Sheep
- Common Collared Lizard
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Vermilion Flycatcher[disambiguation needed
] - Gambel's Quail
[edit] History
In 1936, the Arizona boy scouts mounted a state-wide campaign to save the Bighorn sheep, leading to the creation of the Cabeza Prieta wildlife refuge. The Scouts first became interested in the sheep through the efforts of Major Frederick Russell Burnham, the noted conservationist who has been called the Father of Scouting. Burnham observed that fewer than 150 of these sheep still lived in the Arizona mountains. He called George F. Miller, then scout executive of the boy scout council headquartered in Phoenix, with a plan to save the sheep.[2]
Several other prominent Arizonans joined the movement and a Save the Bighorns poster contest was started in schools throughout the state. The contest-winning bighorn emblem was made up into neckerchief slides for the 10,000 Boy Scouts, and talks and dramatizations were given at school assemblies and on radio. The National Wildlife Federation, the Izaak Walton League, and the Audubon Society also joined the effort.[2]
On January 18, 1939, over 1,500,000 acres (6,100 km2) of Arizona were set aside at Cabeza Prieta and at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge and a Civilian Conservation Corps camp was set up to develop high mountain waterholes for the sheep. In 1941, Major Burnham delivered the dedication speech opening Cabeza Prieta. The Desert Bighorn Sheep is now the official mascot for the Arizona Boy Scouts and the number of sheep in these parks have increased substantially.[2]
[edit] Visiting
The most popular time to visit the refuge is between November and March. A free permit is required to visit the refuge; obtain at the refuge office in Ajo, Arizona or by mail. A local organization gives evening presentations on the history, flora, and fauna during these months. Only lawfully-killed game may be taken from the area.
The historic El Camino del Diablo 4WD road crosses the southernmost part of the refuge, near the Mexican border. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
[edit] Visitor safety
Visiting the refuge is a serious endeavor.
- It is strongly recommended that visitors not attempt to drive through the refuge after a rain as the road, El Camino del Diablo, can be damaged when wet. Locals say it can be impassable after rains.
- Four wheel drive is required to visit the central refuge and refuge staff say that bringing two spare tires, and/or other replacement parts, is necessary.
- There are group trips, which can reduce the risks of visiting this remote area, several times a year.
- The area has been used for aerial bombing. Do not disturb unexploded bombs (ordnance) found on the refuge.
- Two gallons of water, sunscreen, all food, and toilet items must be brought with you. You must pack out all non-biodegradable materials when you leave.
[edit] See also
- List of plants by common name (Sonoran Desert)
- Category: Fauna of the Sonoran Desert
- Category: Protected areas of the Sonoran Desert
[edit] References
- ^ Edward Abbey, 1985 letter in Postcards from Ed : dispatches and salvos from an American iconoclast, 2006, Milkweed Press, ISBN 1571312846
- ^ a b c Edward H. Saxton (March 1978). "Saving the Desert Bighorns". Desert Magazine 41 (3). http://www.scribd.com/doc/2404512/197803DesertMagazine1978March. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
[edit] Source
- Brochure: "Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, March 2005.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge |
- Official Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge website
- Cabeza Prieta Natural History Association
- The short film Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge Desert Wilderness (2006) is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
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