How Saguaro National Park is Reducing Wildlife Barriers

A member of our Saguaro National Park Resource Management crew working on a newly constructed wildlife friendly fence.

NPS Photo/K. Lyons-Letts

Saguaro National Park is working towards reducing wildlife barriers and increasing habitat connectivity by removing old fences or reconstructing them to make them wildlife friendly. Many of the park's older fences were originally used for cattle ranching, but are no longer needed for that purpose.

To improve wildlife connectivity, we are removing any old fences that are no longer needed. If fences are needed, we are converting them to wildlife-friendly standards following Arizona Game and Fish Department guidelines.

Most of the older fences found at the park have a total of 4 barbed wires and no space for animals to squeeze through. Animals may not cross because jumping over is not feasible and the bottom wire is too close to the ground, especially for larger mammals to squeeze underneath. We replace the top and bottom barbed wire with smooth wire that does not cut animals. We lower the top wire to 42 inches above the ground, and raise the bottom wire so that it is at least 20 inches above the ground. Finally, we adjust the spacing of the two barbed wires in the middle. This design still keeps out cattle, but allows deer and other wildlife to pass through.

 

The placement and spacing between barbed wires or smooth wires is important when constructing wildlife friendly fences.

We are working with several partners to increase habitat connectivity for wildlife outside of the park. A list of our partners include:

Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP) is a nonprofit partner, with the mission to help preserve, protect, and enhance the fragile environment and unique cultural heritage of the Sonoran Desert at Saguaro National Park.

Programs: FOSNP provides the park with financial support for projects that directly help protect its wildlife and habitat.

 

Crews scout older fences that are nonfunctional and obstructing wildlife passage. A lot of the older fences in the park need repairs because they have fallen over and barbed wires have snapped due to rusting, resulting in the collapse of certain parts of the fence line.

Friends of Ironwood Forest National Monument is a nonprofit organization that works for the permanent protection of the biological, geological, archeological, and historical resources and values of the Ironwood Forest NM.

Programs: Under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) standards and procedures, they construct or modify fences as necessary to maintain safe, unrestricted travel by wildlife.

Arizona Game and Fish Department is a state agency with a mission to conserve Arizona's diverse wildlife resources and manage for safe, compatible outdoor recreation opportunities for current and future generations.

Programs: Habitat Partnership Committees are designed to facilitate local decision making regarding wildlife habitat issues and improvements, and act as a vehicle for partnership development and communication between private, state, and federal entities.

Coalition for the Protection of the Sonoran Desert is a nonprofit group with a mission to protect the biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona through science-based advocacy, education, and collaboration.

US Bureau of Reclamation

Pima County

City of Tucson & Tucson Water