Desert Fence Busters 2024 Annual Report
The Annual Report for Desert Fence Busters highlights the fantastic work done by this coalition of organizations and volunteers.
You can read the press release about the report below.
You can see the full report on the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection’s site here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2024
Local volunteers remove 65 miles of dangerous barbed wire
Barbed wire fencing left behind on old farms and ranches is an ongoing issue for wildlife, but a local group known as the Desert Fence Busters is on a mission to help.
They’re hoping to remove as many redundant fences as possible to help wildlife move safely through Pima County. And with the launch of their latest annual report, the numbers show incredible progress.
“We have now removed over 65 miles of obsolete barbed wire fencing in Pima County,” says Dave Barker, a board member with the Friends of Ironwood Forest and one of the many volunteers dedicated to the Desert Fence Busters.
This represents four years of dedication beginning in 2021, with teams of volunteers equipped with heavy-duty work gloves—and tetanus shots—working long days to remove miles of barbed wire strands by hand.
The Desert Fence Busters had a record 339 volunteers in 2024, who removed over 29,000 pounds of fencing.
“This can be tough, physically demanding work and yet we have volunteers coming back over and over again,” said Carolyn Campbell, board member with the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection. The group stresses safety first and has roles available for all abilities.
Within an hour of removing fencing in the Avra Valley this past November, the Desert Fence Busters were treated to the sight of 12 deer moving freely through the newly opened space. This is a welcome sight, with many of the volunteers having also seen the tragic results of an animal caught on a barbed wire.
“One important thing for the long term is gene flow. We need to make sure that the different populations can interact with each other,” said Scott Sprague, wildlife biologist and road ecologist.
Alongside those removing fences, a crew led by Tucson Audubon Society also closes or “caps” vertical hollow pipes that small animals can fall into. Often, animals can’t get back out and die. Called Project Death Pipes, the team has now made hundreds of pipes safer with custom caps, concrete caps or screen.
By working closely with government agencies, including the National Park Service, state and local jurisdictions, and landowners, the group can prioritize known wildlife corridors and areas with high conservation value.
The Desert Fence Busters are preparing for three more busy work days in January, and many more before the season ends. Trica Oshant Hawkins, Conservation Programs Director for Arizona Wildlife Federation, said “Our job won’t be done for many, many years.”