September 2026 Monument Updates

National Public Lands Day Hike – Saturday, September 26th

Friends of Ironwood Forest is excited to celebrate National Public Lands Day (NPLD) on Saturday, September 26th. Join us for a sunrise hike in Ironwood Forest National Monument that will celebrate some of the unique features for which IFNM was named. The hike will emphasize the ecology of the Sonoran Desert upland habitat with emphasis on desert responses to monsoon rains. Hike suitable for ages 10 and up but limited to 20. Group will meet at the Marana Airport at 6:45 am, carpool to the hike site, and return by 1 pm. Bring water, snacks, hat, and hiking shoes. Online registration is required.

Latino Conservation Week Kick Off – Saturday, September 12th

Join our partners at Sierra Club (Grand Canyon & Nopales Chapters), CHISPA

The Wilderness Society, Mountain Mamas, FUGA and others in kicking off Latino Conservation Week at Ironwood Forest National Monument tomorrow, September 12th! We’ll gather to talk about the meaning of this week for our Latinx communities, conservation issues that impact our public lands (including the Monument), and enjoy a short walk led by Friends of Ironwood Forest staff. A press conference will start at 8 am, followed by the walk. 

New to Latino Conservation Week? Latino Conservation Week was created to support the Latino community getting into the outdoors and participating in activities to protect our natural resources. During this week, community, non-profit, faith-based, and government organizations and agencies hold events throughout the country. From hiking and camping to community roundtables and film screenings, these activities promote conservation efforts in their community, and provide an opportunity for Latinos to show their support for permanently protecting our land, water, and air. You can learn more here.

NPLD Stewardship Project – Saturday, December 12th

Friends of Ironwood Forest organizes an annual stewardship project to celebrate National Public Lands Day but, in acknowledgment of September’s heat, we typically schedule the project for December. This year’s project is removing a recently identified, abandoned, barbed-wire fence, partially down and approved for removal by BLM Tucson Field Office. Removing fence is a demanding and dangerous job requiring skill and team organization. To accomplish our goal, The Friends have enlisted the aid of Tucson-based Desert Fence Busters, an experienced, local group of dedicated volunteers. DFB has removed 100+ miles of unneeded or abandoned fence, making transit between mountain ranges around Avra Valley safer for desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, javelina, and other wildlife.

Please note that registration for this event is being handled by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Participants should follow the link below to the AZGFD website and be sure to select the Saturday, December 12th event from the list of dates provided.

Sunridge Power Update

With the La Osa data center project behind us, we’ve received a few questions about the Sunridge Power development near Ironwood Forest National Monument. According to the developer’s website, “Sunridge Power is a large-scale, advanced class combined-cycle natural gas project located 70 miles southeast of Phoenix in Pinal County, Arizona.” The project would span 338 acres and begin commercial operation in 2032.

Sunridge has recently sought permits for this project, including a Certificate of Environmental Compliance (CEC) from the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee. Several supporters of Ironwood Forest National Monument, including residents of Red Rock, have voiced opposition. Friends of Ironwood Forest is concerned that the impact of the project on the Monument has not been considered and urged denial or delay of approval for the CEC application in a Sierra Club letter circulated this week.

Today – Friday, September 11th – is the last day of a nearly week-long hearing regarding Sunridge’s CEC application, with a final vote expected from the Line Siting Committee afterward. You can follow along on the Arizona Corporation Commission website and expect an update on our social media when available. You can also read more about the project on the Sunridge website.

La Osa Project Update

On Wednesday, August 26th, KJZZ and other local news outlets reported that the Pinal County Board of Supervisors rejected plans to move the La Osa project forward. This was a significant moment for Ironwood Forest National Monument, which La Osa would have closely bordered. Our organization is extremely grateful for everyone that spoke up and shared their concerns about the project.

From the KJZZ article authored by Taylor Griffith:

“Pinal County supervisors on Wednesday rejected plans to build La Osa Energy Center, a massive development planned outside Eloy. It was among the largest proposed data centers in Arizona. […] The developer, Vermaland, had plans to build 11 data center buildings, a 500-megawatt natural gas plant and battery energy storage systems that could serve 1 gigawatt of total energy demands — that’s equivalent to the energy demands of a large city. […] Residents […] are now calling on county leaders to create stronger guardrails for future development.”

You can read the full article here.

Utah Monument Reductions Update

We’re still following recent events up in Utah, which resulted in two National Monuments – Bears-Ears Escalante and Grand Staircase – reduced in size by over 90% by recent presidential executive orders. Our partners at Conservation Lands Foundation have taken up the fight and issued the following statement last Wednesday, September 2nd:

“Today, the Conservation Lands Foundation, Patagonia, and our local and national partners working to protect and defend Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments took legal action to challenge the president’s assault. We’re asking the court to reactivate the existing lawsuits we filed in 2017 after President Trump’s initial monument reduction proclamations and hear a challenge to the new proclamations.

As reported today in the New York Times, our lawsuits touch the very core of public land conservation. Under the Antiquities Act of 1906, presidents have the authority to establish and reserve national monuments to protect historic, scientific, and cultural resources. The law does not give a president the power to dismantle or eliminate monuments created by predecessors. Only Congress holds that authority. Monument protections means something, and if a president is allowed to illegally reduce or remove a monument then no monument is safe.”

You can read the full text of CLF’s statement here, in their most recent newsletter.

Photo Credit: CLF | Bob Wick

“Stop The Stink” Campaign

Bufflegrass and stinknet are an ongoing concern in Ironwood Forest National Monument – two invasive species that require constant monitoring and removal. To that end, we recently developed a “Stop The Stink” brochure to educate users about these species and what they can do to slow their spread. We’ll also be hosting periodic vehicle information stands inside the Monument this fall. If you see us, stop by and say hello! And expect to hear more about our efforts to combat invasive species in the near future.

You can download and read the full “Stop The Stink” brochure here.