Bear Creek flowing through the Segurson property. Courtesy of The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is donating to Pima County for conservation 151 acres of Bear Canyon property once cherished and protected by a local teacher.

The donation is subject to approval of the Pima County Board of Supervisors and is on its May 15 meeting agenda.

Jack Segurson, a long-time Tucson teacher and nature enthusiast who died in 2008 at age 90, deeded the property to The Nature Conservancy to keep it protected forever.

“Pima County ownership is consistent with Jack’s wishes and makes sense from a management perspective,” says Holly Richter, the Conservancy’s Arizona director of conservation. “The county manages open space next to the Segurson property. We know the county will take good care of this special place, too.”

Bear Creek runs through the property, which is about a half-mile northeast of the creek’s confluence with Sabino Creek and about one-third mile south of the Bear Canyon trailhead that leads to Seven Falls.  Its northern boundary abuts Coronado National Forest’s Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.

Cottonwood trees line the creek, and saguaros, chollas and prickly pears dot the property’s slopes. Deer, mountains lions, ringtail cats and lowland leopard frogs are at home there.

The property will be managed as open space by the Pima County Regional Flood Control District, which owns and manages other lands along Bear Canyon and Sabino Canyon, as part of its riparian habitat and upper watershed preservation program.

“In addition to the property’s proximity to other District and public lands, the rare water resources such as springs, a frequently flowing Bear Canyon Wash, and presence of shallow groundwater really make this parcel an ideal riparian habitat acquisition,” said District Director Suzanne Shields.

Segurson, who had been a wrestling and swimming coach and teacher at Catalina and Amphitheater high schools, bought the property more than 50 years ago.

“Pima County is delighted to receive this gift from Mr. Segurson and the Nature Conservancy,” said Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry. “The Bear Canyon land will be managed consistent with the values expressed in our Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. These values benefit all of Pima County by protecting and maintaining riparian ecosystems for present and future generations.”

Celebrate the completion of another segment of The Loop on Friday, April 27, at the south end of Michael Perry Park on Tucson’s East Side.

The Loop is 55 miles of car-free paths being developed around metropolitan Tucson, with links to Marana and Oro Valley, for Pima County residents and visitors on foot, bikes, skates and horses.

The new segment — a project of Pima County and the City of Tucson — extends the Pantano River Park divided path (one gravel; the other, paved) past Michael Perry Park south to Sellarole Road.

The celebration begins at 2 p.m. at the new neighborhood trailhead at East Stella Road.  Bring your bike and join a group fun ride after the celebration.

The Loop will connect Pantano River Park to greenways along Harrison Road and the Julian Wash, Rillito River Park, and Santa Cruz River Park.

For more information, please visit www.pima.gov/TheLoop.

Pima County and the City of Tucson invite the public to two open houses for an update on the progress of The Loop.

The Loop is 55 miles of car-free paths being developed around metropolitan Tucson for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.  The Loop will link the Rillito, Santa Cruz and Pantano river parks with greenways along the Julian Wash and Harrison Road.

The open houses will provide updates on the Julian Wash and Harrison Greenway seg-ments and answer any questions the public may have.  Project displays will be at each open house for review, and the project team will make a short presentation at 6:15 p.m.

The open houses are:

• 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, at Desert Sky Middle School, 9850 E. Rankin Loop, west of the intersection of Rita Road and Houghton Road.
• 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, at Thomas Jay Regional Park Recreation Center, 6465 S. Craycroft Road.

For more information about The Loop, please visit www.pima.gov/TheLoop.

Individuals with disabilities who require accommodations for effective participation and communication in the meeting may call Julie C. Simon at (520) 740-6410 by April 20 for the April 25 meeting or by April 27 for the May 2 meeting to make appropriate arrangements.

Pima County, Ariz. (March 29, 2012) – Now there’s an interactive website just for kids that helps them learn about air, water, soil, resource conservation and climate change – and why it’s important for them to learn how to take good care of planet Earth.

The Eco Kids Corner website was developed by Pima County’s Department of Environmental Quality and a student intern from the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health to engage children in learning about the natural world and their role in it. Here’s the link: http://www.cleanair.pima.gov/ .

Not only can they learn fun facts, like how old the Earth is and what air is made of, but they can write poems, guess the answers to science questions, learn why recycling really matters, take a look at the hydrologic cycle and find out about pedology. That’s the study of soil.

The colorful website provides links to other activity-based sites for kids from agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control.

The site also provides links to the local zoo, museums, the Sonoran Desert Kids Club and other venues that offer educational programs and materials for children.

The site includes resources for teachers and inspiration for science fair projects, too.

A special program to introduce the website is set for  Saturday, April 7, at 11 a.m. at the Murphy-Wilmot Branch Public Library, 530 N. Wilmot Road, during the library’s monthly Science Saturday event.

The public is invited to attend the dedication ceremony for the Gabe Zimmerman Davidson Canyon Trailhead at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4.

The trailhead is north of Interstate 10 on Marsh Station Road, about ¼ mile west of Cienega Creek.  Because parking at the trailhead site is limited, please carpool, park next to the Cienega Creek ¼ mile to the east of the trailhead and take the shuttle that’s provided, or you can park at the Rincon Valley Fire Department 2.5 miles west along Marsh Station Road and take the shuttle that is provided.

Zimmerman, a 30-year-old aide to U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was killed along with five others in the Jan. 8 attack in Tucson that injured Giffords and a dozen others.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors renamed the Davidson Canyon trailhead in February at the request of The Arizona Trail Association, of which Zimmerman was a member and his mother, Emily Nottingham, is president.

Zimmerman, a Tucson native who was an avid hiker and runner, helped obtain the National Scenic Trail designation for the Arizona Trail, an 817-mile path from Mexico to Utah that was completed this month and that connects to the Davidson Canyon trail.

The Arizona Trail Association has been working to add signs, a ramada with tables, wheelchair-accessible paths and tribute areas for Zimmerman and the other Jan. 8 victims at the trailhead, which is in Pima County’s Cienega Creek Natural Preserve.

In addition to the trail association, Pima County Supervisor Raymond J. Carroll, District 4, and the Pima County Regional Flood Control District and the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department are hosting the dedication ceremony.

For more information about The Arizona Trail Association, go to http://www.aztrail.org/.

Pima County, Ariz. – More than 1,000 people of all ages turned out to Launch The Loop on Oct. 22 and walk, skate or bike on the Santa Cruz and Rillito river park paths that were officially joined in the celebration Saturday.

Officials who spoke at the Dedication Celebration all agreed with Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson, who said The Loop is a great example of “what happens when you have regional cooperation.”

Russ Lennon rides on The Loop along the Rillito River near Flowing Wells District Park on Saturday, Oct. 22

Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath praised Pima County for leading the effort that includes the cities of Tucson and South Tucson, the towns of Marana and Oro Valley, the Regional Transportation Authority and the Arizona Department of Transportation.

“It’s a new beginning for this entire region,” Hiremath said.

The connection of the Santa Cruz and Rillito river park paths creates 23 miles of car-free pedestrian and bicycle paths from West Silverlake Road on the south to North Craycroft Road on the east.  When completed, The Loop will be 55 miles of paths connecting the Rillito, Santa Cruz and Pantano river parks with greenways along the Julian Wash and Harrison Road, along with links to Marana and Oro Valley.

Jim Glock, director of the Tucson Department of Transportation, said The Loop would launch the area’s status from the League of American Bicyclists from gold, which it’s held since 2006, to platinum.

Marana Mayor Ed Honea set aside the town’s legal dispute with the county over ownership of a county-built wastewater treatment plant in Marana and addressed Pima County Administrator C.H. Huckelberry.

Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, right, smiles while linking symbolic chain loops with other dignitaries at the dedication celebration of the connection of the Santa Cruz and Rillito river park paths on Oct. 22. Also pictured, from the far left of the chain, Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson (with her back to the camera); Deputy Pima County Administrator John Bernal; Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Gary Hayes; Tucson Department of Transportation Director Jim Glock; Todd Emery, Arizona Department of Transportation’s Tucson District Engineer (behind Glock); Mike Reuwsaat, executive director of the YMCA of Southern Arizona; Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath; Marana Mayor Ed Honea; and Pima County Supervisor Ann Day.

“Chuck, this is one issue we do agree on,” Honea said, adding that regional biking and hiking trails are good for the community and “for the business community as well.”

More than 850 adults and children registered at Flowing Wells District Park along the Rillito, at Christopher Columbus Park along the Santa Cruz and in Marana to get free Loop T-shirts, water bottles and backpacks.  Registration dropped off after the supply of more than 440 T-shirts was exhausted, but people continued to turn out to walk, ride or skate.

An estimated 200 cyclists rode the 22-mile route from Flowing Wells District Park to the University of Arizona campus and back along the Santa Cruz and Rillito river park paths.

Hundreds of kids attending Launch The Loop or the grand opening of the Kory Laos Memorial Freestyle BMX Park at Flowing Wells District Park got free helmets.  More than 900 backpacks and water bottles were given away.

Hundreds of Loop bike jerseys were sold and were so popular that more are expected to be produced.

Huckelberry said that The Loop was a great opportunity to show “what taxpayers’ money goes for” and that it was rewarding to “put improvements in the ground and see people use them.”

Federal and state disaster assistance funding for bank stabilization, federal grants, Pima County bond funds and contributions from the other jurisdictions have financed the work on The Loop.

Huckelberry said that paths along the Julian Wash would be built from the Santa Cruz River Park to the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park, northeast of South Kolb Road and Interstate 10, within the next year.  Plans also include extending the Santa Cruz paths south to San Xavier Mission and north through Marana to Sanders Road (the paved path now ends a little north of Twin Peaks Road) and connecting the paths along the Cañada del Oro to reach from the Santa Cruz to Catalina State Park.

Huckelberry estimated that 90 percent of The Loop paths would be connected in the next 19 months.

“We’ll get them done together and with the cooperation of everybody in the region,” he said.

Event partners included Pima County, Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, the Northwest YMCA, the Regional Transportation Authority and the Pima County Health Department’s Healthy Pima program.

Go to www.pima.gov/TheLoop for more information and the latest Loop news, maps and events.

Pima County, Ariz. – Launch The Loop on Saturday, Oct. 22, and get a free T-shirt, water bottle and backpack, while supplies last, when you register from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at:

• Flowing Wells District Park, 5510 N. Shannon Road.
• Christopher Columbus Park, 4600 N. Silverbell Road.
• Crossroads at Silverbell Park, 7548 N. Silverbell Road.

Free bike helmets for kids will be available only at Flowing Wells District Park.

The Loop bike jerseys will be available for sale only at the Flowing Wells park.  They come in three styles: one long-sleeved and two short-sleeved.  The long-sleeved jersey is $40; short-sleeved is $35.

Fruit, granola bars, and water will be available at the registration sites, while supplies last.

The Loop is 55 miles of car-free paths being developed around metropolitan Tucson, with links to Marana and Oro Valley, for Pima County residents and visitors to enjoy on foot, bikes, skates, and horses.

If it doesn’t have a motor, it’s good to go on The Loop.

Launch The Loop celebrates the connection of 23 miles of pedestrian and bike paths through the Santa Cruz and Rillito river parks.

Walk, ride, run or skate from the registration sites directly to the 10 a.m. Dedication Celebration on West Sunset Road, west of Interstate 10.  (The dedication site is 1.3 miles from the Flowing Wells park, 1.5 miles from Columbus Park and 4.5 miles from the Marana park.) Or register early at Flowing Wells park and participate in a 22-mile bike ride to the University of Arizona campus and back before the Dedication Celebration.

Hundreds of Pima County residents and visitors are expected to enjoy the weather and the scenery and get their muscles moving on the Rillito and Santa Cruz river park segments of The Loop on Saturday.

Go to www.pima.gov/TheLoop for more information and the latest Loop news, maps and events.

Event partners include Pima County, Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, the Northwest YMCA, the Regional Transportation Authority and the Pima County Health Department’s Healthy Pima program.

Cyclists and pedestrians planning to use The Loop on Saturday, Sept. 24, are advised that a large number of cyclists are expected to participate in a ride that day on parts of the Santa Cruz and Rillito river paths.

The 22-mile Connect 2 Tucson ride starts at 7 a.m. at Drachman Plaza on the University of Arizona campus, heads north on Mountain Avenue to the Rillito, west along the Rillito to the northern extension of the Santa Cruz River path, south on that path to St. Mary’s Road and back to the University on University Boulevard.

For more information, go to www.moving-planet.org/connect2tucson.

The Pima County Regional Flood Control District and the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department have cleaned up sediment on the paths from recent storms, and no construction closures are planned along the route.

NEW WEBSITE FOR THE LOOP

Pima County has launched a new website for The Loop at www.pima.gov/TheLoop.  Look for updated maps and information about events, construction and closures there.

BEST BIKE RIDING IN TUCSON

In its annual Best of Tucson issue, readers of the Tucson Weekly have picked the Rillito River Park paths as best place to ride bikes in Tucson.

Go to http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/best-bike-riding/BestOf?oid=3153660&keywords=

 NORTHWEST YMCA HOSTS FAMILY BIKE DAY ON OCT. 8

Pima County and the Northwest YMCA are putting on Family Bike Day from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Y at 7770 N. Shannon Road.

For more information, go to http://www.pima.gov/TheLoop/documents/pdfs/091611%20Family%20Bike%20Day%20flyer.pdf

Portions of the nearly completed connection between the Santa Cruz and Rillito bicycle and pedestrian paths will be subject to intermittent closure during construction and storm cleanup.

The official celebration of the connection and the opening of The Loop is scheduled for Oct. 22.

However, while most of the route is already in use, recent heavy rains and a variety of construction projects will require that the connection and other parts of the Rillito River Park paths be temporarily closed in places.

Bicycle riders and pedestrians are urged to exercise caution and watch for warning signs posted along the route.

When completed, The Loop will be 55 miles of paved and gravel paths around metropolitan Tucson (with links to Marana and Oro Valley) for Pima County residents and visitors to enjoy on foot, bikes, skates, and horses.

The Pima County Regional Flood Control District encourages users of the bike and pedestrian paths along the Rillito and Santa Cruz rivers to proceed with extreme caution during this storm and construction period.

The Interstate 10 and Union Pacific underpass that connects the Rillito and Santa Cruz river paths is expected to be closed at least until Sept. 17 while debris deposited by storm flooding is cleaned up and paving delayed by the flooding can be completed.

Recent storms have also washed out other areas along the Rillito Linear Park paths, and cleanup efforts are under way.

Work is also proceeding on the Santa Cruz path as it approaches the Rillito.  The Flood Control District will be striping the paths and erecting signage in the coming weeks.

The Pima County Regional Flood Control District reminds all path users to obey all detours and signs.