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The report examines the relationship and challenges of Arizona’s military installations, the publicly owned lands surrounding them and the public’s support of obtaining additional conservation easements adjacent to military facilities. “I encourage citizens to attend these meetings, which will frame the issue for the public,” Dowdy said.

The first community conversation will be at the Glendale Public Library at 5959 West Brown Street, Glendale, at 6:00 p.m. August 4. A full listing of the meetings is shown below.

The program will cover key findings of the report, which examined situations at Luke Air Force Base, Barry Goldwater Range, Marine Corp Air Station at Yuma, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Flagstaff Navy Observatory, Fort Huachuca, and various National Guard sites. In each location, the Sonoran Institute studied interference with military operations to understand how they were handled. The findings show that interference with military operations can be direct, indirect, or perceived (without any factual support but still having an impact). The report classifies forms of encroachment and proposes strategies or tools to establish sustainable, mutual benefits between military, federal, state operations and public needs.
Public participation is welcome as presenters explore the pros and cons of the report findings. All meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free.

The Sonoran Institute is a nonprofit organization that inspires and enables community decisions and public policies that respect the land and people of western North America. Join us throughout 2015 in celebrating a landmark 25 Years Strong, Shaping the Future of the West. For more information, visit www.sonoraninstitute.org.

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