The City of Tempe is creating a new Preserves Management Plan which analyzes the preserves' existing conditions, makes recommendations regarding their upkeep and identifies opportunities for cultural or recreational use.
The City of Tempe officially designated Hayden Butte Preserve, better known around campus as "A" Mountain, as a preserve in 2002. In 2018, Papago Park was voted to become a preserve by Tempe residents.
The preserves plan serves as a recommendation for how the preserves should be managed and maintained.
The plan's creation involved extensive engagement with stakeholders and the community through various workshop-style public meetings, surveys and virtual meetings.
The most recent public survey, which closed on March 12, received 59 responses. It asked if the individual participating had taken time to review the 78 page plan, if they had visited the preserves, and to leave any comments on the updated preserves plan.
Alex Jovanovic, the community services deputy director for Tempe Parks Services, said it was important to keep the community informed and involved in the decision-making.
"We're here to provide for the city and support what community members are most interested in and what's beneficial to them," Jovanovic said. "I don't think you can do that without engaging the community."
One of the survey responses criticized the plan's recommendation of removing the "A" on "A" Mountain. A previous version of the plan included more firm language regarding the removal of the "A." However, the most recent plan focuses on managing erosion without suggesting the removal of the letter.
The plan has a variety of objectives, some of which are put at a higher priority than others. Jovanovic said one of the objectives which has been a popular topic among the community is the creation of a formal trails plan and eliminating "spider trails," which are confusing, non-designated paths.
Ayushee Mehta, a senior studying psychology, frequents "A" Mountain and enjoys watching the vibrant sunsets from the top of the hiking spot.
Mehta said there are a couple improvements that could be made around the preserve, such as adding new signs to help guide hikers.
Jovanovic said another pressing topic is staffing. The Tempe preserves management team is new and only consists of a preserve supervisor and an employee, both responsible for managing about 300 acres of preserve.
Not everything mentioned in the plan will be implemented on the first day. There will be ongoing discussions with stakeholders, such as the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and the plan's execution will depend on budget capacity.
"It would be great to have an endless bank account, to be able to spend whatever we wanted, to be able to do whatever we wanted, but that's obviously not the way we manage money in the city," Jovanovic said.
However, through capital money and the general operating budget granted through tax collection, Tempe has enough money to begin implementing the plan once it is complete.
Once the final plan is complete, it will be presented to Tempe Mayor Corey Woods and the city council in April.
Kris Baxter-Ging, the communication and marketing director for the City of Tempe, said it is important to maintain the balance of being a highly urbanized area and having places to retreat into nature.
"Protecting that ability to find peace and calm in the wilderness by basically crossing a street is really something special that we're trying to take care of for future generations," Baxter-Ging said.
Edited by George Headley, Sophia Braccio and Katrina Michalak.
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