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Baboquivari
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McDowell Mountains
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BABOQUIVARI AND COYOTE DOMES

This area needs to be updated...stay tuned.

BACKGROUND:

Baboquivari is a wilderness area with some excellent climbing. The southeast arete was first done in 1957. There are at least ten published routes. In addition, Babo provides excellent hiking opportunities. Coyote Domes contains Mendoza Canyon, Elephant’s Trunk, and other nice desert routes.

1999:

Legislation was introduced by Arizona Representative Ed Pastor to turn Babo over to the Tohono O'Odham Nation. After much discussion, including public meetings, the legislation was withdrawn and the BLM was instructed to develop a wilderness management plan with input from all interested parties. (The wilderness plan was mandated several years before the legislation was introduced.)

2000:

The first meeting was held on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2000, to discuss the management of the Baboquivari Wilderness area. The BLM has been charged with writing the plan.

The meeting was held in Three Points 30 miles from Tucson. The meeting occupied most of the day. The BLM identified issues and wrote them on large pieces of paper. The meeting attendees then stuck round stickers on the issues they felt most strongly about. Since the meeting was attended primarily by BLM employees and Tohono O'Odham Native Americans (about 60 or 70 total), this resulted in a strong emphasis on O'Odham issues, such as religion, respect, national sovereignty, and the possibility of archaeological sites being desecrated. Two climbers and two hikers showed up.

The second meeting was held on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the U of A Agricultural Farm. There were about 50 people in attendance: 5-6 BLM people; 4 Tohono O'Odham Native Americans; and 40 or so hikers, climbers, and wilderness supporters. (Organizations represented were Southern Arizona Hiking Club, Pima Trails Association, Southern Arizona Rescue Association, and Arizona Mountaineering Club.) The BLM asked each attendee to list five issues. They then asked each person to read off his/her top two priorities. They wrote them on large pieces of paper, which were then taped to the wall and numbered. At the end of the meeting, each attendee was given five “sticky-dots” to place on the five most important issues on the wall. The most popular were items such as:

Preserve the wilderness and its archaeological, historical and cultural resources;

Preserve the wilderness experience and the access to it;

Respect the O’Odham beliefs; and

Preserve access to the area for traditional activities (climbing, hiking, camping, religious)

The only action taken at this time was to schedule the third and final meeting.