Project Profile: Saguaro National Park Sonoran Desert Restoration 

Silhouettes of saguaros and ocotillos in Saguaro National Park.

NPS Photo

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Federal Lands Contracts | FY23 $300,000

The National Park Service will restore and protect the Sonoran Desert Ecosystem from non-native plant species through aerial herbicide application and manual removal. Saguaro National Park will work with contractors to apply herbicide during vegetative growth periods. The park will also use youth agreements providing jobs for underserved and tribal youth for manual removal during winter months. This combination of techniques has been selected maximize effectiveness.

Why? Invasive buffelgrass threatens Saguaro National Park’s namesake and the Sonoran Desert ecosystem through changes in fire regime as well as directly outcompeting native vegetation for water and nutrients.

What Else? The plants used by the Tohono O’odham Nation in traditional and cultural uses are among those which will be restored and protected.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Ecosystem Restoration

This project was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Ecosystem Restoration, signed on November 15, 2021. It is a historic investment in the restoration and protection of the environment.