Project Profile: Mitigate 15 mine hazards at Saguaro National Park

Trail crew in Saguaro National Park

NPS Photo

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Revegetation of Hazard Mine Lands | FY22 $181,000

The National Park Service will partner with the US Forest Service to mitigate safety hazards of 15 features within four abandoned mine sites in the designated wilderness of Saguaro National Park. The agencies will install gates designed to the specific dimension of each opening. The gates will protect desirable habitat for bats while preventing other wildlife like the Sonoran Desert tortoise and Gila monster from being trapped or harmed.

Why? The unsecured mines pose a safety risk to both wildlife and people. Five of the features were categorized as having high potential to present a serious threat to public health or safety.

What Else? The Sonoran Desert tortoise is listed as a candidate species for the threatened and endangered species list. Even shallow unsecured mines pose a significant risk to this species. Another species of concern, the lesser-long noses bat, may be disturbed from their roosting sites by humans entering the mines. This project will allow the National Park Service to preserve historically important mines while eliminating the risks to wildlife and the visiting public.

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.