“Pin pe obi.” (“Look to the Mountain”)
This Tewa Pueblo saying reminds us to take the long view: think ahead and act now, before it’s too late.
Today Black Mountain is a feast for our eyes, a sanctuary for our souls, and a refuge for precious wildlife. But soon you may not want to look to Black Mountain. You will not want to see its hillsides scarred by switchbacks and cluttered with homes. You will not want to think about the loss of its soul, the disappearance of its wildlife. Look to Black Mountain before it’s too late.
WHY BLACK MOUNTAIN IS WORTH PRESERVING
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It is the “last frontier” of a cluster of mountains in Phoenix’s Northeast Valley. |
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It is an iconic landmark to the residents of Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale. Once they see Black Mountain, they know they’re home. |
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It is one of the few mountains in the Sonoran Desert Foothills whose slopes are still relatively unscathed by development. |
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Its pristine dramatic profile, which rises 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain, is a visual comfort to people who view it from as far as ten miles away. |
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It is home to a diverse and significant wildlife population: mule deer, coyote, javelina, fox, bobcat, an occasional mountain lion and numerous smaller mammals; reptiles and a large variety of birds; and an abundance of Sonoran Desert flora, including a saguaro forest. |
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It displays the oldest rock formations in the area, which date back 1.7 billion years. |
WHAT WE DO
The Black Mountain Conservancy, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) land trust, works with other land preservation organizations, such as the Desert Foothills Land Trust, to moderate development on the mountain. We raise money to purchase land, we sponsor awareness programs, we support the efforts of the towns of Carefree and Cave Creek to pass ordinances that protect hillsides and contain development, and we encourage landowners who want to build on the mountain to blend their homes into the environment.
The 250-acre preserve at the top of Black Mountain provides a vital habitat for native plants and wildlife, which are disappearing at an alarming rate throughout this region of the Sonoran Desert, due to encroaching development. The Black Mountain Conservancy’s goal is to protect this preserve by keeping as much of the surrounding mountain as possible in its natural state.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
You don’t need to imagine how the construction of more than 200 homes near Black Mountain’s summit would forever change the face of Black Mountain. All you need to do is click on The Threat is Real. If you’re concerned by what you see, please make a donation, or volunteer to help the Black Mountain Conservancy.
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