Living in harmony with the natural desert
Flourish Fountain Hills holds as one of its fundamental Guiding Principles to Live in Harmony with the Natural Desert. Residents and visitors alike rave about our town and are in awe of its beauty, and rightfully so. Those who live here are blessed each day, and those passing through tell us of our good fortunes while expressing a desire that someday they, too, will call Fountain Hills home.
Our Guiding Principle is not only a reflection of our caretaking concern and conservation commitment for Fountain Hills, but an understanding and respect for an environmental plan in the making that included feedback from community residents.
The Fountain Hills Environmental Plan reflects the goals, policies, and action items for maintaining our local environment. It derives from the Fountain Hills 2020 General Plan that was approved in 2020 by the town council and voters.
The Guiding Principles of the Environmental Plan are to “Continue to preserve and conserve the natural desert, support open space, identify and protect historical and archaeological resources, and develop and implement programs and policies that encourage water and energy conservation and reduce water and air pollution.”
Additional goals, policies, and actions of the town’s Environmental Plan 2022 that we support:
· Continue to provide guardianship and stewardship of the natural desert by:
o Implementing existing ordinances, policies, and practices that limit disturbance of natural areas.
o Developing educational materials to encourage use of trails and discourage the off-trail activities.
o Protecting our dark skies.
o Embracing environmental initiatives with neighboring communities, the County, State, and Federal governments.
o Encouraging water conservation.
o Developing strategies for preserving or restoring predevelopment flow of water.
· Provide and maintain an open space network throughout the community and beyond by:
o Protecting washes and providing wildlife corridors.
o Continuing to support unpaved trails in the Town that provide connectivity to the surrounding desert.
o Updating and providing maps and information on the trails.
· Identifying and preserving historical and archaeological resources.
· Promoting programs that encourage environmentally friendly alternatives and improve air quality by:
o Utilizing native, drought-tolerant landscapes that eliminate use of gasoline-powered landscape equipment.
o Providing for and encouraging bicycle and pedestrian connectivity throughout the Town.
· Support waste reduction programs and proper management of hazardous waste.
· Incorporating biophilic design goals and principles into Town practices and development within the community. (Biophilic design is the practice of connecting people with nature within the built environment and communities.)
The American Lung Association’s 2023 “State of the Air” report scored Maricopa County with an “F” grade for ozone pollution, and an “F” for short-term particle pollution, “which can be extremely dangerous and even deadly.”
According to Wisevoter, “Arizona has the second worst air quality in the US with 64.60% good air quality days. There are 6.50% unhealthy air quality days and 28.90% moderate air quality days. Arizona’s air quality issues are due to its location in a desert climate, which allows for the accumulation of air pollutants, and also its urbanization and population growth. Additionally, the state’s topography and climate make it prone to dust storms, which can exacerbate air quality issues.”
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality recommends switching to electric lawn equipment, carpooling when possible, and replacing fireworks with sparklers, glow sticks, and LED decorations that festively entertain without contributing to pollution that is “particularly bad for sensitive groups, kids, and the elderly.” That is, many of the same guiding principles desired by Environmental Plan advocates.
Keeping Fountain Hills beautiful means committing to and safeguarding what so many of us dearly appreciate: health, wellness, wildlife, the idyllic beauty of our community, and the intrinsic value our Fountain Hills environment holds mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially. We cannot take it for granted. Many of us were drawn to Fountain Hills for these qualities that are arguably unmatched anywhere else in Arizona. It is our responsibility to live in harmony with our desert environment and protect it for future generations.