Town of Cave Creek and Desert Foothills Land Trust Join Forces to Protect 4,005 Acres of Sonoran Desert

On Tuesday, May 19, the Cave Creek Town Council approved an agreement with the Desert Foothills Land Trust (DFLT) creating a collaboration that could lead to a transformative conservation success for the Town.

DFLT will act as the agent for the Town in securing community donations to support a purchase by Cave Creek of 4,005 acres of State Trust Land for the purpose of preserving open space within the Town.

“The Town and DFLT have been pursuing this major conservation goal for 20 years,” said DFLT Board Chair Bill Oelman. “Everyone in this community is thrilled that we are on the threshold at last of protecting this land from development.”

DFLT currently protects more than 1,100 acres of critical Sonoran Desert habitat in the North Valley. Adding an additional 4,005 acres to that track record will be a monumental achievement in the organization’s 35-year history.

During its March 31 meeting, the Town Council unanimously voted to begin the application process for an auction of the acreage by the Arizona State Land Department. The research and due diligence required by that process means that the purchase will not occur before the fall of 2027. But the application process is already underway.

Meanwhile, residents of Cave Creek are organizing a campaign to securing donations from individuals and businesses who are committed to keeping the distinctive desert landscape of Cave Creek intact.

For DFLT, being a partner in this project honors its long tradition of participating in major conservation initiatives, such as the Town’s preservation of Spur Cross 25 years ago. Many DFLT leaders supported the effort of the Town of Cave Creek to create a premiere public access conservation area centered on Spur Cross Ranch.

Likewise, one of the earliest projects at DFLT was placement of a conservation easement on private property hosting a historic cave for which Cave Creek is named. While DFLT’s service area includes the Town of Carefree and other confines of the north Valley, it has an abiding connection to Cave Creek from its founding in 1991.

The effort to secure the 4,005 acres has been a joint goal between the Town and DFLT since the FORCE campaign in 2009, when it last appeared that money could be raised to purchase the State Trust Lands. DFLT has held more than $100,000 in the FORCE account for 16 years, waiting for the time when the donors’ wish could be honored and those dollars could help the Town purchase the pristine habitat. DFLT will contribute the balance of the FORCE account to the Town’s purchase, once the auction is conducted.

The new fundraising campaign should begin later this summer. DFLT will share more information as the plans are ready to go public.