The estimated number of endangered Mount Graham squirrels that make their home atop the Pinaleno Mountains in southeastern Arizona is among its lowest in the past 15 years, but biologists are hopeful the small mammals will rebound.
Environmentalists, on the other hand, aren't so optimistic. They say the species won't be on the path to recovery without a significant effort to protect their habitat in the high elevation spruce-fir forest.
On Dec. 22, 2010, the Mount Graham Coalition, the Maricopa audubon Society and the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), filed a Notice of Intent to Sue the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for failing to reinitiate Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) regarding the Mount Graham Telescope Project which is situated atop Mount Graham, a mountain considered sacred since time immemorial to the San Carlos Apaches. Read more »
The White Mountain Apache Tribe is opposed to the renewal of the long-term use permit that allows the University of Arizona to operate the Mount Graham International Observatory, but the U.S. Forest Service expects the renewal process to be completed next month.
The Western Apache tribes, including the San Carlos and White Mountain tribes, consider the Mount Graham observatory site sacred. Read more »
