Arizona Heritage Alliance

07/31/2026

Arizona State Parks and Trails supported $555 million in statewide economic activity, according to a The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension study released this month. Despite receiving zero taxpayer funding to run its more than 30 parks, the agency supported $18 million in state tax revenues and another $14 million in county and local taxes. The report also found the parks supported more than $273 million in gross state product, $151 million in labor income and nearly 3,000 jobs across Arizona. You can read the full report on the Arizona State Parks website - scroll down to middle of the page and find "Economic Impact Report - 2025 Report.

Please take a look at this official guide to Arizona State Parks and Trails Publications, Annual Reports, Survey Results, and so much more!

07/23/2026

Two volunteer groups working on behalf of Catalina State Park have received a $198,000 grant from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management to reduce invasive buffelgrass and protect saguaro populations, according to a release from Arizona State Parks. Friends of Catalina State Park and the Catalina State Park Buffel Slayers are volunteer organizations dedicated to preserving, enhancing, and protecting the 5,500-acre park, which sits on the flanks of the Santa Catalina Mountains immediately east of Oro Valley.

The grant funding will help the groups remove invasive species from an additional 86 acres, the release said. Ongoing small-scale manual and chemical removal of buffelgrass by volunteers has already shown restoration of native plants such as brittlebush, bristlegrass, cottontop, and tanglehead. Palo verde trees and young saguaros have been uncovered due to this effort.

Two volunteer groups working on behalf of Catalina State Park have received a $198,000 grant from the Department of Forestry and Fire Management to reduce invasive buffelgrass and protect saguaro

07/22/2026

Join the Bureau of Land Management and Arizona Correctional Industries at upcoming b***o placement events in Florence!

📅 Fridays, July 31, August 7 and August 14
⏰ 9 a.m. – Noon
📍 Florence Wild Horse and B***o Training and Off‑Range Corral at 17989 E. Butte Avenue, Florence, AZ

✨ On August 14, wild b***os trained by ACI inmate trainers will be available. A training demo starts at 9:30 a.m., with an auction to follow (trained b***os start at $500). Any trained b***os not sold at auction will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Most b***os available at these events are untrained and offered for $125 (first come, first served). All animals have been vet‑checked, vaccinated, de‑wormed, and have a current negative Coggins test.

Wild horses and b***os are known for their sure‑footedness, strength, intelligence, and endurance. With patience and kindness, they can excel in many roles.

For more details, visit: https://ow.ly/96wT50ZqVX5

Photo by Michelle Ailport/Bureau of Land Management.

07/22/2026

Amelia Swann will share her experience cataloguing and preserving the Herman Family Archives and offer helpful tips for preserving your personal family archival materials, including photographs…

07/22/2026

Proposed changes to Section 106 regulations could dramatically reduce review and consultation for federally funded projects. In Arizona, that may mean fewer protections for historic buildings, archaeological sites, Tribal cultural resources, and public input before projects move forward. https://buff.ly/Y0Qn1eE

07/21/2026

Your Support is Needed: Consider signing the Petition Title Save the Historic Louis Emerson House from ASU and ABOR Demolition! Petition Target The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), ASU President Michael Crow, and the Phoenix City Council.

The Louis Emerson House, built in 1902 and listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register, faces planned demolition by Arizona State University and decisions from the Arizona Board of Regents and Phoenix City Council.
The petition says the rare Queen Anne/Eastlake home links downtown Phoenix to its streetcar-era neighborhoods, represents pre-Statehood working-family history, and that its loss would erase irreplaceable cultural heritage. Petition asks for ABOR and ASU to pause demolition plans and pursue a preservation-first solution to protect the Louis Emerson House for future generations. https://c.org/yV9Gvh6Fdm

Save historic Louis Emerson house from demolition!

07/21/2026

City of Prescott, Arizona is pleased to recognize the Bean Peaks Gravity Flow Trails for receiving national recognition through the Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) 2026 Tom Petri Annual Achievement Awards. The award recognizes the outstanding trail projects funded through the Recreational Trails Program, administrated in Arizona by the Arizona State Parks & Trails.

Bean Peaks is one of only ten trail projects nationwide and one of two projects in Arizona selected for recognition. The approximately 17-mile trail system, Arizona’s first gravity flow trail network, was made possible through a collaborative partnership between thePMBA- Prescott Mountain Bike Alliance
U.S. Forest Service - Prescott National Forest, the City of Prescott, Arizona State Parks and Trails, the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), and dedicated community volunteers, including the Over the Hill Gang.

Supported by a $150,000 Recreational Trails Program grant, the project has expanded outdoor recreation opportunities, enhanced Prescott’s nationally recognized trail system, and contributed to the community’s growing outdoor recreation economy.

This recognition follows Prescott’s recent designation as an IMBA Trail Town and reflects the community’s ongoing commitment to trail stewardship, outdoor recreation, and strong partnerships. The City of Prescott congratulates Prescott Mountain Bike Alliance and all project partners on this well-deserved recognition and thanks the many volunteers whose vision, hard work, and dedication helped make the Bean Peaks Gravity Flow Trails a reality.

07/08/2026

The project, known as Vision 2030, will add a roughly 20,000-square-foot performing arts facility immediately adjacent to the historic theater.

07/08/2026

The Arizona Commission on the Arts invites teen creatives to join the AZ Youth Arts Council to ensure that Arizona’s youth perspective is heard in arts programming and policy.

07/03/2026

Admission to all National Park Service sites will be free July 3-5, so it's a great time to get outside and enjoy our public lands!

As you celebrate Independence Day, please be extra careful with fire. The ongoing Pocket Fire up north is a reminder of how quickly a smaller wildfire can spread and become a devastating wildfire -- especially this time of year with hot weather and fast-moving winds. Be responsible if you use fireworks and sparklers at home, check fire restrictions before you head out, and do your part to protect Arizona's forests, deserts, wildlife, and communities.

Have a fun, safe Fourth of July, and help keep the places we love wild for everyone.