Position Statement on I-10 Bypass
by San Pedro Wild
Sunday, Dec. 23, 2007 at 9:08 AM
San Pedro Wild is a grassroots group of southern Arizona residents committed to protecting the biological and cultural diversity of the San Pedro Valley and surrounding areas.
San Pedro Wild is opposed to the construction of any I-10 bypass. Such a highway would inevitably destroy sensitive wildlife habitat, degrade the character of rural communities and pave the way for sprawl in relatively undisturbed areas—all for the benefit of an unsustainable globalized economy that does not serve the people of Arizona.
There is no good location for an I-10 bypass. The proposed route through the San Pedro River Valley would irreparably harm a world-renowned wildlife migratory pathway. Building a highway through any of the other proposed routes would be similarly destructive. The construction of a highway would also permanently alter the character of nearby rural communities.
An I-10 bypass would open up new areas to developers. Rather than meeting the needs of the existing population, a new highway seems designed to enable construction in previously inaccessible wild areas. This would only worsen Arizona’s chronic sprawl problem.
The proposed bypass would serve globalized trade rather than local economies. Instead of spending billions of dollars to benefit an import-dependent economic system, Arizona should be investing in sustainable local economic development, including food production.
San Pedro Wild is a grassroots group of southern Arizona residents committed to protecting the biological and cultural diversity of the San Pedro Valley and surrounding areas.
