Tucson Mayor’s Goal To Plant 1 Million Trees Falling Far Short Despite Millions In Funding

Tucson Mayor’s Goal To Plant 1 Million Trees Falling Far Short Despite Millions In Funding

By Corinne Murdock |

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero told President Joe Biden earlier this week that her plan to plant one million trees in the city by 2030 is on track, yet Tucson is falling far short: only about 100,000 have been planted as of last year.

The initiative, Tucson Million Trees (TMT), would require the city to plant over 128,000 trees annually to reach their goal. Averaging out the number of trees planted since TMT began in 2020, that means the city has only planted about 33,000 trees a year. Should that trend continue, the city will have around 330,000 trees planted by 2030. 

“[M]y vision of planting a million trees by 2030 is becoming a reality,” claimed Romero. 

The halted progress in tree-planting has persisted despite the extensive and varied funding sources committed to the initiative, including the $5 million grant issued last September from the USDA for which Romero thanked Biden. That USDA funding came from the Inflation Reduction Act. 

The city’s inability to achieve its million-tree goal in a timely manner may have to do with who the city selected to lead the program. 

When Romero launched the TMT initiative in April 2020, the city created the new position of “Urban Forestry Program Manager” to oversee it. That position originally paid up to $95,000 annually. 

Tucson hired Nicole Gillett for that inaugural role, though it appears that her prior experience didn’t match the listed requirements and preferred qualifications of the program manager’s job description. 

Prior to her hiring by the city, Gillett was a conservation advocate for the Tucson Audubon Society from 2017 to 2020. On LinkedIn, Gillett described her conservation advocacy as, mainly, activism for the protections of birds and their habitats. 

Prior to that role, Gillett was a graduate student studying community flood resilience in New England — which consisted of small-town flood preparedness and response as well as community outreach — and before that, she earned a BA studying community integration in marine conservation efforts.

According to Tucson’s original job description, the city needed an Urban Forestry Program Manager that could demonstrate experience designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating urban forestry projects, as well as experience leading and managing a major urban forestry or related program. At a minimum, the city required the candidate to have at least three years of “managing complex projects and coordinating experts from different fields.”

As for preferred qualifications, the city asked for candidates with a minimum of five years of experience in “practical tree and plant appraisals,” a minimum of five years of “progressively responsible experience in forestry or a related area,” field experience related to the planting and maintenance of native trees, as well as a minimum of five years of community organizing and/or mobilizing. 

The city further considered additional relevant experience to include certification from the International Society of Arboriculture; possession of a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification; experience developing, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive ecological restoration and monitoring plans; experience implementing adaptive management and developing socioecological success indicators for urban forestry projects; experience in the selection and management of trees as part of green stormwater infrastructure features; experience in Green Stormwater Infrastructure and data management related to urban forestry; experience in remote sensing and Green Vegetation Indices; knowledge and experience related to tree diseases and pests; experience with forestry-related public relations, communications, and marketing; and administrative experience related to budget management, procurement, and payments.

Additionally, current city partnerships have fallen short of the manpower needed to make progress on the initiative. 

One of the city’s key partners to see TMT through is the nonprofit Tucson Clean & Beautiful. However, that nonprofit hardly makes a dent in the city’s goal. 

Tucson Clean & Beautiful told the Arizona Daily Star that they aim to plant about 100 trees weekly, or over 5,000 trees a year. Their efforts, if consistently hitting 100 trees weekly every week for a decade, amount to just five percent of the million-tree goal. 

‘The nonprofit also receives funding from other entities and corporations, including Target, Bank of America, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Republic Services, Southwest Gas, Circle K, Coca-Cola, Qwest, and REI.

Gillett’s former employer, Tucson Audubon Society, also received a portion of the $5 million federal grant to assist TMT, along with the Iskashitaa Refugee Network, Sonora Environmental Research Institute, and Watershed Management Group. 

TMT is part of the city’s Climate Action program, which includes the expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure and usage, expansion of solar energy usage, establishment of Green Stormwater Infrastructure on public property, refurbishing buildings to be more energy efficient and climate resilient, and coordination of public cleanups. 

TMT targets mainly poorer areas using a “Tree Equity Score” based on one by American Forests. 

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

Cop Imprisoned In Tucson For George Floyd’s Death Expected To Survive Stabbing

Cop Imprisoned In Tucson For George Floyd’s Death Expected To Survive Stabbing

By Corinne Murdock |

Derek Chauvin, the former Minnesota police officer imprisoned for the murder and civil rights violations of George Floyd, is expected to survive the stabbing he sustained last Friday at Tucson’s Federal Correctional Institution (FCI). 

The incident was initially shrouded in mystery, with Chauvin’s identity released via an anonymous source to AP News, and his family kept in the dark. 

Chauvin’s mother, Carolyn Pawlenty, was not informed of the stabbing for over 24 hours after it occurred, Alpha News reported. Pawlenty found out about the attack on her son through the media.

“How the hell do these news agencies know and his own mother doesn’t even know? And that [prison] has an emergency contact number [for me],” said Pawlenty.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison later confirmed to the media that Chauvin was the unidentified prisoner attacked. 

A little over a week before the stabbing, Chauvin made his first public statement to Alpha News in their documentary, “The Fall of Minneapolis,” calling his trial and sentencing “a sham.” Chauvin said that he followed his department’s Maximal Restraint Technique policy as required of him.

One of Chauvin’s attorneys, Bill Mohrman, said at the time that the Bureau of Prisons hadn’t responded to their request for information about Chauvin’s condition, even after media reports.

Another of Chauvin’s attorneys, Gregory Erickson, told outlets on Monday that the prison refused to provide him information about his client’s condition and the attack until Chauvin signed consent papers. Erickson told reporters that both he and members of Chauvin’s family had reached out to the prison multiple times to no avail.

FCI Tucson issued a press release that Chauvin was attacked around noon and that his injuries required “life-saving” medical intervention. The prison disclosed that they had also notified the FBI of the attack.

“Responding employees initiated life-saving measures for one incarcerated individual. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were requested while life-saving efforts continued,” said the prison. “The incarcerated individual was transported by EMS to a local hospital for further treatment and evaluation.”

FCI Tucson is a medium security prison with just under 400 inmates total, both male and female. Chauvin was transferred to the prison last August from the Minnesota state prison. Unlike in Minnesota, Chauvin wasn’t kept in solitary confinement at FCI Tucson. 

Chauvin is facing two concurrent sentences: 22 years for second-degree murder, and 21 years for civil rights violations. The Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s appeal of his murder conviction last week, just days before the attack. 

Floyd’s autopsy determined that his cause of death wasn’t from Chauvin kneeling on his neck, contrary to popular belief. Rather, it was concluded that Floyd’s demise came from the conjunction of preexisting health conditions — coronary heart disease characterized by an enlarged heart and untreated hypertension, with one artery blocked about 75 percent, and inflamed lungs — as well as a drug cocktail of 19 ng/ML of methamphetamine, 11 ng/ML of fentanyl, and 5.6 ng/ML of norfentanyl in his system. The fentanyl alone was determined to be a fatal dosage.

“The autopsy revealed no physical evidence suggesting that Mr. Floyd died of asphyxiation. Mr. Floyd did not exhibit signs of petechiae, damage to his airways or thyroid, brain bleeding, bone injuries, or internal bruising,” stated the report. “That is a fatal level of fentanyl under normal circumstances.”

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

Tucson Restaurant Owner Sues Hobbs Administration Over Cage-Free Egg Mandate

Tucson Restaurant Owner Sues Hobbs Administration Over Cage-Free Egg Mandate

By Corinne Murdock |

A Tucson restaurant owner has sued the Hobbs administration over its newer mandate that only cage-free eggs be produced or sold in the state.

Last week, the Goldwater Institute and Pacific Legal Foundation sued the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) on behalf of Grant Krueger, owner of Union Public House, Reforma Modern Mexican Mezcal + Tequila, and Proof Artisanal Pizza & Pasta. 

In a press release, counsel and Krueger asserted that AZDA had surpassed their constitutional authority by bypassing the legislature; they dubbed AZDA the “egg bureaucrats.” 

“Unaccountable, unelected bureaucrats shouldn’t be able to arbitrarily impose these kinds of harmful mandates on small business owners like me,” said Krueger. “If the government can do this with eggs, what else can they do it with?”

Krueger estimated that his restaurants purchase over 2,000 eggs weekly; he employs about 225 people. 

Per his lawsuit, lawmakers directed egg producers to petition the AZDA for a rule on requiring cage-free housing for egg-laying hens, as the COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted law making procedures at the time. AZDA published the contested rule in April 2022, under then-Gov. Doug Ducey and then-AZDA Director Mark Killian. The rule began to be enforced on Jan. 1 of this year.

“Neither Arizona’s statutes governing executive branch rulemaking nor the Arizona Constitution permit AZDA to promulgate rules pursuant to such a standardless grant of authority,” read the lawsuit.

AZDA claimed authority for rulemaking under A.R.S. § 3-107(A)(1) and A.R.S. §3-710(J). The legal organizations countered in their lawsuit that the two statutes’ general authorization of rulemaking authority didn’t articulate the specific authority to enact a cage-free rule. Further, they argued that the Arizona Constitution didn’t allow for the delegation of legislative authority to an executive branch agency. 

“The appropriate housing arrangement for egg-laying hens in Arizona and egglaying hens producing eggs for sale in Arizona is a major policy question that must be decided by the legislature,” read the lawsuit. 

Per the lawsuit, AZDA had passed the rule to circumvent the effort of a similar ballot initiative, which the egg producers found objectionable due to the proposed timeline being too long. 

The lawsuit warned that the new law will cause a significant increase in egg prices for both business owners and consumers: up to $66 million. For consumers, that would come to an additional 39 cents per dozen. 

Per AZDA data, cage-free housing of egg-laying hens would increase egg production costs by  up to 41 percent for labor inputs.

The Arizona Farm Bureau also stands in opposition to the sweeping cage-free egg mandate.

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

Arizona Cities Score Veteran Friendly In New Survey

Arizona Cities Score Veteran Friendly In New Survey

By Daniel Stefanski |

Two Arizona cities are among the top ten in America for military veterans to live, according to a recently released survey.

WalletHub issued its findings for its latest installment of the Best and Worst Places for Veterans to Live, showing Scottsdale and Gilbert among the highest-ranked municipalities in the nation. Scottsdale clocked in at the sixth-ranked city, and Gilbert as the eighth highest.

Chandler (#11), Mesa (#29), Glendale (#37), Tucson (#46), and Phoenix (#58) also appeared on the list of 100 cities.

WalletHub used four dimensions as determining factors for its report: Employment, Economy, Quality of Life, and Health.

Scottsdale received two top-ten marks in the “Economy” and “Quality of Life” dimensions. Gilbert received one top-ten distinction in the “Employment” dimension and an eleventh-ranked notation for “Economy.”

The Veterans Association estimates that there are more than 18 million veterans in the United States. WalletHub releases this annual study “to help military veterans find the best places in which to settle down.”

The City of Scottsdale has an online page dedicated to military events, giving these American heroes easy access to resources and organizations they might need. The foreword for the page states, “No matter when you served or where you served, we honor your service, your sacrifice and your dedication to the United States of America. The people of Scottsdale have a great admiration and the utmost gratitude for the men and women who selflessly served – and serve – this country.”

The Town of Gilbert also has a webpage for military veterans, which is “intended to boost engagement with veterans and their families in our community, provide for recognition, and connect them with needed resources.” Gilbert’s Veterans Advisory Board seeks to “create a supportive Town atmosphere and examine issues affecting the health and well-being of service members, veterans, and their families.”

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.

Tucson Unveils New $140 Million Public Transit On Existing Route

Tucson Unveils New $140 Million Public Transit On Existing Route

By Corinne Murdock |

The city of Tucson unveiled plans for a new $140 million public transit system, with the first proposed route along an existing one covered by Sun Tran, the fare-free transit system in place. 

In a press release on Monday, the city called for residents’ feedback on the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. The BRT would cover an existing route by Sun Tran: the 19 – Stone South Route. Both cover the area from the Tohono T’adai Transit Center/Tucson Mall to the downtown Ronstadt Transit Center.

The two public transits have few differences. BRT fare may or may not be free, depending on the continued existence of the no-fare policy applying to Sun Tran. Additionally, the BRT would carry triple the amount of passengers at a quicker pace: anywhere from 100 to 150 persons with a run time of every 10 minutes. Comparatively, Sun Tran buses carry up to 40 passengers with a run time of every 15 to 30 minutes. 

On a website dedicated to the new system, the city said that current transit systems are subject to delays and congestion because they operate in local traffic. BRT would have dedicated travel lanes and transit signal priority.

The new BRT system, spanning five miles, is part of a greater 15-mile transit corridor project: the Tucson Rapid Transit. That corridor would consist of a northern segment spanning from the Tohono T’adai Transit Center/Tucson Mall to the Ronstadt Transit Center/downtown Tucson, and then a southern segment spanning from the downtown stop to the Tucson International Airport. 

The southern segment would come at another projected cost of $140 million. In total, the Tucson Rapid Transit would cost around $280 million. The city is hoping the federal government will slash that cost in half. 

The Federal Transit Administration has approved the city’s proposed northern segment for its Small Starts Capital Investment Grant program, but has yet to award funds. The city applied for coverage of 50 percent of project costs. The remainder of the projected costs would ultimately be taxpayers’ burden, obtained through RTA Next.

The Sun Tran remains free to all riders through the end of this year, and for the foreseeable future.

Last year, city officials decided to continue to waive transit fees from its initial, pandemic-prompted suspension as part of a “new normal” for transit. The total cost of the bus system was estimated at a little over $100 million at the time, with about $53 million coming from the city. Advertising revenue brought in just shy of $2 million annually, with intergovernmental agreements and federal grants accounting for about another $40 million. 

The remaining $11 million posed a problem for the city, one that remained unsolved when the council again extended free fare in May.

Ridership has increased in diversity since the pandemic and change in presidents. The border crisis resulted in a consistent flood of noncitizens who have made use of the city’s free transit system. The city allocated about $550,000 from April 1 to Dec. 31 to bus illegal immigrants from between shelter sites and the Tucson International Airport. 

The city has also received significant federal investments in its Sun Tran system.

Earlier this year, the city received $21.5 million from the Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration to decarbonize the Sun Tran system by replacing the remaining diesel bus fleet with 39 compressed natural gas buses. 

The city is scheduled to hold three meetings on the first proposed BRT: two in-person meetings on Nov. 14 and 16, and a virtual meeting on Nov. 15.

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.