Letter: Silverbell Road project (City of Tucson's pygmy owl problem)

The October 20th article about City of Tucson projects being halted because of federal permit issues is a reminder of Pima County's difficulties with the Thornydale Road project completed in 2001. Pima County failed to adequately protect the pygmy owl habitat along the roadway and was cited for their violation. Not only did Pima County take appropriate corrective action but their Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan has guided incorporation of sensitive environmental protections in infrastructure projects and in land use planning efforts for more than 20 years. Hopefully, the City of Tucson will address their organizational and project-specific deficiencies for the betterment of ongoing and future infrastructure projects. Unfortunately, the delayed implementation of the park and roadway projects will be a consequence of the City's actions. The roadway delay is particularly of concern with the need for north-south traffic movement, especially with the current congestion from I-10 improvements.