Oro Valley residents press for stronger open-space, wildlife corridor and native-plant protections in 10‑year plan workshop

Malini Sims, principal planner for the Town of Oro Valley, opened the working group meeting by saying the purpose was “to gather additional guidance and ideas related to the priorities that we heard from residents over the past year.” She told participants the town’s projectable survey represented roughly 33,000 residents and that environment and preserving mountain views have been top priorities for decades.

Residents urged the town to prioritize wildlife connectivity, limit disturbance of riparian washes and protect mature native plants and trees. Rosa Daley, a resident who raised the Vistoso/“Bestoso” former golf course as a priority, told the group the 200‑acre parcel now owned by the town is “anything but a nature preserve” and needs an active revegetation strategy, because “bringing it back is really, really super hard” after years of watering and…