Former members of the campaign to preserve Flagstaff鈥檚 McMillan Mesa Natural Area celebrated recently the installation of a new plaque commemorating the successful ballot initiative that protected the land over eight years ago.
Flagstaff voters approved Proposition 413聽-- also known as the Greater Buffalo Park proposition -- in the 2016 general election, with 86% of votes in support. The proposition designated 300 acres of city-owned land in the vicinity of Buffalo Park as open space, and mandated voter approval of any future changes to the land's use.聽
The plaque acknowledging that history is inlaid on a large boulder next to the McMillan Mesa Loop Trail, just past the eastern end of the pedestrian bridge over Cedar Avenue. Celia Barotz, a former city council member who was one of the leading organizers for the initiative (and the city鈥檚 vice mayor at the time), said the plaque was an important reminder of the collective action that preserved the landscape.
鈥淎long with the original Buffalo Park, the city land that is protected by the citizen initiative defines Flagstaff. It's what makes the city such a special place,鈥� Barotz said. 鈥淎nd when these special lands are developed, they are gone forever. There's no going back. The voters had tremendous foresight in their overwhelming support for the measure."
Ethan Aumack, executive director of the Grand Canyon Trust, also helped organize support for the measure. The final vote, he said, 鈥渨as a real testament to the community coming together, cherishing this place.鈥�
鈥淚 think this plaque is a beautiful representation of the enduring value of that campaign and of protection of this area,鈥� he added.
McMillan Mesa comprises about 10% of the total land managed by the City of Flagstaff鈥檚 Open Space Program, which also includes Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve and the Observatory Mesa Natural Area. The Open Space Program website notes that McMillan Mesa is 鈥渙ne of the last intact native grasslands鈥� within the city and home to a variety of wildlife. The area can be accessed on the McMillan Mesa Loop Trail -- part of the -- or the Arizona Trail, both of which are open to non-motorized recreational use.