Resources
The Sonoran Chronicle covers the Sonoran Desert so it seems like a good idea to first describe who and what reside in the area. As has been the case for centuries, there exists tension between local, national, and international interests. These competing interests include people, governments and institutions. The environment is also an essential, but often unseen, player in the dramas of the region. Readers can find usable profiles of the competing people and institutions, and updates as time goes by, in this section.
The federal government of the United States has a strong presence in the Arizona / Sonora borderlands. This presence is felt along the international border through several agencies located under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security. These agencies are the U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Along the border there are ports of entry between Mexico and the United States. The ports of entry in Arizona are located at San Luis, Lukeville, Sasabe, Nogales, Naco, and Douglas. In Tucson, this presence is felt through the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
The federal government also regulates how public lands are managed. Several federal agencies operate in Arizona, such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management.
The state government, in the form of Arizona Game and Fish and the Arizona State Land Department also regulates how public land is managed.
Local government in Pima County comes in the form of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, the Pima County Sheriff, the Tucson City Council, and the Tucson Police Department. In Cochise County, local government comes in the form of Cochise County Sheriff. In Maricopa County, local government is felt through the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
There are several American Indian groups that live in southern Arizona. Principal among them are the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the Tohono O’odham Nation, whose reservation contains 72 miles of the international border.
In terms of news media, the region is covered by newspapers such as The Arizona Daily Star, the Yuma Sun, the Nogales International, the Sierra Vista Herald and the Douglas Dispatch.
