Saguaro National Park Set to Expand With 20-Acre Acquisition and 400-Plus-Acre Pima County Land Sale

TUCSON, AZ (December 19, 2025) — Trust for Public Land (TPL), in partnership with the National Park Service, has acquired 20 acres of privately owned land near Sweetwater Preserve that will be transferred into Saguaro National Park as a permanent addition. The transaction marks TPL’s sixth land protection project connected to Saguaro since 2016.

The announcement followed a recent TPL report highlighting the scale of privately held “inholdings” within national park boundaries—an issue the organization says affects about 2.5 million acres nationwide. In Saguaro National Park, TPL project manager Michael Patrick said 74 private inholdings remain, ranging from small parcels to tracts of more than 400 acres.

TPL’s work in the Tucson region has often focused on parcels that help connect Saguaro to Sweetwater Preserve, a Pima County open space a few miles from the Tucson city limits. Sweetwater Preserve provides essential wildlife habitat and more than 16 miles of public recreation trails, and it was once slated for residential development before TPL acquired it in 2004.

“Saguaro National Park is one of America’s most beloved desert landscapes, and with this addition we’re advancing a long-standing community vision to connect the Park directly to Sweetwater Preserve and beyond,” said TPL President and CEO Carrie Besnette Hauser. She added that protecting inholdings helps “make our national parks whole,” strengthens connections to adjacent public lands, and expands access to the Sonoran Desert.

The newly acquired 20 acres were purchased from landscape photographer Tom Wiewandt and will be incorporated into the park’s western unit, boosting Saguaro National Park’s total acreage to more than 92,000 acres. TPL leaders said the acquisition supports habitat protection for the iconic saguaro cactus and improves public access.

“Trust for Public Land has worked for decades to knit together the landscapes that define Saguaro National Park, and this latest addition represents another meaningful step in keeping this remarkable place whole,” said Jim Petterson, vice president of the Mountain West Region at Trust for Public Land.

Funding for the purchase came through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which reinvests a portion of offshore oil and natural gas revenues into conservation. TPL also received financial assistance toward project costs from Pima County and the Southern Arizona Hiking Club.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) praised the acquisition, emphasizing the value of protecting additional acreage for wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and preservation of the Sonoran Desert experience for residents and visitors.

The 20-acre addition comes as Pima County is also moving forward with a much larger land transfer that would further consolidate conservation lands along the western edge of the park.

On Dec. 16, 2025, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously (5-0) to approve the sale of 400.82 acres of vacant desert land to the National Park Service, allowing it to become part of Saguaro National Park. The property is located west of Tucson, north of Gates Pass Road and east of Kinney Road, adjacent to Saguaro National Park’s Tucson Mountain District.

The proposed sale includes approximately 240 acres currently within Tucson Mountain Park and about 160 acres the County purchased in 2009. County officials said transferring the land to the National Park Service would benefit both parks and the broader community by simplifying management along the shared boundary.

“Sale of these 400 acres to Saguaro National Park will ensure their continued protection as conservation lands as well as simplify management actions along the boundary between Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park West,” said Kris Gade, director of Pima County Conservation Lands & Resources, which manages more than 260,000 acres of County-owned conservation lands.

Gade said a more precise boundary will help staff more effectively address buffelgrass and other invasive species, and support additional stewardship work such as remediating abandoned mines.

Under the agreement approved by the Board, the County will sell the land to the National Park Service for $2,964,000, based on an appraisal conducted by NPS and supported by Pima County Real Property Services. The unanimous vote was required under Arizona Revised Statutes 11-251. A closing date has not yet been set.

County officials said proceeds from the sale will be reinvested in conservation efforts, supporting the management of existing lands and future acquisitions under the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.

“The proceeds of the sale will allow the County to further the goals of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan through management and protection of additional lands,” Gade said. “We can use these funds to address issues like fencing, erosion, and habitat restoration.”

Together, the 20-acre acquisition and the County-approved 400-plus-acre sale underscore a broader push to close remaining inholdings, strengthen wildlife movement corridors, and improve long-term stewardship of the Sonoran Desert landscape on Tucson’s west side—while expanding opportunities for public access and future trail connectivity between Sweetwater Preserve, Saguaro National Park, and other surrounding conservation lands.