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In May 2000, the Scottsdale City Council passed the Preserve Ordinance - Ord. 3321 (pdf/360kb/11 pgs) and Ord. 3426  (pdf/415kb/14pgs) in order to protect the ecosystem, wildlife habitats, historic and prehistoric sites, and to  ensure the safe and appropriate use of the Preserve. It may be necessary to prohibit or limit public access to sensitive areas of the Preserve permanently or on a temporary basis depending on the specific character of the land.

• No motor vehicles are permitted in the Preserve, except in designated parking areas
• Preserve users must remain on designated and posted trails to prevent damage to the flora and fauna
• No camping in the Preserve
• No fires and no smoking in the Preserve
• Plant material (dead or alive); sand, gravel, rocks or soil; and any item of archaeological significance, may not be removed from the Preserve
• Dogs must remain on a leash at all times in the Preserve, and must remain on established trails (just like their owners!).   Animal waste must be picked up and disposed of in a trash receptacle

Maintenance of Preserve areas

The City is responsible for maintaining the land it owns.  Maintenance will be concentrated at access areas and for amenities in these areas.  Ecological management will be required in more remote areas, and good stewardship of all the land in the Preserve is a priority.  Since the majority of the Preserve will be left in a natural state, maintenance cost per acre will be minimal when compared to the cost per acre of maintaining developed city parks.

Fire Protection and Prevention

Potential fire in the Preserve is an ever present serious problem particularly in the early summer before the monsoon rains when non native vegetation is dry. Working in cooperation with the Scottsdale Fire Department, a Fire Prevention Plan was developed and revised several times for the Preserve. City staff working in cooperation with the Preserve Commission and the Conservancy are working to reduce the amount of non native vegetation in the Preserve and in adjacent public areas. This is and will continue to be an arduous and difficult task. A public information program is being developed to increase the awareness of home owners living near the Preserve and in other areas of the problems associated with non native vegetation and about other strategies they can employ to reduce the risk of fire.

The City of Scottsdale has created a new brochure that outlines the top eight Invasive Weeds (pdf / 973 kb / 2 pgs) identified to exist in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.  For a hard copy, please call the Scottsdale Fire Department at (480) 312-FIRE or (480) 312-3111.

Geo-caching Prohibited in the Preserve

Geo-caching uses a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit to navigate to pre-determined locations to find a "cache." A cache can be a container of some sort. Computer websites further support this activity. While it may seem like an exciting opportunity, it presents a variety of problems when it comes to the Preserve and is inconsistent with the Preserve Ordinance that regulates use and activities in the Preserve. The Preserve Ordinance requires users to stay on open, designated trails and not to leave anything in the Preserve. Our thanks to all for understanding of and appreciation for the Preserve vision, rules and regulations.