Decision Makers:
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
Preserve the Square: Secure 640 Acres of Sonoran Desert as Public Open Space
We, the undersigned, call upon the Arizona State Legislature, Governor, Arizona State Land Department, and Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to take coordinated action to permanently preserve “The Square,” approximately 640 acres of state trust land bounded by 7th Street, 7th Avenue, Joy Ranch Road, and Cloud Road, and incorporate it into the Maricopa County regional park system.
This irreplaceable Sonoran Desert landscape is treasured by residents of Desert Hills, Cave Creek, and surrounding communities for hiking, horseback riding, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation.
Specifically, we petition our elected officials to:
- Prevent premature development: Request that the Arizona State Land Department refrain from auctioning or otherwise disposing of The Square for development while a conservation acquisition is pursued.
- Establish a preservation plan: Direct Maricopa County Parks and Recreation to evaluate incorporating The Square into the regional park system, with permanent protections for its natural habitat and recreational trails.
- Secure funding: Identify and pursue county, state, federal, philanthropic, and private funding sources to acquire the property at its legally required value, protecting the financial interests of Arizona's state trust beneficiaries.
- Coordinate legislative action: Call upon the Arizona Legislature and Governor to support any necessary legislation, appropriations, or intergovernmental agreements to facilitate permanent preservation.
- Establish a public timeline: Require the participating agencies to develop and publicly present a coordinated preservation strategy within 180 days.
The preservation of Spur Cross Ranch demonstrates what determined citizens and cooperative government can accomplish.
Once The Square is developed, this opportunity will be lost forever.
Protect our desert. Preserve our trails. Save The Square.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
October 28, 2026
Great start - nearly 100 signatures in the first 12 hours!
October 28, 2026
More than 90 signatures in just the first 12 hours! Thank you to everyone who has already stepped up to help preserve The Square. This early response demonstrates just how much our community values its open space and rural character. With this kind of groundswell of support, I am confident we can convince our elected officials to act and get this done. Please keep sharing the petition with your friends and neighbors. Together, we can make a lasting difference for Desert Hills!
34 Comments
We ride our horses there. It is the only place nearby where we can ride because of all of the traffic and housing developments. We’ve been out here 31 years and there is less and less open land.
As residents here,we all appreciate this area of land and we want to protect it as all areas around us are being developed. Many people use the trails.
I would like to see it preserved as a park for our community because there is no park close by. I would love to see it as a Western style park that includes many different types of uses including a horse area and rodeo grounds as the aging Cave Creek memorial area has been needing replacement.
This open space is invaluable to the residents of the area. It provides a natural area to enjoy for walking and horseback riding not to mention a habitat for local wildlife.
We as a community need this to stay the way it is
Maintains a rural feel and provides a safe location for all sorts of wildlife.
The square is known by all of us in the area, and those not from here! It’s a feature of the area, a home for wildlife and a breath of fresh at amongst all the development happening everywhere. It’s home to countless animals and plants and needs to be saved at all costs!
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Decision Makers:
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
Preserve the Square: Secure 640 Acres of Sonoran Desert as Public Open Space
We, the undersigned, call upon the Arizona State Legislature, Governor, Arizona State Land Department, and Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to take coordinated action to permanently preserve “The Square,” approximately 640 acres of state trust land bounded by 7th Street, 7th Avenue, Joy Ranch Road, and Cloud Road, and incorporate it into the Maricopa County regional park system.
This irreplaceable Sonoran Desert landscape is treasured by residents of Desert Hills, Cave Creek, and surrounding communities for hiking, horseback riding, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation.
Specifically, we petition our elected officials to:
- Prevent premature development: Request that the Arizona State Land Department refrain from auctioning or otherwise disposing of The Square for development while a conservation acquisition is pursued.
- Establish a preservation plan: Direct Maricopa County Parks and Recreation to evaluate incorporating The Square into the regional park system, with permanent protections for its natural habitat and recreational trails.
- Secure funding: Identify and pursue county, state, federal, philanthropic, and private funding sources to acquire the property at its legally required value, protecting the financial interests of Arizona's state trust beneficiaries.
- Coordinate legislative action: Call upon the Arizona Legislature and Governor to support any necessary legislation, appropriations, or intergovernmental agreements to facilitate permanent preservation.
- Establish a public timeline: Require the participating agencies to develop and publicly present a coordinated preservation strategy within 180 days.
The preservation of Spur Cross Ranch demonstrates what determined citizens and cooperative government can accomplish.
Once The Square is developed, this opportunity will be lost forever.
Protect our desert. Preserve our trails. Save The Square.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
October 28, 2026
Great start - nearly 100 signatures in the first 12 hours!
October 28, 2026
More than 90 signatures in just the first 12 hours! Thank you to everyone who has already stepped up to help preserve The Square. This early response demonstrates just how much our community values its open space and rural character. With this kind of groundswell of support, I am confident we can convince our elected officials to act and get this done. Please keep sharing the petition with your friends and neighbors. Together, we can make a lasting difference for Desert Hills!
34 Comments
This is a key feature of our neighborhood and used by so many of its residence. It would be a shame to see this sold off and turned into more homes.
We ride our horses there. It is the only place nearby where we can ride because of all of the traffic and housing developments. We’ve been out here 31 years and there is less and less open land.
As residents here,we all appreciate this area of land and we want to protect it as all areas around us are being developed. Many people use the trails.
I would like to see it preserved as a park for our community because there is no park close by. I would love to see it as a Western style park that includes many different types of uses including a horse area and rodeo grounds as the aging Cave Creek memorial area has been needing replacement.
This open space is invaluable to the residents of the area. It provides a natural area to enjoy for walking and horseback riding not to mention a habitat for local wildlife.
We as a community need this to stay the way it is
Maintains a rural feel and provides a safe location for all sorts of wildlife.
The square is known by all of us in the area, and those not from here! It’s a feature of the area, a home for wildlife and a breath of fresh at amongst all the development happening everywhere. It’s home to countless animals and plants and needs to be saved at all costs!
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This is a key feature of our neighborhood and used by so many of its residence. It would be a shame to see this sold off and turned into more homes.