Arizona Revised Statutes Section 3-904 protects native plants including saguaro cacti, making it illegal to destroy, mutilate, or remove protected species without a permit from the Arizona Department of Agriculture. Sahuarita enforces native plant protection through its development review process.
Arizona has some of the strongest native plant protections in the country under ARS 3-904. Saguaro cacti, which are iconic to the Sonoran Desert landscape around Sahuarita, are highly protected and cannot be removed, destroyed, or transplanted without a permit from the Arizona Department of Agriculture. The protected plant list includes saguaro, barrel cactus, ocotillo, ironwood, palo verde, and many other species native to the Sonoran Desert. Property owners who want to remove a protected plant for construction, landscaping, or other purposes must obtain a native plant removal permit before any work begins. During development and subdivision construction, Sahuarita requires salvage plans for protected plants on the property, specifying which plants will be saved and transplanted and which will be destroyed under permit. Rancho Sahuarita and other master-planned communities include salvaged native plants in their common-area landscaping. Stealing saguaros or other protected plants from public or private land is a felony in Arizona. The fine for destroying a saguaro without a permit can exceed $100,000. Many Sahuarita lots were previously open desert with mature native plants that new owners must protect or properly permit for removal.
Class 4 felony for theft of protected plants. Fines up to $100,000 for unauthorized destruction of saguaros. Arizona Department of Agriculture enforcement. Development stop-work orders for non-compliance.
Sahuarita, AZ
Sahuarita regulates noise through its general nuisance and disturbance provisions in the Town Code. Unreasonably loud sounds that disturb the peace and quiet...
Sahuarita, AZ
Sahuarita prohibits amplified music and sound that is unreasonably loud and disturbs the peace of neighboring properties. The town uses a qualitative reasona...
Sahuarita, AZ
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Sahuarita, AZ
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Sahuarita, AZ
Sahuarita restricts the parking and storage of commercial vehicles in residential neighborhoods. Large commercial trucks, heavy equipment, and vehicles with ...
Sahuarita, AZ
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