Prescribed and natural fires play a major role in maintaining and restoring the sea of grass that once filled the Altar Valley.

Brown Canyon, to the west of the Arivaca Creek area, is nestled in the Baboquivari Mountains, where a sycamore-lined stream meanders through oak woodland.

During the study its home range compassed the mountains to east and west of the Altar Valley, which is situated in the Refuge.

A few years ago, there were 45 abandoned cars on the Buenos Aires refuge near Sasabe, Arizona and enough trash that a volunteer couple filled 723 large bags with 18,000 pounds (8,200 kg) of garbage over two months in 2002.

[10] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.