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The City of Phoenix has a long tradition of preserving large tracks of land with upland Sonoran vegetation, specifically the paloverde-saguaro communities found on bajadas and mountain slopes, for use as municipal parks. The City currently operates and maintains over 27,000 acres of mountain preserves and desert parks. The City of Phoenix has been witness to explosive growth in population and land area since the second world war. One of the results of this growth is that these desert parks, once on the fringe of the city, have become isolated and are now islands within a sea of urban development. Beginning in 1924, South Mountain Park was established at a cost of $17,000. In 1964 Papago Park was acquired for $3,529. Today the 7,500-acre Phoenix Mountain Preserve (acquired for over $70 million) includes features such as Shaw Butte, North Mountain, and the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area. Phoenix is now planning a preserve of over 15,000 acres in the northern reaches of the city, this 110 square mile study area has upper and lower Sonoran plant communities that provide diverse wildlife habitat and hold the potential for future recreational use. Comparison of aerial photos over a 20-year period of South Mountain, Papago Park, and the Phoenix Mountain Preserves illustrates the impact of urbanization on the landscape—the constriction of the open space, proliferation of trails and access points, and the loss of vegetation and habitat are apparent in these photos. As the public's demand for access increases, our efforts to manage and control the impacts are escalating.