The Friends of the Sonoran Desert National Monument was formed in 2009 to provide the citizens of the United States with a voice in how the Sonoran Desert National Monument is managed. The Friends of the Sonoran Desert National Monument is an independent non-profit organization that works with the Bureau of Land Management, other agencies and non-profit organizations to protect the natural and cultural resources of the monument.

The Mission

Protect the natural and cultural resources in the Sonoran Desert National Monument and defend against external activities that may adversely affect the monument.

Partnership

The Friends of the Sonoran Desert National Monument in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management will help develop and implement a management plan that will insure the future of the Sonoran Desert National Monument. The Friends of the Sonoran Desert National Monument will do this through on the ground conservation work, volunteer projects, advocacy and fund raising.

FSDNM Board

Meet the board for the Friends of the Sonoran Desert National Monument. Learn More

About the Sonoran Desert National Monument

The Sonoran Desert National Monument features 496,337 acres of Sonoran Desert landscape. The Sonoran Desert is the most biologically diverse of the North American deserts, and the monument exemplifies this desert setting. The most striking aspect of the plant community within the monument is the extensive saguaro cactus forest. The monument contains three distinct mountain ranges, the Maricopa, Sand Tank and Table Top Mountains, as well as the Booth and White Hills, all separated by wide valleys. The monument is also home to three congressionally designated wilderness areas, many significant archaeological and historic sites, and remnants of several important historic trails.

Big Horn Station

Located on along Interstate 8 approximately 20 miles east of Gila Bend, AZ is the Big Horn station, an architectural reminder of the people who lived in the area now known as the Sonoran Desert National Monument.Learn More

Papago Indian Chief Mine

One of the many intriguing features of the Sonoran Desert National Monument is the Papago Indian Chief Mine. Learn More

Principles of the National Conservation Lands

The Friends of the Sonoran Desert National Monument is committed to the principles established for National Conservation Lands by the BLM. Learn More

Sonoran Flora and Fauna

The monument’s biological resources include a spectacular diversity of plant and animal species. The most striking aspect of the plant communities within the monument are the saguaro cactus forests. The saguaro is a signature plant of the Sonoran Desert.Learn More

Endangered Species Alert: Sonoran Pronghorn

Long-nosed Leopard Lizard, Gambelia wislizenii

Night-Blooming Cereus, Peniocereus greggii

Organ Pipe Cactus

The Sonoran Desert Area

The monument offers many opportunities to explore and discover the secrets of the Sonoran Desert and includes three wilderness areas, the North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness, the South Maricopa Mountains Wilderness, and the Table Top Wilderness.Learn More

Threats to the Sonoran Desert

Road traffic, over-grazing, off-road vehicle use, pot hunting, wildlife poaching and fuel wood collections threaten the important resources for which the SDNM was founded.Learn More