SALT has identified the land most in need of conservation, but little can be done to preserve it without public and government action. 140 acres in the proposed preserve area are under private ownership. One of SALT's priorities is to buy or obtain conservation easements on the land, a project that may cost more than $1,000,000.

Pinal County has identified the recommended preserve area in its Comprehensive Plan. However, under current Arizona Law, state trust lands can still be sold or leased by the State Land Department for development. SALT is working with other groups to change state law to allow preservation of state trust lands not possible under current Arizona statutes. Until changes to state law allow for preserving state trust lands without expending tens of millions of dollars for even small parcels, the rapidly vanishing Sonoran desert will continue to disappear under asphalt and rooftops.

Much of the land surrounding the Superstition Mountains is owned by the Arizona State Land Department, whose mandate is to lease or sell these lands to fund various public and educational institutions.

As urban sprawl leapfrogs eastward from the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, pressure to develop these state trust lands increases. The Superstition Area Land Trust must raise substantial funds to lease or buy the most sensitive open spaces of this treasure trove of our vanishing desert for future generations.