Tucson Standard

An organization that in February purchased the 202-acre former Vistoso golf course property in Oro Valley, Ariz., is scheduled to donate and transfer the property to the town of Oro Valley around July 1.

The Conservation Fund, which purchased the property with donations of over $1.8 million, is temporarily holding the property. The goal is to preserve it “as a wildlife sanctuary and public recreation destination,” according to a recent press release. The land will be protected with a conservation easement, The Conservation Fund’s website said.

“We want to make sure that this can never be used for anything other than an open space and preserve,” Mike Ford, The Conservation Fund’s Nevada and Southwest director, told KGUN9.

The property is to be donated and transferred to the Town of Oro Valley on or after July 1, Preserve Vistoso said.

Golf Club at Vistoso in Tucson was built in 1995, Golf Pass said. However, operations at the Vistoso golf course in Oro Valley ceased in 2018, The Conservation Fund’s website said. At the time, it was a 208-acre property. The Conservation Fund purchased 202 acres that was the golf course's fairways, and a 6.3-acre parcel was sold to a developer.

At the time of the February purchase of the property, Joanne Manganiello offered praise on The Conservation Fund’s Facebook page.

“About time, I'm sick of developing, golf courses and killing our animals and little critters,” Manganiello said on Facebook.

The property has mountain scenery, Native American petroglyphs, Sonoran Desert vegetation and habitat for local wildlife, The Conservation Fund’s website said.

Plans are to clean up the preserve by having invasive plant species removed and moving brush within 5 feet on either side of cart paths, Preserve Vistoso said.

The Conservation Fund has protected over 8.5 million acres of land in 50 states since 1985, including approximately 975,000 acres in Arizona, the press release said.