The city and other reviewing agencies have established processes, applications, regulations and permits to ensure development contributes to the community’s vision. The guide will complement existing city processes with tools that apply to each step in the development process. From the evaluation of community master plans/planned area developments to commercial and residential design review, city planners will use this guide to facilitate the discussion about protecting our wildlife corridors.

Over the past decade, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, in coordination with stakeholder groups, have identified important wildlife corridors that connect habitat blocks throughout the state, Maricopa County and Buckeye’s growth area. This guide is the next step, one of the key implementation measures from the city’s Imagine Buckeye 2040 General Plan, which was ratified in 2018. Buckeye’s General Plan recognizes that our residents can live side-by-side with surrounding wildlife while protecting critical wildlife habitat and also ensuring our future quality of life and promoting economic development. Past planning efforts, including the General Plan and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, have identified the importance of wildlife connectivity to maintain and enhance biodiversity in the city.