Wildlife managers and researchers from across the country gathered in Flagstaff last month for the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) conference to discuss deer and elk movement and the latest technology being used to track the ungulates as projects are planned for land uses such as public recreation and renewable energy. The conference at Northern Arizona University included a field trip to the Babbitt Ranch Energy Center north of Flagstaff. “There were overwhelmingly … [Read more...] about Managing for Renewable Energy and Wildlife
Billy Cordasco
Construction Underway on Babbitt Ranch Energy Center North of Flagstaff
With a passion to move the state forward with renewable energy while protecting open space, creating jobs, boosting the Northern Arizona economy and planning for generations of Arizonans to come, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, SRP, Babbitt Ranches and the Arizona State Land Department have announced that construction is underway for the Babbitt Ranch Energy Center. The 161-megawatt (MW) wind project, featuring 50 wind turbines across 669 acres on the CO Bar Ranch about 25 miles north of … [Read more...] about Construction Underway on Babbitt Ranch Energy Center North of Flagstaff
Flagstaff’s Past Revisited Through Ghost Adventures
A young bellboy continues to stand duty, a caring doctor walks the street outside his office and a bride and groom remain united in the afterlife. U.S. Ghost Adventures brings a whole new perspective to “Till death do we part,” and lists Flagstaff among the nation’s most haunted cities. The company initially launched on the East Coast with tours in 20 locations before the pandemic. In December, it added 12 more cities, including Flagstaff. “Flagstaff has two very vague types of hauntings, … [Read more...] about Flagstaff’s Past Revisited Through Ghost Adventures
Babbitt Ranches Supporting Artemis Missions, Promoting Land-Use Ethic on Other Worlds
On land commonly occupied by Hereford cattle, pronghorn antelope and mule deer, a moon rover prototype cruises at a top speed of eight miles per hour near Black Point Lava Flow. It is here on Babbitt Ranches that NASA, Japan’s space program, JAXA, U.S. Geological Survey scientists, along with engineers and technicians, set up a space camp of sorts. They have been preparing for the Artemis Missions to the moon, with the first launch window for the un-crewed Artemis 1 rocket opening Nov. … [Read more...] about Babbitt Ranches Supporting Artemis Missions, Promoting Land-Use Ethic on Other Worlds
Honoring our Values, Living a Life of Thanksgiving
After spending a day in the open spaces of Babbitt Ranches with mission-driven engineers, technicians, geologists, journalists and visionaries from organizations such as NASA, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), the U.S. Geological Survey and Babbitt Ranches, I found myself energized, joyful, inspired and grateful to be in this bubble of positive intelligence focused on propelling the human race forward in cooperation and doing so with a land use ethic. In this pop-up aerospace village … [Read more...] about Honoring our Values, Living a Life of Thanksgiving
Sowing Seeds
In the tranquility of a late spring Flagstaff morning, Dr. Ralph Oliver Raymond would walk the land and and toss out dandelion seeds. “He wanted to make sure there were plenty of dandelions so that those who didn’t have a lot of money could pick them and receive nutrients from the tea they could make from the stems,” said long-time Flagstaff resident Billy Cordasco. Dr. Raymond, by all accounts, was a quiet, deeply caring family doctor who raised sheep, had a great love for the land and … [Read more...] about Sowing Seeds
Delivering Power from Arizona’s Largest Wind Farm
Salt River Project is contracting with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources to purchase wind power from the Babbitt Ranch Energy Center, a 161-megawatt (MW) wind resource to be built on the CO Bar Ranch about 25 miles north of Flagstaff. With some 53 wind turbines across 669 acres, the project is scheduled to begin delivering clean energy on to SRP’s power grid by December 2023, producing enough power to support about 40,000 residential homes and moving the utility company closer to its … [Read more...] about Delivering Power from Arizona’s Largest Wind Farm
Babbitt Ranches Being Inducted into Hall of Fame
Marking 136 years in operation this spring, Babbitt Ranches is being celebrated by the Arizona agricultural community and inducted into the Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame. “Babbitt Ranches is legendary in Arizona ranching history,” said Historian Janice Bryson, who nominated the pioneering land company. “Their story follows our state’s history from Territorial days to the present. They have been leaders and innovators in conservation on their ranches.” “This acknowledgement of … [Read more...] about Babbitt Ranches Being Inducted into Hall of Fame
‘Homegrown’ Wind, Solar Energy Project Approved on Babbitt Ranches
Praising Babbitt Ranches for the way the family business manages its operations and citing the Babbitt family’s long-running reputation for land stewardship and conservation practices, the Coconino County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a wind and solar project on Babbitt Ranches about 30 miles north of Flagstaff. The action allows NextEra Energy Resources to move forward with the Babbitt Ranch Renewable Energy Center (BREC, pronounced B-REC) across 669 acres of a nearly … [Read more...] about ‘Homegrown’ Wind, Solar Energy Project Approved on Babbitt Ranches
Babbitt Ranches Forges Ahead with Clēnera and SRP on Solar Project
CO Bar Solar is gaining energy with the recent purchase power agreement between renewable resources developer Clēnera, owned by Enlight Renewable Energy, and Arizona utility company Salt River Project (SRP). “Where we are today, as we embark on renewable energy endeavors, is truly inspirational for the Babbitt family,” said Babbitt Ranches President and General Manager Billy Cordasco. “We are talking about what matters most for future generations. And, what we have all worked toward is not … [Read more...] about Babbitt Ranches Forges Ahead with Clēnera and SRP on Solar Project
