Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a U.S. national monument and UNESCO biosphere reserve located in extreme southern Arizona that shares a border with the Mexican state of Sonora . The park is the only place in the United States where the senita and organ pipe cactus grow wild. Along with this species, many other types of cacti and other desert flora native to the Yuma Desert section of the Sonoran Desert region grow in the park. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is 517 sq mi (1,340 km) in size. In 1976 the monument was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, and in 1977 95% of Organ Pipe Cactus was declared a wilderness area .
16-518: Land for the Monument was donated by the Arizona state legislature to the federal government during Prohibition knowing that the north–south road would be improved and make contraband alcohol easier to import from Mexico. In 1937 the land was officially opened as a national monument. At the north entrance of the park is the unincorporated community of Why, Arizona ; the town of Lukeville, Arizona at
32-602: A hot desert climate ( Köppen: BWh ) with very hot summers and mild winters. Why, Arizona Why is an unincorporated rural community in Pima County , Arizona , United States. It lies near the western border of the Tohono Oʼodham Indian Reservation and due north of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Southern Arizona . It is approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of
48-515: A continuing, steady flow of immigrants and drug runners from Mexico, the majority of the park was closed in 2003. The National Park Service reopened the backcountry in 2014 after surveillance towers, vehicle barriers, and pedestrian fences were installed along the border. The first 30-foot (9.1 m) panels of a new Arizona, US-Mexico border wall were installed in August 2019 on a two-mile (3.2 km) stretch of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It
64-571: Is an Arizona state government agency charged with facilitating mobility within the state. In addition to managing the state's highway system , the agency is also involved with public transportation and municipal airports . The department was created in 1974 when the state merged the Arizona Highway Department with the Arizona Department of Aeronautics. Jennifer Toth was appointed by Governor Katie Hobbs as
80-708: Is the Ajo Unified School District . A portion of Why is in the Indian Oasis-Baboquivari Unified School District , while another is not in any school district. The Pima County School Superintendent arranges for education of K-12 students living in areas without school districts, and that office arranges for transportation to the Ajo Unified School District to the Why areas not in any school district. [REDACTED] Arizona portal ^ This
96-481: Is the first of three projects that will add bollard walls along Southern Arizona's wildlife refuges. The National Park Service issued a report on September 18, 2019, stating that the barrier wall threatens archaeological artifacts representing 16,000 years of human history. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said that five archaeological sites fall within the area that it wishes to construct. In February 2020, controlled demolition and other construction work
112-449: Is the sum of the populations of Blocks 1131–1153, Census Tract 49, Pima County, Arizona according to US Census U.S. Census website . [REDACTED] Media related to Why, Arizona at Wikimedia Commons 32°16′07″N 112°44′20″W / 32.26861°N 112.73889°W / 32.26861; -112.73889 Arizona Department of Transportation The Arizona Department of Transportation ( ADOT , / ˈ eɪ d ɒ t / )
128-514: The Mexican border where Lukeville, Arizona , and Sonoyta , Sonora, Mexico , border each other, and 10 miles (16 km) south of Ajo, Arizona . The population in Why at the 2020 census was approximately 122. The town derives its name from the fact that two major highways , State Routes 85 and 86 , originally intersected in a Y-intersection . At the time of its naming, state law required all city names to have at least three letters, so
144-643: The ADOT Director in January 2023. Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters had previously been a Director of ADOT. The past Federal Highway Administrator, Victor Mendez , was also previously a Director of ADOT. ADOT's publications division publishes Arizona Highways magazine. The Aeronautics Division, now a part of the Multimodal Planning Division, promotes aviation in the state, license aircraft dealers, assists in
160-972: The Enforcement Services Bureau, Office of Inspector General and the Executive Hearing Office. The Enforcement Services Bureau (ESB) utilizes certified police officers to enforce state and federal commercial vehicle regulations. Stationed at Port of Entry stations, mobile scale teams and MVD offices, these officers are trained to perform a variety of duties and also enforce fuel tax laws. The Bureau also assists other state, local and federal agencies when needed. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) utilizes detectives to deter theft, fraud and other crimes as well as assisting other state, local and federal agencies. The Executive Hearing Office (EHO) employs an Administrative Law Judge and staff on driver license hearings and other administrative cases. The Multimodal Planning Division (MPD)
176-637: The development of public airport projects and manages Grand Canyon National Park Airport . The Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) is responsible for driver licensing and vehicle registration. It has 1600 employees and an annual operating budget of $ 72 million. Currently it is headed by ADOT Assistant Director Eric Jorgensen. As of FY 2023, the MVD has 7,969,576 license plates registered with the department. The Enforcement and Compliance Division utilizes certified peace officers to enforce transportation related laws and regulations. The Enforcement and Compliance Division
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#1732772766783192-493: The park's southern border is a border crossing point to Sonoyta , Sonora, Mexico. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is bordered to the northwest by Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and to the east by the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation . The visitor center has been named in honor of Ranger Kris Eggle. On August 9, 2002, he was shot and killed by a drug smuggler during a United States Border Patrol operation. With
208-413: The town's founders named the town "Why" as opposed to simply calling it "Y." The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) later removed the old Y-intersection for traffic safety reasons and built the two highways in a conventional intersection south of the original intersection. It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names . Why is not in a school district. The closest district
224-452: Was opposed by many locals, including Representative Raúl Grijalva and Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris, Jr., who testified before Congress on the matter. Customs and Border Protection officials maintained that no human remains or artifacts were discovered in the areas where explosives were used, and that Monument Hill was previously disturbed in 2010 when the existing border fence was installed. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument has
240-627: Was originally the enforcement component of the Motor Vehicle Division. Created in 2010 by former division Director, Terry Connor (retired Arizona DPS Commander), the Division separated from the Motor Vehicle Division to improve the enforcement capabilities of the department. Under current Division Director Tim Lane, the division continues to provide the state of Arizona a highly trained agency to protect Arizona's infrastructure. The Enforcement and Compliance Division has 3 separate units:
256-513: Was performed within the Roosevelt Reservation . This strip of land along the border is federally controlled. However, many sites within this region are considered sacred by the Tohono O'odham Nation . Important sites include Monument Hill, which is a ceremonial and historic battle site and burial ground; and Quitobaquito Springs , which is a local water source and the site of an annual salt pilgrimage. For this reason, construction
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