As people that live in, or visit the Rim Country, we are fortunate to have many chances to enjoy Arizonaâs diverse wildlife resources. Within a few minutesâ drive of Payson you can see a multitude of game and non-game animals as well as hundreds of species of birds and fish. Working behind the scenes to preserve and enhance Arizonaâs wildlife and habitat are conservation groups, volunteers and outdoorsmen that along with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Tonto National Forest and local agricultural producers contribute millions of dollars and countless hours dedicated to our natural resources.
The Mogollon Sporting Association (MSA) has made several contributions to the areaâs wildlife and youth programs over the years. Some examples from this past year include MSA partnering with the 7 Slash K ranch providing $21,000 worth of funding to develop five springs and run almost 17,000 feet of pipeline to nine new water troughs that will distribute water to an abundance of wildlife and cattle. In 2020 MSA also provided $7,500 worth of funding to the O Bar C ranch to install a solar pump on an artesian well that will keep a large storage tank full of water and distribute it across part of the dry desert landscape of Tonto Basin to supply much needed water to the area. Those are just two recent examples of the many local contributions made by the Mogollon Sporting Association.