Over the weekend (10/31-11/01), individuals in the 2nd staging area at Four Peaks on the Tonto National Forest hacked up 12 saguaros, 6 barrels, 4 hedgehog, and several prickly pear & cholla plants. Not only did they hack into the saguaros, they chopped 2-3 feet off of the tops of some, tossed saguaro heads into the desert, and carried one 4-foot saguaro into the staging area to chop up. Some of the saguaros also sustained bullet & BB holes.
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These beautiful saguaros were planted by volunteers in 2020 & 2024; they were established and thriving in the 2020 Bush Fire burn scar. Our Dedicated Restoration Team salvaged & replanted the barrels that were destroyed, and it was native prickly pear & cholla that had grown back post-fire that were destroyed. You can view our Replanting Program HERE.
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Some of the vandalized saguaros were anywhere from 30-60 years old, the youngest were around 10 years old. A lot of work went into salvaging & saving these saguaros from construction destruction & it's heartbreaking to see someone hack them up. We would greatly appreciate anyone coming forward with information to help catch the individuals who did this.
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If you have any information (vehicle & person description), photos, or video from the 2nd staging area at Four Peaks on the Tonto National Forest over the last couple of days that could help law enforcement locate the people who did this, please the contact the Tonto's Mesa Ranger Station Law Enforcement: 480-610-3300
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If you saw anyone target shooting from the 2nd staging area at Four Peaks over the weekend, please contact law enforcement.
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Please share this & help us find the vandals! We are trying to save these saguaros; we treated the exposed saguaro flesh with sulfur & replanted them. We will continue to treat & monitor them, hoping we can avoid them rotting out.
