Bird, snake could delay 28,000-home development near Benson [View all]

[Ptah]

A move by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could delay or change plans for a 28,000-home development near Benson.

But that could depend on how much legal weight is given to an unsigned recommendation from the federal agency.

A draft letter from the service’s Phoenix office says officials recommend that the Army Corps of Engineers consult with it to determine the Villages at Vigneto’s potential impacts on two federally protected species: the Western yellow-billed cuckoo and Northern Mexican garter snake.

Fish and Wildlife mailed the letter to the Corps in mid-July. The Star recently obtained a copy through the federal Freedom of Information Act.

http://tucson.com/news/local/bird-snake-could-delay--home-development-near-benson/article_cf7076b6-847b-5e22-b46f-d2eda6531209.html