Protecting Wildlife

A passionate commitment to environmental stewardship

UniSource is committed to protecting wildlife and their habitat and preserving our environment for future generations.

We do this by working closely with governmental and nonprofit organizations that protect and preserve our natural resources, including land, water, air and wildlife. Our environmental stewardship is part of our commitment to sustainability in everything that we do.

UniSource employee volunteers also support many conservation events in the local communities we serve.

We support and work closely with these organizations:

• U.S. Wildlife Service
• Arizona Game and Fish
• Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council
• National Wild Turkey Federation
• Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
• City of Cottonwood Adopt-A-Street Program
• Prescott Granite Creek Cleanup
• Grand Canyon Youth
• Highlands Center for Natural History
• Verde Natural Resource Conservation
• Terra Birds

Wildlife Protection Program

UniSource takes steps to protect raptors, other birds and wildlife from electrical lines and equipment, while maintaining reliable service for our customers.

UniSource installs silicone and fiberglass covers on all new poles and equipment to protect birds from energized components. We also retrofit existing equipment with these protections when raptor nests are found nearby.

We modeled our standard procedures after those of our sister company, Tucson Electric Power, which has worked with University of Arizona biologists for two decades to develop approaches for reducing electrical hazards for hawks, eagles, owls, ravens and vultures.

We also work very closely with the local offices of Arizona Game and Fish in reporting wildlife incidents.

UniSource removes inactive bird nests as well as any incomplete nests that we discover being built near our poles and equipment. Active nests are not disturbed. We wait until the eggs hatch and the fledging chicks leave before removing the empty nest. In some instances, active nests may be moved to safer locations.

We also take steps to protect burrowing or ground animals from accessing our equipment by placing our facilities on concrete pads, installing buried fencing around them and sealing cracks and openings.

You Can Help

Don’t place food or water near power lines or electrical equipment. This can attract birds and animals to unsafe locations. If you notice bird or animal activity or find dead or injured wildlife near our equipment, immediately contact UniSource Customer Care or a local Arizona Game and Fish office.

• Contact UniSource Customer Care at 520-623-7711
• Call the local Arizona Game and Fish office:

Region I – Pinetop                     928-367-4281

Region III – Kingman                 928-692-7700

Region V – Tucson (Nogales) 520-628-5376

Lake Havasu City                       928-342-0091