Scottsdale and Phoenix each acquired hundreds of acres of state trust land Tuesday in separate auctions that generated more than $16 million for the Arizona State Land Department.

Scottsdale was unopposed in its $6.5 million bid for 400 acres southeast of Pinnacle Peak and Alma School roads.

Phoenix was the lone bidder at $9.56 million for 295 acres southwest of the road alignments of Dove Valley Road and Seventh Street. The city plans to add the land to its Sonoran Preserve.

Scottsdale plans to include the acreage northeast of DC Ranch in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

Scottsdale has set aside more than 11,000 acres for the preserve with a goal of protecting 36,000 acres.

The city obtained a $3.25 million grant from Arizona's Growing Smarter program to buy the site and will pay the remaining $3.25 million out of city tax funds collected for the preserve, said Ruthie Carll, McDowell Sonoran Conservancy executive director.

It is Scottsdale's first big preserve acquisition in two years.

"This is land we always wanted in an area that is not high on the development list," Carll said, adding that there are no plans for trails through the mountainous terrain.

Phoenix got a $4.78 million Growing Smarter grant to buy the north Valley state trust land. The acquisition will increase the Sonoran Preserve to about 5,500 acres. Eventually, Phoenix plans to protect more than 20,000 acres.

Source: AZ Central