The Arizona congressional delegation is set to introduce a land exchange bill into Congress that could lead to the destruction of the Oak Flat climbing area east of Phoenix and result in the largest climbing closure in history.
Resolution Copper Company (RCC), a large foreign-owned mining company does not have the right to mine beneath Oak Flat and in the process destroy the surface because of an executive order protecting the area. However, RCC is working to sidestep this protection through a proposed land exchange bill. Unlike other areas subject to federal mining laws, Public Land Order 1229, executed in 1955 under President Eisenhower and upheld in 1971 by the Nixon Administration, protects Oak Flat from mining and sets it aside for recreation. The reasons for protecting Oak Flat in 1955 are just as valid today-perhaps more so-than they were 50 years ago. However, pressure from RCC seeks to achieve precisely what this executive order clearly sought to prevent: the destruction of the Oak Flat area from mining.
The recently drafted Southeastern Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2005 is aimed at gaining initial public approval for the land exchange rather than addressing the broader issue of environmental devastation and the preservation of the important recreational resources at Oak Flat.
We have to fill our elected officials' mailboxes letting them know there is a better approach to this mine.
RCC insists to the public that access to Oak Flat must be closed forever because of the possibility of massive subsidence due to their preferred mining method. However, the Southeastern Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2005 draft bill excludes discussion of the massive environmental destruction that will occur at Oak Flat if this land exchange (and the consequential mining proposal) is allowed to move forward unchallenged. Further, the bill fails to identify the promised “replacement climbing areas” that RCC has exhaustively referenced to appease the climbing community.
Access Fund Policy Director Jason Keith states “Currently, there aren't any compelling reasons for anyone, including elected officials, to support the land swap proposal. We have a couple things on our side. First, RCC must overcome the executive order protecting recreation and prohibiting mining at Oak Flat, and second, it has been proven elsewhere that mines can be profitable while still maintaining the environmental and ecological integrity of the land.”
The Access Fund and Friends of Queen Creek oppose the closure and emphasize that there is a way to mine the copper under Oak Flat without destroying the surface.
The Access Fund has extensively lobbied the offices of US Senators Kyl and McCain, US Representative Renzi, Arizona Governor Napolitano, local Arizona officials, the Tonto National Forest, Arizona BLM, Central Arizona Project, state agencies, and the organizer of the Phoenix Boulder Blast. These efforts have led to a coalition that includes over a thousand FoQC members, the Arizona Mountaineering Club, chapters of the Sierra Club and Audubon Society, members of the outdoor industry, motorized enthusiasts, canyoneering groups, Arizona businesses, academics, and watchdog groups that focus on mining and land exchanges. The Access Fund also benefits from the advice of respected and experienced mining engineers and public interest law groups who specialize in mining issues.
“While RCC is a multi-national company with multi-billion dollar resources-they're up against a long standing executive order and extremely committed user groups” says Steve Matous, the Access Fund's Executive Director.
Join with The Access Fund in opposing the impending land exchange bill and the dangerous precedent it sets. Arizona climbers need your help – 5 minutes of your time can help save Oak Flat by persuading Congress to force Resolution Copper Company to contribute to the AZ economy without taking from the AZ environment.
