|
|
|
|
climblouisiana
Jun 23, 2005, 3:07 PM
Post #1 of 8
(2981 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 3, 2002
Posts: 506
|
Locals are holding a rally to save access for Queen Creek.
Details are below.
The important part is you can win prizes like a CRASH PAD, CLIMBING SHOES, ETC. if you bring the appropriate letters to your Senators or Representative.
That's two Senators and one Representative for a total of three chances to win.
Have people you know write letters and bring them. If they don't like climbing that just gives you more chances to WIN when they give their stuff to you...
Read below for the details.
Hello Friends of Queen Creek,
Please read the following plea.
Write and mail your letters today!
or.....
Bring (or send) them to the Kill the Bill Rally to be held at the Phoenix Rock Gym on June 26th at 7pm for a chance to win cool prizes. You need not be present to win so make sure your name and return address are on your letters.
Oak Flat, Arizona Land Exchange Bills Introduced
A Few Minutes of Your Time Could Save Oak Flat.
On May 25, 2005, Arizona's Senator Kyl and Congressman Renzi introduced identical land exchange bills into Congress moving Resolution Copper Company (RCC) one step closer to destroying the publicly-owned Oak Flat area East of Phoenix resulting in the single largest loss of climbing ever.
These bills value the profits of a foreign mining company and discount a more responsible approach to environmental, as well as the recreational and health concerns of Arizonans and the many others who recreate at Oak Flat. Despite many promises of compromise these bills will allow RCC to push ahead with the destruction of Oak Flat and surrounding areas if they are passed without revision.
Don't wait for Oak Flat to be destroyed to voice your opposition. A loss of climbing in Arizona is a loss of climbing no matter where you live.
Your voice WILL make a difference and must be heard to stop these dangerous precedent-setting bills from passing unamended.
There is a blank "placeholder" provision in the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2005 (SECTION 8(b)(4)) meant to address the preservation and replacement of climbing resources. Call Congress and tell them that provision must provide for the protection of climbing resources. Deficiencies concerning the lack of a recreational easement and omission of discussion of federally-protected land in these bills make it clear that compromise will only come by applying pressure to our elected officials.
Find Senate version S. 1122 here http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/...id=f:s1122is.txt.pdf
Find House version H.R. 2618 here http://thomas.loc.gov/...xmlc109/h2618_ih.xml
Deficiencies and omissions in the bills:
There is no language maintaining any public access to the Oak Flat area.
The bills fail to specifically identify any "replacement" climbing areas.
The bills only direct the US Department of Agriculture to identify and develop alternate climbing sites on public land . Anyone could at anytime develop these public areas.
Despite much discussion and promises from RCC, the bills fail to require RCC to provide any "replacement" climbing areas. Nonetheless, RCC has hired climbers to develop as-yet unidentified replacement climbing sites without any climbing community input.
The land exchange bills provide no acknowledgement that Oak Flat has been federally protected from mining for over 50 years by executive order. This order - PLO 1229 - is still as valid today as it was in 1955. Oversight of this fact shows that the profits of a foreign mining company (RCC) outweigh recreation loss, environmental impact, and community interest.
The bills were drafted through a closed process showing disregard for the public interest.
There is no statement of water resource use, acquisition or disposal for the proposed mine at Oak Flat.
No discussion of the enormous environmental and recreational loss, mountains of mining tailings, and associated pollution caused by this mine.
The bills fail to require any environmental analyses under the National Environmental Policy Act which could consider the long-term implications of this massive proposed mine.
NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.
There is still time to make a difference. Over the next several weeks Congress needs to be convinced to specifically address this enormous loss to the climbing community, the environment, and other recreational users.
Let your elected officials know that the loss to the environment and the community will be the legacy of all politicians that vote for this version of these bills.
Write US Senator Kyl (R-AZ), US Representative Rick Renzi (R-AZ), and your Congressional representatives today ( to find yours click here ) and urge them to require Resolution Copper Company (RCC) to work with the Access Fund and Friends of Queen Creek to mitigate the loss of the unique public recreational resource at Oak Flat. For talking points addressing the bills' many problems, a Congressional letter-writing template, and the addresses of your US Senators and Representatives, click here . Make sure to reference the bill number (S. 1122 for Senate communications and H.R. 2618 for the House) and emphasize the following points for insertion into the blank placeholder
The land exchange bill must include language that conserves climbing opportunities at Oak Flat and environs; and
The land exchange bill must specifically identify any replacement climbing areas.
The Access Fund and Friends of Queen Creek have consistently pushed for responsible mining techniques at Oak Flat that will allow RCC to make a profit while still maintaining some public access to Oak Flat and environs.
Help make the case to Congress and write them today - you won't get another chance to help Arizona climbers conserve central Arizona's most extensive climbing area.
For more information contact the Access Fund's Policy Director Jason Keith at jason@accessfund.org
If the above links do not work, copy and paste below URLs:
Senate version S. 1122: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ query/z?c109:S.1122:
House version H.R. 2618: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi- bin/query/z?c109:H.R.2618:
http://thomas.loc.gov/ and enter S. 1122 for Senate bill and H.R. 2618 for House bill in Search window
Letter writing template and talking points: http://accessfund.org/ display/page/AA/5
Congressional addresses: http:// www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/?lvl=L
Access Fund
---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------
email: af-enews@accessfund.org
phone: 303-545-6772
web: http://www.accessfund.org
|
|
|
|
|
killclimbz
Jun 23, 2005, 3:13 PM
Post #2 of 8
(2981 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 6, 2000
Posts: 1964
|
I have already written my senators and Representatives about this. Ken Salazar actually repsonded to me and it sounds like he is against these bills. It would be an amazing amount of BS if this swap happens.
|
|
|
|
|
climblouisiana
Jun 23, 2005, 7:02 PM
Post #3 of 8
(2981 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 3, 2002
Posts: 506
|
It's easy...
Write letters. Bring them to PRG between now and Sunday.
Get automatically entered in the drawing.
Win Stuff.
Stuff is donated by http://www.overthecrux.com/
and I think fiveten.
|
|
|
|
|
climblouisiana
Jun 23, 2005, 8:36 PM
Post #4 of 8
(2981 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 3, 2002
Posts: 506
|
If you want to enter the drawing but cannot drop off a letter to PRG,
create a .pdf copy of your signed letter and send it to me via this e-mail address. savequeencreek@yahoo.com
I will make sure that your letter is entered and that you receive the prize by mail if your letter is drawn.
Also, a slide show will be created and be viewed at the rally. if you would like to contribute a picture of Queen Creek, please send to the above e-mail address. Any picture showing the diversity of Queen Creek will be considered. Please limit your picture size to under 2.1 MB.
thanks,
Dale
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
curt
Jun 23, 2005, 11:41 PM
Post #6 of 8
(2981 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 27, 2002
Posts: 18275
|
In reply to: It's easy... Write letters. Bring them to PRG between now and Sunday. Get automatically entered in the drawing. Win Stuff. Stuff is donated by http://www.overthecrux.com/ and I think fiveten.
Yes. Five-Ten has been kind enough to donate two pairs of shoes for our drawing. 8^)
Curt
|
|
|
|
|
climblouisiana
Jun 24, 2005, 5:02 PM
Post #8 of 8
(2981 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 3, 2002
Posts: 506
|
ttt
|
|
|
|
|
|
