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accessfund
Jan 11, 2005, 10:29 PM
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Registered: Jan 11, 2005
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Since last winter, the Access Fund has lobbied on behalf of climbers from Arizona and across the country to save public access at Oak Flat near Superior, Arizona. So far, our advocacy work has included (and will continue to include) extensive lobbying of US Senators Kyl and McCain, US Representative Renzi (in both Arizona and DC), Arizona Governor Napolitano, many local officials and candidates, the Tonto National Forest, Arizona BLM, Central Arizona Project, several state agencies concerned with land and water issues, and the organizer of the Phoenix Boulder Blast. In addition, we have met and will continue to meet with Resolution Copper Company (RCC). Perhaps most important, we helped establish the Friends of Queen Creek (FoQC) (www.friendsofqueencreek.com) who is now the leading voice defending Oak Flat access.
Despite all the rumors and uninformed declarations being circulated that there is no chance in saving Oak Flat, climbers need to keep fighting for recreational access, maintain a unified voice, and not be fooled by those that urge us to give up or cut a deal now to develop another climbing area in exchange for Oak Flat. It’s far too soon to give up the fight at Oak Flat.
Regardless of what has been stated in the media, RCC does not currently have the right to mine beneath Oak Flat and in the process destroy the surface. Unlike many other areas subject to federal mining laws, an executive order signed in 1954 under President Eisenhower (and upheld in 1974 by Nixon) protects Oak Flat from mining and for recreation. RCC must either get the mining restrictions lifted or obtain the property outright. Presently, RCC is aggressively lobbying for a legislative land exchange that would give them title to Oak Flat. If they succeed, climbers will both lose access to Oak Flat as well as negotiating leverage in obtaining alternate climbing locations. We can defeat this land exchange and save Oak Flat if we maintain a unified voice opposing a land exchange and write our elected officials in support of the Friends of Queen Creek’s mission.
What we must communicate together is that we’re not anti-mine, but rather the FoQC believe that there is a way to mine the copper under Oak Flat without destroying the surface. Although RCC (and its numerous PR firms) has effectively presented a mining proposal with enormous economic benefits to Arizona, they also insist that public access to Oak Flat—with its unique and irreplaceable bouldering access—must be closed forever because of the possibility of massive subsidence from the mine. The FoQC’s “win-win” scenario is possible because (1) the law is on our side, and (2) it has been proven elsewhere that profitable mines can be done in such a way that maintains the environmental and ecological integrity of the landscape.
The efforts of the Access Fund and FoQC have led to a coalition that includes over a thousand FoQC members, the Arizona Mountaineering Club, local chapters of the Sierra Club and Audubon Society, members of the outdoor industry, motorized enthusiasts, canyoneering groups, Arizona businesses, academics, and watchdog organizations that focus on public land policy, mining law and federal land exchanges. The Access Fund is also working with respected and experienced mining engineers and public interest law groups who specialize in mining issues. Together, our unified voice can save Oak Flat.
RCC will be pushing for a land swap early in 2005. There is currently far too little information for anyone, including your elected officials, to support this proposal. Right now the most important thing is for the FoQC and its supporters to write their legislators in opposition to this impending land exchange bill. Please research the issue (beyond rumor swapped at the crag, local pub or internet sites) and support the FoQC’s work to find a better way for RCC to contribute to the AZ economy without taking from the AZ environment.
For more information about how to contact your elected officials on this issue, see http://www.accessfund.org/programs/Queen_letter_6_04.html or email the Access Fund’s Policy Director Jason Keith - jason@accesfund.org.
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curt
Jan 11, 2005, 10:40 PM
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Nice post, Jason and right on the money.
Curt
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duskerhu
Jan 12, 2005, 10:12 AM
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Thanks for the updated info on Oak Flat/Queen Creek and the encouragement to keep up the fight...
duskerhu
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accessfund
Jun 9, 2005, 5:45 PM
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Oak Flat, Arizona Land Exchange Bills Introduced
A Few Minutes of Your Time Could Help 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 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.
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:
Or go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ and enter S. 1122 for Senate bill and H.R. 2618 for House bill in Search window
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 go here: http:// www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/?lvl=L ) 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, check out: http://accessfund.org/ display/page/AA/5. 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:
1. The land exchange bill must include language that conserves climbing opportunities at Oak Flat and environs; and
2. 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
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pheenixx
Jun 14, 2005, 6:54 PM
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I would like to add and update to the above Access Fund announcement.
The Bills have now been referred to committees for review.
In the Senate - the "Committee on Energy and Natural Resources"
http://energy.senate.gov/public/
and in the House of Representatives - the "Committee on Resources"
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/subcommittees/index.htm
and the Subcommittee of "Forests & Forest Health".
~~~~~ It is important that if you live outside of Arizona ~~~~~
We Need Letters sent to your representatives of the following states :
Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is possible that due to mandatory security screening to the DC area – your letters will be delayed and should be sent to local offices. Faxing (to local or Wash, DC) will also avoid this delay. Follow up by a mailing hard copy and mark it as “Original Copy Mailed”.
Here is a list of Representatives on these committees along with their local conatact addresses: http://www.azmountaineeringclub.org/...dressOtherStates.doc
fyi ~ Arizona representatives located here: http://www.azmountaineeringclub.org/...ongressAddressAz.doc
Please see AccessFund link above for locating your representatives names.
These are MicrosoftWord docs - no viruses attached. **Thank you** (thanks again) to everyone for your time and energy in helping secure the access for this area on behalf of the AMC (Arizona Mountaineering Club) and the Friends of Queen Creek (FOQC) and all climbers who have been trying to save Queen Creek Canyon.
Jason ~ Feel free to correct me or update anything I may have missed or been in error of. Thanks for all you do for us... :)
~ pheenixx ~ aka - Kirra
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killclimbz
Jun 14, 2005, 8:30 PM
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Letters have been sent. LET'S GET ON THIS!!!!!
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pheenixx
Jun 15, 2005, 4:35 AM
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In reply to: Letters have been sent. LET'S GET ON THIS!!!!!
Thanks killclimbz -- YOUR AWESOME...! :P - - 3 cheers for killclimbz...!! ~ Big HUG ~
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accessfund
Jun 24, 2005, 4:20 PM
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Registered: Jan 11, 2005
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_______________________________
Editorial from the Access Fund
_______________________________
Oak Flat, Oak Flat, Oak Flat. We know you’ve been hearing a lot from the Access Fund about Oak Flat, Arizona in recent months. We would like to clarify why this is an important issue that we deeply believe every climber, no matter where you live or climb, must get involved in.
The issue for climbers and the entire future of climbing is the precedent that will be set if Oak Flat is transferred out of public hands. Oak Flat has been federally protected since 1955 for recreational purposes. The vision that protected this land is now being dishonored and ignored. For more info see http://www.accessfund.org/pdf/Purposes-Mining.pdf
From the beginning, the Access Fund has tried to work with Resolution Copper Company to find a solution that would allow responsible mining while honoring the importance of the vision that set Oak Flat aside for recreation. The copper company has kept its goal of acquiring Oak Flat alive by proclaiming their concern for climbers’ needs. They hired climbers to develop a “replacement” climbing area on mostly public lands owned by U.S. taxpayers that could have been established by Arizona climbers, on their day off, exploring for untouched routes. Since most of these “new climbs” are already public property, the copper company’s “good faith” offering is little more than a PR smokescreen while the important issue of negotiating an amicable solution for a recreational easement at Oak Flat remains unfinished.
We need to fight the loss of Oak Flat and what it represents and forget about the copper company’s hired climbers who do not represent the climbing community or the public’s interest.
Consider the slippery slope. What if someone finds oil under Indian Creek or a large gold deposit under Half Dome? These scenarios may seem unbelievable but go back to the idea of precedent. If a foreign company can side-step federal protections in Arizona what about a domestic company or Congress (note ANWR)? What happens when we’ve developed away our national treasures?
At the root of Oak Flat lies not only the future of climbing but the future of all public land conservation and the preservation of your recreational opportunities. Stand up with the Access Fund and Friends of Queen Creek in this struggle to prevent the loss of Oak Flat; This is your last chance to add your voice.
Don’t wait for this bill to go through Congress unamended before you get angry. WRITE CONGRESS NOW! See http://www.accessfund.org/display/page/AA/14
We all share responsibility for the future of climbing.
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climblouisiana
Jun 24, 2005, 4:33 PM
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Thanks for the above post.
Consider the meaning of "federally protected land" and "Executive Order".
What weight will these words have if the current form of the bill gets passed?
Do not let the current form of the bill go through unamended.
Express your concern to your Senators and Representative.
NOW!
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climblouisiana
Jun 24, 2005, 5:01 PM
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ttt
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crotch
Jun 24, 2005, 5:08 PM
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Here's the letter I wrote to my congresswoman. Feel free to borrow from it.
In reply to: 06/23/05 Dear Mrs. Davis, Since your email of April 19, Congressman Renzi of Arizona has introduced H.R. 2618, the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2005. As you may recall, I am against this proposed land swap because it will pave the way for the loss of a very valuable resource to the American climbing community, namely the Oak Flat area, which was specifically protected from mining by executive order (PLO 1229) 50 years ago. To summarize my last missive on this subject, Oak Flat is the home of America's largest, oldest, and most important climbing competition, the Phoenix Bouldering Contest. H.R. 2618 calls for the elimination of a prime recreation resource so that a subsidiary of a foreign-owned mining company can profit from our public lands. H.R. 2618 does not require environmental impact reporting, and fails to specify a suitable replacement climbing area. It is unlikely, in my opinion, that an area with the quality and quantity of climbing found at Oak Flat will be found within the time-frame specified by H.R. 2618. You, Mrs. Davis, have a unique opportunity to act in the long term interest of the people of the United States. The manner in which Resolution Copper proposes to mine in this area would destabilize the land above the mine and permanently render it unusable for future recreation. As a copper mine, Oak Flat is a non-renewable resource, but as a recreation resource Oak Flat can continue to provide enjoyment to the public and economic benefit to Superior and Phoenix, Arizona for as long as it remains federally protected and free of mining. Please urge your colleagues to act, not in the interest of a single mining company, but in the interest of the hundreds of millions of people who will walk this Earth when we are long gone. Regards, |
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curt
Jun 24, 2005, 9:30 PM
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Thank you--that's a very nice letter.
Curt
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