SEPTEMBER 6, 2004 PD Safford land swap appealed By Dorothy Kosich Mining Action Project is Western Land Exchange Project representing the Center for specializes in tracking federal public RENO (Mineweb.com) — No Biological Diversity, the Grand land exchange projects in the West. thanks to environmental groups, Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club, Previously, the Western Land water impact issues, and, maybe the Western Land Exchange Exchange Project, the Center for even the Mexican spotted owl, a Project, and Earthworks. The Biological Diversity, and the decade-long land exchange Center for Biological Diversity is a Western Mining Action Project between Phelps Dodge and the Tucson-based NGO aimed at jointly sued in Arizona’s federal Bureau of Land Management protecting endangered species district court to halt the Ray land involving the Dos Pobres/San Juan including the Mexican Spotted Owl. exchange between the Bureau of Project may not soon be The San Carlos Apache Tribe Land Management (BLM) and concluded. recently received nearly $100,000 Asarco, a subsidiary of Grupo Environmental and Native from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Mexico. The NGOs argued that the American groups have filed protests Service to study Mexican Spotted mining operation pollutes Mineral of the proposed land exchange Owls on the reservation. Tribal Creek, which is a tributary of the which would bring desperately lands include Gila, Graham and Gila River. The San Carlos Apache needed jobs to the small community Pinal counties in southeastern also appealed the Morenci Land of Safford, Arizona. The Safford Arizona. The tribe’s largest Swap, arguing mining impacts tribal Land Exchange offers 16,297 acres enterprises include the fishery of the water supplies. of public land to Phelps Dodge in San Carlos Lake, hunting, and a The Ray exchange gives Asarco exchange for 3,867 acres of casino. Rather than raise the 10,976 acre of public land in environmentally sensitive private endangered species issue, these exchange for 7,300 acres of the land. PD wants to use the public protestors, instead, contend that the company’s private holdings, and land for mine facilities and as a buffer land exchange will have an adverse would facilitate the expansion of the for mining operations. The effect on water quality. Phelps Ray Mine, an open-pit copper mine environmental groups want to Dodge insists the project will not located 50 miles north of Tucson. vacate the BLM’s decision to impact the nearby Gila River and In their lawsuit, the environmental approve the exchange. that no polluted water will leave the mine. The Center for Biological groups argued that “by gaining The Boulder, Colorado-based Diversity also contends that the private ownership of the land, Western Mining Action Project and BLM grossly undervalued the Asarco would no longer be subject the San Carlos Apache Tribe have federal land while overvaluing the to federal planning, reclamation, recently filed protests to prevent the private land, giving taxpayers “a raw and bonding requirements designed land exchange, according to the deal.” to reduce the environmental Eastern Arizona Courier. Western impacts of hard-rock mining The Seattle, Washington-based operations.” Graham County Supervisor Mark Herrington said Phelps Dodge went The same group previously the extra mile and did everything objected to a land exchange which right regarding the swap. allowed Phelps Dodge to expand Spokesmen for Phelps Dodge its Morenci mine by swapping assert that all the issues being raised 1,200 acres of private land for by the groups have already been 3,758 acres of public land. They addressed and that the project fear that combined land exchanges should be allowed to go forward. “would greatly expand mining operations along the middle Gila In the past, land swap River valley, further stressing this opponents—whose ranks have already imperiled ecosystem.” included union leaders and local residents in addition to the Should the BLM stand by its environmentalists and the tribe— decision to proceed with the Safford have objected to BLM reports and Land Exchange, the protestors studies concerning the exchange, could then appeal to the Interior which were performed by private Board of Land Appeals (IBLA). If contractors who were paid for by these groups decide to sue, they Phelps Dodge. could bring halt the $400 million Dos Pobres/San Juan Project, which is expected to bring 250 mining and 100 contract jobs to the struggling community of Stafford, Arizona. PD was hoping to build an open pit copper mine, which was scheduled to begin operation in 2007. Mine life for the project was estimated at 16 years. The land exchange has already dragged on for 10 years. The Safford land swap would also benefit the Tuzigoot National Monument, which would acquire the Tavasci Marsh, home to deer, antelope, rabbit, muskrat, prairie dogs, ducks and other birds. The Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area would receive additional riparian parcels from PD. It is one of only two Riparian National Conservation Areas in the United States. Graham County is considered a popular birding area, attracting migratory birds from Central and South Americas..