H.R. 644, GRAND CANYON WATERSHEDS PROTECTION ACT OF 2009 LEGISLATIVE HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS AND PUBLIC LANDS OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION Tuesday, July 21, 2009 Serial No. 111-27 Printed for the use of the Committee on Natural Resources ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/index.html or Committee address: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 51-143 PDF WASHINGTON : 2009 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Nov 24 2008 16:30 Jan 19, 2010 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 L:\DOCS\51143.TXT Hresour1 PsN: KATHY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES NICK J. RAHALL, II, West Virginia, Chairman DOC HASTINGS, Washington, Ranking Republican Member Dale E. Kildee, Michigan Don Young, Alaska Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa Elton Gallegly, California Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey Jeff Flake, Arizona Grace F. Napolitano, California Henry E. Brown, Jr., South Carolina Rush D. Holt, New Jersey Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington Rau´ l M. Grijalva, Arizona Louie Gohmert, Texas Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam Rob Bishop, Utah Jim Costa, California Bill Shuster, Pennsylvania Dan Boren, Oklahoma Doug Lamborn, Colorado Gregorio Sablan, Northern Marianas Adrian Smith, Nebraska Martin T. Heinrich, New Mexico Robert J. Wittman, Virginia George Miller, California Paul C. Broun, Georgia Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts John Fleming, Louisiana Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon Mike Coffman, Colorado Maurice D. Hinchey, New York Jason Chaffetz, Utah Donna M. Christensen, Virgin Islands Cynthia M. Lummis, Wyoming Diana DeGette, Colorado Tom McClintock, California Ron Kind, Wisconsin Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Lois Capps, California Jay Inslee, Washington Joe Baca, California Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, South Dakota John P. Sarbanes, Maryland Carol Shea-Porter, New Hampshire Niki Tsongas, Massachusetts Frank Kratovil, Jr., Maryland Pedro R. Pierluisi, Puerto Rico James H. Zoia, Chief of Staff Rick Healy, Chief Counsel Todd Young, Republican Chief of Staff Lisa Pittman, Republican Chief Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS AND PUBLIC LANDS RAU´ L M. GRIJALVA, Arizona, Chairman ROB BISHOP, Utah, Ranking Republican Member Dale E. Kildee, Michigan Don Young, Alaska Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii Elton Gallegly, California Grace F. Napolitano, California John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee Rush D. Holt, New Jersey Jeff Flake, Arizona Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam Henry E. Brown, Jr., South Carolina Dan Boren, Oklahoma Louie Gohmert, Texas Martin T. Heinrich, New Mexico Bill Shuster, Pennsylvania Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon Robert J. Wittman, Virginia Maurice D. Hinchey, New York Paul C. Broun, Georgia Donna M. Christensen, Virgin Islands Mike Coffman, Colorado Diana DeGette, Colorado Cynthia M. Lummis, Wyoming Ron Kind, Wisconsin Tom McClintock, California Lois Capps, California Doc Hastings, Washington, ex officio Jay Inslee, Washington Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, South Dakota John P. Sarbanes, Maryland Carol Shea-Porter, New Hampshire Niki Tsongas, Massachusetts Pedro R. Pierluisi, Puerto Rico Nick J. Rahall, II, West Virginia, ex officio (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 16:30 Jan 19, 2010 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 L:\DOCS\51143.TXT Hresour1 PsN: KATHY CONTENTS Page Hearing held on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 ............................................................... 1 Statement of Members: Bishop, Hon. Rob, a Representative in Congress from the State of Utah ... 2 Grijalva, Hon. Rau´ l M., a Representative in Congress from the State of Arizona ...................................................................................................... 1 Hastings, Hon. Doc, a Representative in Congress from the State of Washington .................................................................................................... 4 Heinrich, Hon. Martin, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Mexico ............................................................................................... 5 Kildee, Hon. Dale, a Representative in Congress from the State of Michigan ........................................................................................................ 4 Statement of Witnesses: Archuleta, Elizabeth C., Supervisor, District 2, Coconino County Board of Supervisors, Flagstaff, Arizona ............................................................... 8 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 10 Brothers, Kay, Deputy General Manager, Engineering and Operations, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Las Vegas, Nevada ........................... 12 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 14 Hedden, Bill, Executive Director, Grand Canyon Trust, Flagstaff, Arizona ........................................................................................................... 41 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 42 Kreamer, David K., Ph.D., Professor of Hydrology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada .................................................................... 37 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 39 Putesoy, Matthew, Vice Chairman, Havasupai Tribal Council, Supai, Arizona ........................................................................................................... 6 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 7 Singh, Madan M., Ph.D., P.E., Director, Department of Mines and Mineral Resources, State of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona ............................ 15 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 16 Trautwein, Mark, Former Staffer to Congressman Morris Udall, San Anselmo, California ...................................................................................... 33 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 34 Vail, Clarinda T., Properties Manager, Red Feather, Inc., and Tusayan Land and Cattle Company, Tusayan, Arizona ........................................... 46 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 48 Wenrich, Dr. Karen, Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Retired, Golden, Colorado ........................................................................................... 50 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 52 (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 16:30 Jan 19, 2010 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 L:\DOCS\51143.TXT Hresour1 PsN: KATHY VerDate Nov 24 2008 16:30 Jan 19, 2010 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 L:\DOCS\51143.TXT Hresour1 PsN: KATHY LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON H.R. 644, TO WITH- DRAW THE TUSAYAN RANGER DISTRICT AND FEDERAL LAND MANAGED BY THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT IN THE VICINITY OF KANAB CREEK AND IN HOUSE ROCK VALLEY FROM LOCATION, ENTRY, AND PATENT UNDER THE MINING LAWS. (GRAND CANYON WATERSHEDS PROTEC- TION ACT OF 2009) Tuesday, July 21, 2009 U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Committee on Natural Resources Washington, D.C. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:02 a.m. in Room 1324, Longworth House Office Building, The Honorable Rau´ l M. Grijalva [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding. Present: Representatives Grijalva, Hastings, Kildee, Bishop, Heinrich, Shea-Porter, Coffman, and Lummis. STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE RAU´ L M. GRIJALVA, A REP- RESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA Mr. GRIJALVA. Let me call the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands to order. This is a legislative hearing on H.R. 644, and I’d like to welcome everyone, particularly our witnesses—some of whom had to go through considerable lengths to be here with us. We are very appreciative of your presence and look forward to your testimony. Like the Statue of Liberty, or the Dome of the U.S. Capitol Building just across the street from us, the Grand Canyon is one of the most instantly recognizable icons in the world. The canyon’s walls and jagged formations are shorthand for what makes this country exceptional, and what we stand for as a people. Grand Canyon National Park evokes nostalgia for family vaca- tions and park rangers spinning yarns about the canyon lore over a campfire. It reminds us that those who came before us had the foresight to save this place for us and we, in turn, bear the heavy responsibility of preserving this place for those who will come after us. Like the Grand Canyon itself, this kind of large landscape pres- ervation is uniquely American and also worth preserving. However, in the past several years, in response to booming demands for uranium, thousands of mining claims have popped up along the park’s edge, threatening the natural and cultural resources of the park as well as its watershed. This is deeply troubling to the business people who depend on the park for their (1) VerDate Nov