1) Honorable President Obama, We are facing a tragic situation here in Arizona. In 1955, President Eisenhower set aside Oak Flat campground near the historical site of Apache Leap with presidential order PLO-1229. The local story is that Mamie Eisenhower had picnicked there during their visit to Arizona, and twisted his arm. You have not spent much time in Arizona, but believe me an oak grove with edible acorns is rare. Even in 1955, there were copper mining operations near the site. A tunnel operation in which the Magma Company refilled the tunnels with the waste rock dug from the next tunnel. In other words, the on-site environmental impact was minimal in the Oak Flat region. Two foreign mining companies (Rio Tinto and BHP) with the worst possible environmental record have bought the old mining area, but they want the Oak Flat campground too. The reasons are pretty clear. They have found a copper vein at the edge of the campground with grade of 2%. Arizona mines’ ore average .26 - .35% copper. They plan to have a pit of one mile in diameter from 5,000 to 7,000 ft. underground. The necessity of pumping of water out of that pit will dewater the whole region and destroy all the trees of Oak Flat, and the unique vegetation of nearby Devil’s Canyon. The bill has been introduced several times by Senator Kyl and Senator McCain, who receive generous campaign contributions from the mining sector. This go-round the Senate Bill is S.409, and is scheduled to be heard in the Public Lands and Forests sub-committee on June 17. They have never spoken with the local group and the retired miners group, who oppose the mine. Neither have they met with the Native American coalition of six tribes of the Apache Nation. This omission is also true of Rep. Anne Kirkpatrick, who recently introduced Bill H.R. 2509. Neither has there been any evaluation at all of the trees, plants, birds and wildlife on the properties. Here’s the reality: http://www.mining-law-reform.info/LandSwap.htm The nearby Apache Leap is a special, historical place for the Apaches. On this site, some 75 Apache warriors were trapped by cavalry troops from Camp Pinal. Rather than face incarceration (or worse), they leapt to their freedom of death off the cliff. If the Americans made the site of Custer’s Last Stand a National Monument, Apache Leap certainly qualifies also. Over a year ago, the six Apache Tribes sent a letter to President Bush requesting that he reaffirm PLO-1229 to preserve these traditional lands for their unique recreational and historical values. When they did not receive any reply, we posted a petition on the Internet to show our alliance with the Native American request. That petition is posted at http://www.petitiononline.com/coop2468/petition.html. To date, there have been 4,047 signatures on the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?coop2468 Personally, I hope that you will reaffirm the protection of Oak Flat and honor the wisdom of Eisenhower—and the traditions of the Native Americans in the region. 2) Thanks to Carolina Castillo Butler Dear President Obama: How would you like it if you signed an Executive Order to set aside some beautiful land for the American people and their future generations – and then when you were dead and gone, some future Congress and president would try to give that beautiful land to a foreign company so they could mine it? I’ll bet you wouldn’t like it one bit. Neither would the public. It would be a shameful betrayal of your thoughtfulness. When President Jimmy Carter set aside land in Alaska, the next president did not reverse him. When President Bill Clinton set aside lands as national monuments, President George W. Bush did not reverse him. Presidents are revered by grateful, future generations for setting aside beautiful land. Where would our spirit be if we did not have the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone or the other special places that gladden our hearts? Former Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon signed Executive Orders to preserve USFS land in Arizona which today some would exchange so that there can be copper mining there. Legislation S.409 is before the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests and there are several reasons to oppose it. I’ve listed a few in my attached testimony. Other citizens have more reasons to oppose S.409. Thank you for standing strong to preserve this land and upholding the courage and vision of two past presidents.
|