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Resolution Copper Company (RCC) Land Exchange—S. 2466, the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2006 Lower San Pedro River Land Ownership Map In April 2005, The Tucson Audubon Society Board of Directors discussed the Resolution Copper Land Exchange and decided that it was unable to support the exchange, as proposed, at that time. (Read TAS's letter) Nevertheless, the bill has advanced to a Senate subcommittee. AS OF 9/07 REQUESTS FOR HEARINGS HAVE BEEN MADE IN BOTH THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE. In a nutshell, a foreign-owned mining company, Resolution Copper Company (RCC) (Rio Tinto of the United Kingdom owns 55% and Broken Hill Properties (BHP) of Australia owns 45%) has acquired the old Magma Mine outside Superior and wishes to expand its holdings. RCC’s research indicates that it may be the largest and highest-grade copper ore deposit known, to date, in North America. RCC wants to acquire the nearby Oak Flat Campground, located in the Tonto National Forest, to mine in the area. President Eisenhower removed Oak Flat from mineral exploration and extraction in 1955 (Public Land Order 1229). Oak Flat and the nearby Apache Leap are significant cultural sites for the Apache people. Within the San Pedro watershed, The Pinal County Board of Supervisors approved a massive (up to 35,000 residences) mixed-use community on BHP’s lands (over 23,000 acres) around the community of San Manuel, along the west side of the lower San Pedro River. Meanwhile, Resolution Copper proposes to preserve a 3,000-acre mesquite bosque (the 7B), just downstream of BHP’s lands, through its exchange. BHP’s proposed development will dewater and devalue not only the 7B bosque, but also dewater and devalue mitigation lands of the Salt River Project (SRP) and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), as well as lands owned and managed for conservation by the Nature Conservancy (TNC). We can’t understand how RCC proposes mitigating lands that will be devalued by their partner, BHP. Southwestern Willow Flycatchers densely occupy the lower San Pedro River between Three Links and the Gila River confluence. In 2005, the most-recent year for which complete survey data has been summarized, the reach thus described contained 164 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher territories consisting of 308 adult birds—over 99% of this species’ territories on the San Pedro River within the U.S. Approximately 60 river miles of the lower San Pedro River between a point approximately 3.5 river miles south of Hot Springs Canyon to the Gila River confluence have been designated critical habitat for Southwestern Willow Flycatchers. Investigations conducted in the 1940s and 1970s documented between 95 and 111 bird species solely within the mesquite bosque currently owned by RCC (Arnold 1940, Gavin and Sowls, 1975). In 2005, there were 107 individual Southwestern Willow Flycatchers documented at San Manuel Crossing (which includes BHP lands) with over 50 pairs and nests (English, et al, 2006.Southwestern Willow Flycatcher 2005 Survey and Nest Monitoring Report. Arizona Game and Fish Department Technical Report 248). Aravaipa Creek, a major tributary to the lower San Pedro River, contains an intact native fish assemblage including the threatened spikedace (Meda fulgida) and loach minnow (Tiaroga cobitis). The presence of a robust population of these fishes in a tributary stream and the largely unregulated hydrology of both waters led to an approximately 13-mile reach of the lower San Pedro River being proposed for spikedace critical habitat. The desert box turtle and the lowland leopard frog are also of concern. While Tucson Audubon remains opposed to the exchange, we are hopeful that, if it moves forward, its conservation will be functional and meaningful. At a minimum, that means that BHP cannot dewater RCC’s lands. Specific language that designates the 7B parcel AND the mosaic of other mitigation lands, WITH THE ADDITION OF BHP's RIVER LANDS and some portion of their 20,000-acre feet of water rights, as a Wildlife Refuge or a Riparian National Conservation Area (RNCA), is essential in order to adequately manage the area for conservation and avoid incompatible uses. Without the inclusion of BHP's river lands, there is no point in acquiring the 7B, and the other entities will find it difficult, if not impossible, to meet their mitigation requirements along the lower San Pedro. Without inclusion of one of these two designations that mandate special management, the persistence of long-term conservation values of ALL the parcels in question is doubtful. Please contact your senators and tell them that you would like to see a National Wildlife Refuge and/or a Riparian National Conservation Area (RNCA) on the lower San Pedro, as a part of the Resolution Copper Company land exchange.
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