RE: Oppose Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2005

Dear Representative ,

I urge you to oppose H.R. 2618, ironically named the "Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2005," because it would end protection of Tonto National Forest's Oak Flat Campground/Devils Canyon area from mining. A vote for H.R. 2618 is a vote to allow the world's two largest mining companies to destroy Oak Flat and Devils Canyon with a copper mine.

If Resolution Copper Company (RCC), a joint project of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, acquires Oak Flat Campground and the surrounding public lands in the Tonto National Forest, it would end public recreational access to some of the most spectacular outdoor recreation and wildlife viewing areas in Arizona. H.R. 2618 would force the public to exchange the Oak Flat/Devils Canyon area for lands of considerably lesser value. The exchange would bypass public participation in the process and would allow Resolution Copper to shirk its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act. This type of deal usually comes to Congress when proponents know that it can't withstand public scrutiny.

Oak Flat campground was recognized by President Eisenhower as an important recreational resource as far back as 1955, when he signed Public Land Order 1229 which specifically put this land off limits to future mining activity. It is a world-class natural resource for birding, hiking, camping, rock climbing, bouldering, canyoneering, picnicking, responsible off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, and other recreational uses, and home to the largest outdoor climbing competition in the world, the annual Phoenix BoulderBlast. On the eastern border of Oak Flat is Devils Canyon, one of the crown jewels of our state trust lands with some of the finest remaining riparian habitat in Arizona.

The land exchange would also privatize Apache Leap, a landmark very important to Native Americans and the general public. Provisions of H.R. 2618 would allow RCC to mine under Apache Leap if they could "prove" the mining method used would not impact the surface.

I strongly urge you to protect these public lands for the public's future use and preserve the unique opportunities for all Americans that the Oak Flat area provides by opposing H.R. 2618.

Most Sincerely,

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