Bipartisan Gosar Bill to Foster Economic Development and Job Creation in Rural Arizona Moves Forward to Committee Hearing

Statement

Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after a House Committee on Natural Resources legislative hearing on H.R. 2630, which would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land to La Paz County, Arizona, to create economic development opportunities and facilitate renewable electricity generation for the Western United States:

"This bipartisan legislation is a remarkable opportunity to put Arizona's best asset, sunshine, to work. Solar energy generation in La Paz County will provide clean renewable power for the Southwestern United States as well as create high paying jobs and economic development for this rural corner of Arizona. Many are unaware of the burdensome federal land issues Western counties face," said Rep. Gosar, "but I am here to advocate for the citizens of La Paz County and am happy to serve as an ally for American energy opportunity."

"I am pleased that a county which currently has only six percent of its land available for taxable economic use is about to see new opportunities, increased employment and energy innovation. This bill will allow the County to purchase approximately 8,000 acres from the BLM at fair market value to use for solar energy development. This means a return to economic opportunity and prosperity for the hard-working citizens of La Paz County. I commend Chairman Wilson, the County Board of Supervisors and the broad stakeholders for assisting in the creation of this commonsense bill that signals a commitment to sustainable energy and innovation in Arizona."

"I'd like to thank Congressman Gosar for spearheading the La Paz County Land Conveyance Act, which would finally allow us to put more of our land to good use," stated La Paz County Supervisor and Chairman of the Board D.L. Wilson. "Far from simply accepting the challenges of the immense federal footprint in our community, we are creating new opportunities to take full advantage of the unique assets of our County. The work we are doing with this bill will have direct positive impact on the lives of La Paz residents by creating good paying jobs and providing much-needed revenue for important county services."

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