Letter to the Hon. Lisa Murkowski, and the Hon. Maria Cantwell - Resolves 28-Year-Old Land Exchange, Allows City of Tucson to Expand and Improve Cherished Urban Park

Letter

Dear Chair Murkowski and Ranking Member Cantwell:

We are writing to urge the Committee to bring closure to a land exchange between the City of Tucson and the Bureau of Land Management almost three decades ago. H.R. 1547, the Udall Park Land Exchange Completion Act brings the matter to a satisfactory conclusion and honors an historic agreement between the two parties. This legislation passed the House unanimously by a vote of 401-0 after being reported by the Committee on Natural Resources.

We thank you for holding a subcommittee hearing on the Senate companion bill in February, and strongly request that your committee bring up the bill for consideration at the next business meeting.

Passage of the legislation would provide for the unencumbering of title to 173 acres of non-Federal land owned by the City of Tucson, Arizona for purposes of economic development by conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest to the City. We believe the specific circumstances requiring passage of this legislation are very different from other legislation intended to eliminate reverters from Recreation and Public Purposes Act Patents issued to other entities by the Bureau of Land Management.

In 1989, by signed agreement, the City transferred a parcel of land to the BLM that was valued at $4 million, resolved a long-standing $324,000 gravel trespass of Federal minerals by a private company and paid $145,00 to move a USGS facility to other Federal lands. In exchange, the BLM granted the subject R&PP Patent, with a reverter, to the City of Tucson and the BLM State Director signed a letter to the City promising to support Federal legislation to remove the reverter. There were exigent circumstances requiring the matter to be handled in this manner. The City believed everyone would honor the agreement, which was fully supported by the Arizona delegation and BLM's Headquarters at the time.

Twenty-eight years have passed and this issue is begging to be resolved on behalf of the City as soon as possible. Udall Park is one of the most popular recreational destinations for Tucson residents, and it is also a living tribute to one of the great Arizonans of the 20th Century, Congressman Mo Udall.

Thank you for your time and attention to this needed legislation.