Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011

Floor Speech

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Mr. QUAYLE. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1904, a bill authored by my good friend and fellow Arizonan, Congressman Gosar, that will create thousands of jobs in Arizona.

I want to commend Chairman Hastings for his work on this and for bringing it to the floor today.

What we see right now is a jobs crisis that we have in America. We need to be able to unleash the ingenuity of our job creators. We also have to make sure that we're not putting up barriers for people to actually start companies, expand companies and hire new workers.

H.R. 1904 will have broad economic impacts, not only for Arizona but for the country as a whole, because it will create 3,700 jobs equaling nearly $220.5 million in annual wages. These are good, high-paying jobs right here in America. It will also generate nearly $20 billion in Federal, State, county, and local tax revenue.

This is a win-win. Not only is this legislation completely paid for, but it also ensures that mining is done in a responsible manner because H.R. 1904 requires full compliance with NEPA and because it requires tribal consultation prior to mine construction.

Now, Mr. Chairman, copper is a vital mineral that we have in the United States and across the world. It's going to continue to be vital because it's a critical mineral that is widely used in construction, telecommunications, electricity, and transportation. Copper is also extremely conductive, which makes it very important in power generation and utility transmission.

Our actual desire and demand for copper is just going to continue to go up. That's why we've actually started to import close to 30 percent of our copper from foreign countries. Now, if we actually open up this mine and allow this land swap to happen, this project alone could provide us with enough copper to meet 25 percent of current U.S. demand. By taking advantage of American sources of copper, we can prevent supply disruptions and decrease our dependence on foreign imports. Most importantly, Mr. Chairman, this bill will create thousands of American jobs in a responsible manner at no cost to the taxpayer.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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Mr. GOSAR. I thank the chairman for yielding.

My legislation shows you can protect the land and the water and have a strong economy with good jobs.

The land exchange will bring into Federal stewardship 5,500 acres of high-priority conservation lands in exchange for the third largest undeveloped copper deposit in the world. I'd like to speak about one in particular.

The 7B Ranch, located in Pinal County, Arizona, is 3,073 acres designated by the Nature Conservancy as one of the last great places on Earth. And the Forest Service testified that this property was ``priceless''--and you will get a chance to see some of them.

This area is home to a free-flowing artesian spring-fed wetland populated by lowland leopard frogs, nesting birds, and native fish. In addition, this parcel is recognized by BirdLife International as an ``important bird area.'' These are amazing sites. These have ``priceless'' as their connotation.

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I find it very interesting that my opponent, or our opponent on the other side, actually focuses a picture of Apache Leap, which is specifically excluded from this legislation. Therefore, when we talk about, in regards to protecting the sites, we have done so. As far as the consultation is concerned, we have done consultations.

Mr. LUJÁN. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. GOSAR. No, I will not yield.

Mr. LUJÁN. Mr. Chairman, we know that that's not in here.

Mr. GOSAR. That is Apache Leap.

The Acting CHAIR. The time is controlled by the gentleman from Arizona, and the Chair would ask all Members to respect that.

Mr. GOSAR. The point of reference is that we cite all the Native tribes. They are far from being in unison. In fact, during our conversation within the Resources Committee, former tribal chairman and 16-year tribal Councilman Harrison Talgo testified that the traditional Apache values are not mutually exclusive with economic development.

Given that the San Carlos Apache is one of the most impoverished tribes in the Nation, with unemployment rates around 70 percent and poverty affecting every facet of tribal members' life, I couldn't agree more with Mr. Talgo.

Mr. Talgo also points out that Oak Flat, the campground in question, is a long way from the reservation. He also pointed out the majority of tribal members he speaks about in this project support this project.

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