Posted on 10/26/2011 1:12:34 AM PDT by blueplum
WASHINGTON -- House Republicans and the Obama administration are at odds over a GOP bill aimed at boosting a proposed Arizona copper mine that would be the largest in North America.
GOP lawmakers and business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Mining Association, say the project would pump billions of dollars into the Arizona economy and help create nearly 4,000 mining-related jobs.
[snip]
Under the plan, first proposed in 2005, about 5,300 acres of environmentally sensitive land throughout Arizona would be transferred to federal control, including 3,000 acres on the lower San Pedro River in southeastern Arizona and 940 acres to be added to the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch southeast of Tucson. The land is controlled by Resolution Copper Co., a subsidiary of the giant global mining company Rio Tinto.
The Obama administration opposes the land swap, saying an environmental review should be completed before the exchange is made.
[snip]
The $6 billion mining project near Superior, Ariz., is believed to be the third-largest undeveloped copper resource in the world and the largest in North America. The company says the project would create at least 1,400 jobs on site and more than 3,700 related jobs.
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/26/4007306/land-swap-would-boost-huge-arizona.html#ixzz1bs9zRglY
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Hell, the bloody feds own over 80% of Arizona. Like Alaska, if we had more land control of our own state, we could become an economic power house.
I’ve heard it suggested that auctioning off all Federal lands would put a huge dent in the national debt.
Its illegal for the federal government to hold anything larger than a ten mile square piece of land.
All Federal lands are unconstitutional. End of story. Take them over and do with them what you will.
I am confused. Why transfer the land to the fed? That usually means it is locked up and not available for development.
in a red state
“... environmentally sensitive land..”
Why don’t they do the mining in Detroit where they need the jobs and can clean up all those brownfields there?
Will have to wait until a business friendly administration takes over, the present one is the most hostile to business I have ever had the misfortune of experiencing.
All Federal lands are unconstitutional. End of story. Take them over and do with them what you will.
Not exactly correct. Defense installations are allowed and to the best of my knowledge there is no area limitation. That said, we can still sell off probably 90% of the feds land holdings.
No, closer to 41%. You may have been thinking of Nevada. On a percentage basis, only Idaho, Utah and Nevada have more federal land than Alaska. None have more federal land measured in Acres.
The state is trying to trade its lizard land, for land belong and control by the blm around the mind. this is also real close to an Indian reservation.
Thank you.....seems I left out the most important detail.
I’d assume the land to be swapped either contains undesirable minerals, or minerals too expensive to extract, so the mining company is apparently exchanging that land for other federally-held land that is mineral-rich and exploitable.
However, for several decades now, there’s been a so-called moratorium on Patenting mining claims. Average Joe holding an Unpatented mining claim cannot patent (purchase) their own mine lease from the government and obtain full unhindered ownership; occupancy of that same mining claim is restricted to a few weeks a year and there are restrictions on building on that land also. For a small miner, it is perturbing that big mining companies don’t ever seem to have issues patenting their own ‘new’ claims thru the exact same Bureau of Land Management that enforces the moratorium on unpatented claim ‘leases’.
[As for locking up land, the ‘checkerboarding’ of Arizona left over from Railroad Days is a very compelling reason to buy real property in Arizona along section lines. In essence, the ‘locked up land’ across the section line adds 640 acres or so of never-to-be-developed land to one’s front yard - a very nice perk, imo.]
I’d rather not auction off Federal Lands for one main reason - foreign dollars and foreign ownership of large tracts of American land. The average American wouldn’t stand a chance in an auction.
“To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;”
Now who is delusional dickweed.
“•Only 15% of Arizona is privately owned. The rest is made up of government and state-owned land, such as National Forests, National Parks and recreation areas, as well as Native American reservations. Arizona is the state with the largest proportion of its area made up of Native American land.”
-fun-facts-and-figures-a29916#ixzz1bvgthHpg
http://donna-dailey.suite101.com/arizona-fun-facts-and-figures-a29916
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