Posted on 04/25/2014 7:41:19 PM PDT by george76
A recent fire in Tombstone's historical district has brought back the battle between the city and the feds over the town's water supply.
Tombstone gets its water from a highly protected wilderness area in the Huachuca Mountains. The pipeline that transports water 30 miles across Cochise County has had problems since the Monument Fire in 2011. According to the City they still haven't been able to get the proper equipment into the area to permanently fix the issues.
The structures in Tombstone's historic district are like a tinderbox. In the past few years alone the site of what is currently Old West Studio has burned down twice and continued water worries have some residents like Hal Cloughley on edge.
...
Without being able to access all of their spring heads in the Huachucas with mechanized equipment, every time the pipeline gets washed out they are forced into a long process of getting it fixed.
"One time they shut us down for using a wheelbarrow because it's mechanized. I guess it is because it has a wheel I don't know," says Schmidt.
According to the Goldwater Institute who is representing Tombstone in its fight for water rights, the U.S. Forest Service has only allowed Tombstone access to three of their twenty five springs.
(Excerpt) Read more at kvoa.com ...
Once again, our “public servants” (this time the Forest Service) are being piss-poor stewards of the public lands. They do ANYTHING they can to show that THEY are the boss.
Something’s wrong when the Federal Government is more interested in helping Ukraine than Arizona.
Maybe Americans might be getting the message that living under communists left Democrats means the total loss of freedom.
Environmentalism is a mental disorder. Wondering why these sick-o’s are in our government?
OH YEAH! Democrats put them there.
Tombstone is “quaint,” but pretty dumpy...
What does your comment have to do with the town being denied access to their water supply sites and the ability to repair damage to the system that collects and transports the water to the town, by the federal government? Nothing.
I grew up in Arizona and have been to Tombstone many times. Much of their revenue is from tourists coming to see the OK Corral and Boothill Cemetery and other old west sites in and around the town proper. The eastern elitists in the federal bureaucracy have decided to overplay their hands when it comes to the western states again. They have decided that these townsfolk must not use anything but hand tools like shovels to restore the water system in the rugged Huachuca Mountains when large boulders and rocky terrain dictates that some heavy equipment must be used. When they deny the use of even wheelbarrows, it is obvious the Forest Service have sided with the radical environmentalists and not the human beings that pay taxes and live there.
This is perfect example of why the western states are starting to stand up to the eastern Washington DC federal government’s over-the-top regulations and intrusiveness into the very places they live and could manage themselves. I wish Tombstone and the Goldwater Institute good luck in taking back their water rights from the federal government which have stolen them.
This is an excellent example of an overbearing government. From a post I made a few days back, quoting an much older article:
“When asked in an interview why the Wilderness Act did not compel the U.S. Forest Service to block the city of Tombstone, Nick Dranias responded, “The Wilderness Act is subsequent to Tombstone’s rights. Tombstone has had these rights since 1881, and they are extremely well documented. The Wilderness Act explicitly says that it is subject to existing rights. Not only that, but the Forest Service manual says that customary uses and mechanized equipment can continue to be used under the Wilderness Act. In the past, they routinely allowed them to repair these water lines. In 1977 the lines were washed out, and they went in and repaired them. In 1993 the lines were washed out, and they went in and repaired them. In 2000 to 2001 they made repairs involving welding and the use of backhoes. This is the first time ever that the Forest Service has cited the Wilderness Act to block customary access to property rights that date back to 1881.”...
...There has been very little response outside of Tombstone itself from Federal elected officials. Tombstone is located in CD 8, formerly represented by Gabrielle Giffords. When asked if the interim office staff would respond to a request for help from, say, the mayor of Tombstone, a CD 8 representative said, “We can’t get involved in taking any positions until there is a new representative.” Raul Grijalva’s office did not return a telephone inquiry. Rep. Jeff Flake, from a congressional district to the north, did write a letter to the Forest Service demanding an explanation.”
Bravo
Militia Call coming ?
Excellent comment and explanation of what the US Forest Service and federal government in general is doing to prevent the town of Tombstone from restoring their rights to the spring water they have had since the 19th century.
Tucson and other pockets in southern Arizona are liberal and like the fact that the federal government is stopping these folks from damaging their precious wilderness areas. Raul Grijalva is about as close to a communist as anybody can get. He’s worthless. Anybody who has been to the Huachuca Mountains and the desert between them and Tombstone knows that there is nothing that is so delicate that the town shouldn’t be allowed to used modern equipment to restore their water flow.
Let the government manage something and you give them the power to deny you the use of it.
They don’t care if you have no water. They really don’t.
This might be of interest...
It seems like getting pipelines built is getting harder across the land.
Amen! Praying for them in my part of the state.
Sorry we don't live up to your standards. If you don't like it here, don't come back, we won't miss you.
sheriff Dannels and his posse should accompany the repair crew and go take possession of the water who's rights have been held since 1881 and send the USFS a bill via 'federal express' for the time and expense involved, along with a copy of the '64 Wilderness Act, with 'preexisting rights' clause highlighted in yellow.
It’s nice to know that the Forest Service has become so diligent about enforcing this nation’s laws. I suppose that they are busy even as we speak ensuring that illegal immigrants are not trespassing on Forest Service managed lands.
USAF LTC, Ret, Martha McSally is running as the Republican, candidate for Congress in Giffords’ old district. If Tombstone is still in it, it seems that Tombstone’s water rights would be a positive issue for her.
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