Oak Flat

Tell Congress to Vote no on H.R. 687

 

VOTE NO ON H.R. 687, SE ARIZONA LAND EXCHANGE
DON’T GIVEAWAY U.S. TAXPAYER RESOURCES TO FOREIGN CORPORATIONS

H.R. 687 constitutes an historic giveaway of U.S. taxpayer assets, destruction of a Native American Holy Site, and the removal of public input on the largest block cave mine in North America that will cost the drought-ridden Southeast Arizona region billions of gallons of water.

Destruction of a Place of Worship. H.R. 687 will transfer 2,400 acres of the Tonto National Forest (TNF) to a foreign mining joint venture Rio Tinto and its subsidiary Resolution Copper Mining (RCM) to mine copper in SE Arizona.  The land encompasses Oak Flat, Apache Leap and surrounding National jewels, currently protected by President Eisenhower’s Public Lands Order 1229 (1955).

The area is a place of worship for the Apache and Yavapai people. It is also a place of ancient settlements and burial sites. For centuries, Native Americans have gone to the Site for prayer, to conduct ceremonies, and for peace and personal cleansing.

In short order, injecting a mine on these lands will destroy the plants and medicines that Native people rely upon for ceremonies.  In the long term, the ground will cave in and destroy the area, along with the Apache and Yavapai religion – a life that their children and grandchildren will never know.

Earmark / Giveaway to Foreign Mining Interests.  As Congress works to reduce a $16 trillion federal deficit, asking American families to make sacrifices, H.R. 687 transfers federal lands and $billions in U.S. assets for pennies on the dollar.  The Bill earmarks Rio Tinto Mining for this giveaway. Section 4(d) diverges from the normal appraisal process and highly favors Rio Tinto.

The bill provides no guarantees that the copper will be used in the U.S.  Rio Tinto is partnered with Chinalco, owned by the Chinese government.  China is the world’s fastest consumer of copper.

H.R. 687 rewards Rio Tinto, which has refused to cut its existing ties to the Iran Foreign Investment Company.  Rio Tinto and Iran are partners in a uranium mining operation in Namibia, Africa.  (“What should we make of Iran’s Nuclear Program?” http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3664472.html)

No Transparency or Consultation. H.R 687 mandates the federal land swap within one-year of enactment.  Rio Tinto / RCM will not have to inform the public about their plans for water, waste disposal, or impacts on the land prior to the mandatory transfer.

No NEPA. Once in private ownership, H.R. 687 Section 4(j) limits environmental reviews to “applicable Federal laws”, which rarely apply to private non-federal lands.  Impacted tribes, the local community and the U.S. will have no say in what is done on the foreign-owned / privately held lands.

The primary purpose of establishing the TNF in 1905 was to protect the region’s precious watersheds. The Resolution Copper Project will strike at the heart of these watersheds, requiring at least 40,000 acre-feet of water each year for decades = 13 BILLION GALLONS OF WATER/YEAR.

The bill also circumvents the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and other laws designed to require consultation with impacted Tribes BEFORE a land transfer takes place.

The project will destroy a place of worship, all for the purpose of transferring $billion$ in U.S. Taxpayer assets to a specially selected foreign-owned mining conglomerate.
$H.R. 687 is a deal that the American Taxpayer cannot afford to make.
VOTE “NO” ON H.R. 687

Tribes and Tribal Orgs with Resolutions/Letters Opposing H.R. 687/S. 339, SE AZ Land Exchange

  • National Congress of American Indians – the oldest and largest organization representing tribes across the country
  • Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona – represents 20 tribes in Arizona
  • Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada – represents 27 tribes in Nevada
  • United South and Eastern Tribes- represents 26 tribes in Maine, New York, Connecticut,Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,

    Florida, and Texas and based in Tennessee

  • California Association of Tribal Governments – represents tribal governments in California
  • Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes – represents 35 tribes in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, andIowa
  • Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest Indians – represents 57 tribes located in Washington, Oregon,Idaho, Southeast Alaska, Northern California, and Western Montana
  • All Indian Pueblo Council – represents 20 pueblos located in New Mexico and Texas
  • San Carlos Apache Tribe, Arizona
  • Hopi Tribe, Arizona
  • Ak-Chin Indian Community, Arizona
  • Ft. McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona
  • White Mountain Apache Tribe, Arizona
  • Colorado River Indian Tribes, Arizona
  • Cocopah Indian Tribe, Arizona
  • Hualapai Tribe, Arizona
  • Tohono O’odham Nation, Arizona
  • Quechan Indian Tribe, Arizona
  • Tonto Apache Tribe, Arizona
  • Ft. Mojave Indian Tribe, Arizona, California, and Nevada
  • Susanville Indian Rancheria, California
  • Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, California
  • Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, California
  • Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, Louisiana
  • Sault Ste. Marie Tribe, Michigan
  • Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico
  • Mescalero Apache Tribe, New Mexico
  • Pueblo of Zuni, New Mexico
  • Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Idaho
  • Cherokee Nation, OklahomaTribes and Tribal Orgs with Resolutions/Letters Opposing H.R. 1904 in the 112th Congress – Same bill as H.R. 687
  • National Congress of American Indians
  • Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona
  • Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada
  • United South and Eastern Tribes
  • Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes
  • Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association – represents 16 tribes in North Dakota, South Dakota, andNebraska

  • All Indian Pueblo Council
  • Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, Inc.
  • Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest Indians
  • San Carlos Apache Tribe, Arizona
  • White Mountain Apache Tribe, Arizona
  • Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Arizona
  • Yavapai-Apache Nation, Arizona
  • Yavapai- Prescott Indian Tribe, Arizona
  • Ft. McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona
  • Cocopah Indian Tribe, Arizona
  • Hopi Tribe, Arizona
  • Tohono O’odham Nation, Arizona
  • Navajo Nation Council, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah
  • Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission
  • Dine (Navajo) Medicine Men’s Association
  • Ft. Mojave Indian Tribe, Arizona, California, and Nevada
  • Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Alabama
  • Sealaska Heritage Institute, Alaska
  • Susanville Indian Rancheria, California
  • Ramona Band of Cahuilla, California
  • Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, California
  • Karuk Tribe, California
  • Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Colorado
  • Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Idaho
  • Association on American Indian Affairs, Maryland
  • Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, Michigan
  • Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, Nevada
  • Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, Nevada
  • Wells Band Council, Te-Moak Tribe, Nevada
  • Mescalero Apache Tribe, New Mexico
  • Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico
  • Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico
  • Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico
  • Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico
  • Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico
  • Pueblo of Zuni, New Mexico and Arizona
  • Confederated Tribes and Band of the Yakama Nation, Washington
  • Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington
  • Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Washington
  • Skokomish Indian Tribe, Washington
  • Muckleshoot Tribe, Washington
  • Shoshone & Arapaho Tribes, Wyoming