Urge your Representative to SUPPORT HR 1183: Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection below.
Representative Raúl M.Grijalva introduced the Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act of 2013 to withdraw certain public lands in Pima and Santa Cruz counties from new mining claims, H.R. 1183. Read HR 1183 here We applaud Congressman Grijalva for this bill. It reflects the will of the people that he represents in Arizona’s 3rd U.S. Congressional District.
- Mining is the number one industrial polluter in the United States and consequently, the biggest threat to the health and well-being of the citizens of the town of Patagonia. Mining in the Patagonia mountains threatens to pollute the water for the town of Patagonia.
- The town of Patagonia’s water originates in the Patagonia Mountains. Furthermore, our clean air is also endangered by mining in the Patagonia mountains. The Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent Toxic Release Inventory shows Arizona’s metal mining and manufacturing industries produced about 84.5 million pounds of toxic chemicals in 2011.
- Mining also threatens to deplete Patagonia’s water supply. Besides toxic releases, Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon chapter said, mines’ heavy use of water could “de-water” an area, a real concern in Arizona. “Nobody is saying we aren’t going to have mines, but where they are and how it’s done … not every place that has metals should be mined,” Bahr said in article in the Arizona Capital Times.
- Additionally, mine jobs would eliminate the current jobs and economy that depends upon tourism to the surrounding public lands. The Outdoor Industry Association estimated that outdoor recreation generates $10.6 billion in consumer spending in Arizona each year and supports 104,000 jobs across the state. Read article in Phoenix Business Journal.
- We want to preserve our public lands for the future. A February poll released by Colorado College found that 82 percent of Arizonans recognize the central role of public lands in the state’s economy. The same poll also found that 58 percent of Arizonans call themselves conservationists.
The town of Patagonia cannot safely co-exist with mining in the Patagonia Mountains of Santa Cruz county.
We thank Congressman Grijalva for looking out for the well-being and the wishes of the citizens in his district.
