Dear Ms. Bush,
The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance was horribly disappointed with your editorial for Tucson KOLD News, “Time to end fight, start mining”.
We don’t consider actions of the opposition to the proposed Rosemont Mine as fighting. This mine would have a permanent impact on the area’s water supply, ecosystem, landscape and residents. We, the public, are entitled to a thorough analysis of the potential impacts of the proposed mine as accorded to us by the National Environmental Policy Act. When governing agencies fail to follow the rules as dictated by NEPA, lawsuits are often the only tool available to get compliance. Public lands belong to everyone, and we have a legal right to a transparent and thorough review of projects proposed on our public land. Don’t deny us our due process.
Arizona was traditionally a mining state, but mining has been replaced by the tourism, aerospace, and micro-electronics industries as our top revenue producers. Also consider that the revenue generated by mining is closely followed by that generated through agriculture/food production. Mining is no longer the primary driving economic force of Arizona. The Arizona Office of Tourism commissioned a ten year study that showed total direct travel spending in Arizona in 2008 was $18.5 billion with $1.4 billion in state and local tax revenues and $1.2 billion in federal tax revenues. These revenues are most important to rural areas like Sonoita. Can we afford to jeopardize our largest economic driver and greatest source of tax revenue?
Also note that a study commissioned by the Western Governors’ Association showed that outdoor recreation is a $646 billion national industry and in the Western States, it’s a $256 billion industry. Why not promote outdoor recreation in the Santa Rita Mountains? It’s sustainable; compatible with the current ranching and farming economy; and far less harmful to the water supply and ecology.
Arizona currently has enough operating copper mines to meet demand. These mines currently have hundreds of unfilled job openings implying that they are not even operating at full production. If current mines are unable to find sufficient workforce in Arizona, where is Rosemont Copper going to get their workers? The jobs they promise will have to be filled by an imported workforce. How does that benefit the unemployment rate in Arizona?
The Rosemont Mine has a projected life-span of approximately 20 years and will result in permanent damage to the Rosemont Valley and surrounding ecosystem. We need visionaries willing to look at the bigger picture and willing to move forward with what is going to benefit the most people for the longest period of time. The proposed Rosemont Mine does not fit that bill. Pushing it forward for the sake of short-term jobs denies the area of the much greater potential economic benefits of promoting industries such as ranching, food & wine production, outdoor recreation and tourism. We ask that you reconsider your position and promote a more sustainable and beneficial economic future for all Arizonans.
Sincerely,
Wendy Russell
Patagonia Area Resource Alliance
If you’d like to record a rebuttal to the KOLD editorial, e-mail Debbie Bush at dbush@TucsonNewsNow.com
