In a move viewed as intended to halt the Rosemont copper mine [right, credit Rosemont Copper], U.S. representatives Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords introduced legislation (HR 2944) in Congress to withdraw all federal lands in Pima County and certain other lands from mining and geothermal leasing and development.
This follows President Obama's announcement a few weeks ago that the federal government is investing $375 million of stimulus funds to pursue geothermal energy exploration.
The bill text is:
To withdraw certain Federal lands and interests located in Pima and Santa Cruz counties, Arizona, from the mining and mineral leasing laws of the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act of 2009'.
SEC. 2. WITHDRAWAL OF FEDERAL LANDS AND INTERESTS LOCATED IN PIMA AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES, ARIZONA.
Subject to valid existing rights, after the date of enactment of this Act--
(1) all federally owned interests in National Forest lands in Santa Cruz County and Pima County, Arizona, are withdrawn from--
(A) all forms of entry, appropriation, and disposal under the public land laws;
(B) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
(C) operation of the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, and the mineral materials laws;
(2) all federally owned subsurface interests under the administrative jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management in lands in Pima County, Arizona, with respect to which the surface interests are owned by such county, including in such lands located in Davidson Canyon, are withdrawn from--
(A) all forms of entry, appropriation and disposal under the public land laws;
(B) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
(C) operation of the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, and the mineral materials laws; and
(3) all federally owned interests in Bureau of Land Management lands in Pima County, Arizona, are withdrawn from entry, location, or patent under the general mining laws.