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Conserving West Desert Preserve seems promising, leaders say
Local conservationists are
hoping that plans to enlarge the copper mine west of town
may also lead the way to preserve and enlarge the West
Desert Preserve as a nature area for thousands to enjoy.
Currently, the land in question is State Trust land, which
is regulated and somewhat restricted to nature enthusiasts,
especially since the fees to use it were sharply increased
in the new year
Last December, Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold said it planned to build a second 300-foot-high impound pond at the mine site to deposit sulfate-laden waters. Freeport also wants to acquire some Trust land immediately south of the mining operation as a buffer zone. The impoundment ponds are part of the plan to keep sulfate-laden water from polluting some of Green Valley’s domestic water supplies. Sulfate-laden water is mostly harmless, but it can smell like rotten eggs and prompt diarrhea in some users. All the land in question is State Trust land, set aside for the state to use for its best interest. That happened when Arizona became a state in 1912. Some land has been sold by the state for more than $1 million an acre. Bill Adamson, chairman of the West Desert Preservation Area, said the area here might not be so expensive, since housing developers might not want to build west of the current Green Valley all the way to the mining operations. Adamson said his organization has had some productive talks with Lyn White, manager of government relations for Freeport McMoRan. From Phoenix, a State Land Trust official said it looked forward to talks with the mining company regarding the possible sale of the West Desert Preserve. Adamson said things sound promising that the 2,000 acre-plus segment could be spared from future housing development, leaving it as a desert preserve. The State Land Department requires users — hikers, bikers, bird watchers and others — to pay a fee to hike or ride on it. Last year, the yearly fees to use State Trust land were $15 for an individual user, $20 for a family. This year, the fees are $50 and $70. Adamson said his association has been mapping the areas in mind, marking trails and other things. “We want to see if there are any conflicts,” he said. Adamson said selling the land to the mining company is a win-win situation, the mine will get a buffer zone where it can drill wells it might need and the community gets an area “of great open spaces” to use for recreation. jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749
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