Mccain Receives Earful On Land Trade: Sun Staff Reporter

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McCain receives earful on land trade Phoenix, AZ

By SETH MULLER Tucson, AZ
Sun Staff Reporter
12/07/2003 Visit Arizona Sn
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• View Past Issues FLAGSTAFF and CAMP VERDE -- U.S. Sen. John McCain paid visits to
Flagstaff and Camp Verde Saturday to share his thoughts on the Yavapai Ranch
land exchange and to listen to concerns of residents.
News Headlines
Local News
State News Flagstaff City Hall filled with 190 people who came to hear McCain talk about
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his sponsoring of legislation for the land exchange. It was a modest showing,
Sports both in attendance and expressed concerns when compared to the Camp Verde
meeting at the town's public schools complex.
Arts & Living
Business Nearly 600 people filled the 454-seat auditorium in Camp Verde and nearly all
Police Log comments and questions were critical of the land trade.
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Deemed the largest and most complex land exchange in the state of Arizona, the
Obituaries proposed trade allows the Forest Service to gain private ranch inholdings and
Movie Listings consolidate a combined 70,000 acres while trading off lands that border
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Weather municipalities.
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"I have never been involved in a single issue in northern Arizona that has
Your View (Letters) generated this much interest," McCain said at the Flagstaff meeting. "Nor have I
Submit a letter seen one as controversial."
Jobs Sen. Jon Kyl was supposed to attend both meetings but did not make it. McCain
Autos passed along Kyl's apologies, but no reason was given for his lack of
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Real Estate attendance. Kyl co-sponsored the Senate bill, which awaits a vote. The House P/T Proof Operatio
All Classifieds version introduced by U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Flagstaff, passed in late
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At both meetings, McCain shared his views of the exchange and explained that
Latest Photos he supported the legislative land swap to move the process forward in a
News Photos reasonable period of time --but he noted his concerns for the Verde Valley
Sports Photos
Photo Search water supply. That's been a major concern of those who detract the proposal.
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Photos Help "I have concerns with the water," the senator told the Camp Verde audience.
License "Water is the key vital issue for the state of Arizona."
His comments were followed by presentations from Prescott National Forest

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Supervisor Michael King on the merits of the exchange for the Prescott forest, What is the prima
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King told both audiences that the Forest Service wanted to consolidate the
checkerboard, with 85 separate private inholdings, in order to better manage the
land that's considered important for its antelope run and large stands of
ponderosa and mixed forests.
!! NEW !!
My Flagstaff If the legislation goes through, the Forest Service trades out land it has in
Specials Flagstaff, mainly around the airport, Williams, Camp Verde, Clarkdale and
Prescott to Yavapai Ranch holdings. The ranch is headed by Fred Ruskin.
A 2,200-acre Forest Service land parcel near Interstate 17 and Camp Verde and
an 820-acre parcel near Clarkdale have fueled opposition to the land trade
among a number of residents there.
There's a concern about water as it

pertains to development on the land.
The Camp Verde meeting became

[click here] more contentious than the Flagstaff
gathering, where comments and
questions split between concerns of the
environmental process and support of
the land trade for economic reasons.
The land trade would allow Flagstaff
the chance to expand its business park
and free up space for a future airport
expansion.
Before McCain spoke in Camp Verde,

town resident Deborah Moody paraded
up and down the aisles of the crowded
auditorium, shouting "Keep the Verde
verde, without the water, it won't be!" The chant referenced verde, the Spanish
word for "green."
Moody said she was "doing her part as an American" by vocalizing her opinion
before the meeting. She said that she was half-for and half-against the land
trade. Her main concerns lay with the water problems in the valley.
Clarkdale resident Marsha Foutz said she also had concerns with how the land
swap could bring added commercial development in a town with water supply
problems. A member of the Friends of the Verde, she passed out bumper
stickers that read "No Water, No Future, No Ruskin Land Grab" at the front
door of the auditorium.
She said that a number of residents in the Verde Valley have slowly but surely
become concerned about the land trade.
"It took awhile for things to get rolling," Foutz said. "We had this 'Mayberry'
mentality, where people wanted to trust their leadership. But people started to
realize how this was going to impact them."
As for McCain's visit, a number of people grumbled that it was "window

dressing." Jerome resident Wally Coates said he did not think McCain would
abandon or seriously change the Senate bill he introduced to get the land
exchange passed.
"I believe it's a done deal," said Coates, who is concerned about the water
problems. He carried a "No Ruskin" sign with him.
USGS reports indicate that groundwater pumping in the Verde Valley is

exceeding the aquifer recharge in a normal rainfall year by 156 percent. By
comparison, groundwater pumping in the Flagstaff-Williams-Tusayan region is
just 5 percent of the annual recharge.
If the exchange goes through with the Verde Valley parcels, it would potentially
allow Yavapai Ranch holdings to develop the land commercially.
If the Senate approves its version of the land exchange, the appraisal process for
the trade will start. The trade will allow Yavapai Ranch to give 35,000 acres of
its inholdings -- private land surrounded by public land -- to the Forest Service
in an area south of Seligman.
Flagstaff officials have supported the exchange because it will allow them to
acquire land from the ranch that's part of the trade. It includes parcels that could
open future airport expansion and expansion of the airport's business park.
The exchange, if it happens, will represent the largest public-for-private land

exchange in Arizona in about 50 years.
The proposed legislative land swap has attracted national attention among
groups and citizens who have concerns about public land trades.
Janine Blaeloch of the Western Land Exchange Project based in Seattle,

traveled to northern Arizona to attend both meetings.
She said of the 70 land trades her organization is contesting across the country,
Yavapai Ranch ranks in the top three as far as priority. Blaeloch, who has
followed the Yavapai proposal since 1999, explained how the legislative trade
dodges the National Environmental Policy Act. NEPA requires in-depth study,
public involvement and a list of alternatives.
"It's important to develop those alternatives," she said.
At both meetings, McCain defended his decision to approach the land exchange
from a legislative standpoint, saying that the complexity of the trade would tie
up the trade in NEPA for years.
Reporter Seth Muller can be reached at 913-8607 or [email protected]

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Arizona Daily Sun Page 1 of 4

[ no actions in archives ] Currently

McCain receives earful on land trade Phoenix, AZ

His comments were followed by presentations from Prescott National Forest

mm/dd/yy you buy a copy of

There's a concern about water as it

The Camp Verde meeting became

Before McCain spoke in Camp Verde,

As for McCain's visit, a number of people grumbled that it was "window

USGS reports indicate that groundwater pumping in the Verde Valley is

The exchange, if it happens, will represent the largest public-for-private land

Janine Blaeloch of the Western Land Exchange Project based in Seattle,

"It's important to develop those alternatives," she said.

Reporter Seth Muller can be reached at 913-8607 or [email protected]

[ Legal Statement | About Us | Contact Us ]

Site last updated: 12/12/2003, 06:09 AM

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