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McCain speaks publicly on exchange bill modifications<br>

Community leaders are fearful that the latest addition to the language of the Yavapai Ranch Land Exchange bill could slow its progress through congress. Not only would several communities in the area benefit economically from the trade, but the Forest Service is interested in large amounts of the Ruskin family’s Yavapai Ranch land because it holds, among other things, a significant natural antelope run.

McCain’s idea for a resource-managing partnership comes directly from water issues raised by public discussion about one particular parcel of the proposed YLE, the now-1,500-acre Camp Verde parcel.

When McCain conducted a town-hall meeting in Camp Verde last year to hear public input about the exchange, over 600 crowded in to voice their fears about projected water usage if the parcel — currently owned by the Forest Service and slated to be traded to Fred Ruskin, owner of the Yavapai Ranch — was to be developed.

Ruskin has stated that he primarily plans to build a shopping center on about 300-400 acres of the traded parcel, but contends that water restrictions already in place will ensure continued water availability.

Though the Senator has publicly stated that he wishes — as do the municipalities now involved with the trade — that the exchange go through as quickly as possible, he has also stated the issue of water availability is of too much importance to ignore.

“Let me be clear,” McCain said in his statements. “I am not offering amendments to this bill to slow its progress, but rather I want to take this opportunity to address one of the most crucial challenges facing Arizona: sound management of its precious water resources.”

Many, however, including Senator John Kyl, R-Ariz., who cosponsored the original Senate version but was not available at press time, have stated in the past that they feel that water use restrictions placed on the Camp Verde parcel are solid enough to keep impact on the water table to a workable low without modification to the bill.

Such was the feeling of Williams City Manager Dennis Wells at a meeting last week in Phoenix of Williams, Flagstaff, and Camp Verde leaders with representatives from the offices of Senators McCain, Kyl, and Republican District 1 Congressman Rick Renzi. Ruskin and Forest Service officials were also present.

According to Wells, that feeling was not only shared by reps from Flagstaff and Camp Verde, but all three feared the addition of extra language to the bill could very likely delay its progress and halt its passing before the end of congressional session in late September.

“I’m guardedly optimistic we’ll be able to work something out on the land exchange, but there’s still some curves.”

Heather Wicke, legislative assistant to McCain and present at the meeting hinted in an earlier News article that the addition of the partnership in the bill wouldn’t necessarily hold up its movement through congress. Wells, however, sees the possibility in a different perspective and offered solutions that would keep exchange from being held up further.

“She says that — I guess I question the validity of that statement,” Wells admits. “My suggestion at the meeting was, well, why not separate out the water study into another bill or attach it to another bill. Don’t burden the land exchange with this because it’s not pertinent because of the low water usage that’s needed to put it on this same bill.”

Wells also pointed out that he suspects the opposition group in Camp Verde may be taking another look at the situation. As reported in an earlier News piece, if the Camp Verde parcel doesn’t get traded in this legislation, it might very well go to the nearby Native American community who has already applied for the land. Doing so, proponents feel, could put the water availability in much greater jeopardy due to the fact that Native American communities — as sovereign nations — do not have to adhere to the same regulations that other communities do.

In the end, Wells and other community leaders in attendance were weary of McCain’s modifications slowing the process down but remain, as Wells puts it, “guardedly optimistic” that the bill could pass before the end of the current congressional session.

Wells suggests that residents in favor of the exchange pick up their pens or pencils and write to McCain, urging him to get the bill passed.


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