WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Paul Gosar's (AZ-01) major job legislation, H.R. 1904 was passed with bipartisan support by the U.S House of Representatives. The Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011 facilitates a land exchange that will bring into federal stewardship 5,500 acres of high-priority conservation lands in exchange for 2,600 acres of national forest system.

While H.R. 1904 may be new legislation, the initiative is not. Over the past six years, this land exchange has been subject to intensive review, public consideration and modification. It has been introduced in four separate Congresses: Twice by Democrats and twice by Republicans. Congressman Gosar is the only member to navigate the initiative through the legislative process and secure a vote by the full U.S. House of Representatives.

Congressman Paul Gosar celebrated the passage saying “I thank my colleagues for passing this important piece of legislation today. This bill strikes the right balance between resource utilization, environmental conservation and economic development. It should serve as a national model for what can be accomplished when all stakeholders come to the table and the government gets out of the way of private industry.”

Noting the important conservation implications of the bill, Congressman Gosar said “It's important we realize that we can preserve lands that advance the important public objectives of protecting wildlife habitat, cultural and historic resources, while enabling an economic development project to go forward that will generate economic and employment opportunities for state and local residents.” 

H.R. 1904 is legislation geared towards revitalizing the economy of Southeast Arizona and preserving and protecting Arizona's natural treasures. Specifically, the legislation authorizes a land exchange, opening up the third largest undeveloped copper resource in the world located near Superior, Arizona, in exchange for high-value conservation lands encompassing endangered species, sensitive ecosystems, recreational sites, and historic landmarks.    

The resulting project will create nearly 3,700 jobs equating to $220.5 million in annual wages. According to a recently conducted economic analysis, the total economic impact of the project is estimated to be over $61.4 billion, nearly $1 billion per year, and another $20 billion in federal, state, county and local tax revenue.

This bill which passed with bi-partisan support also garnered notable support of local and national business leaders. A full list of supporters and their full letters of support can be found here: http://gosar.house.gov/HR1904BusinessSupport