[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 9, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S5871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KYL (for himself and Mr. McCain):
  S. 1341. A bill to provide for the exchange of certain Bureau of Land 
Management land in Pima County, Arizona, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by Senator 
McCain to introduce the Las Cienegas Enhancement and Saguaro National 
Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 2007. This legislation directs a land 
exchange between the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, and the Las 
Cienegas Conservation, LLC in southeastern Arizona. A similar bill was 
introduced last year, and it passed the House of Representatives. 
Unfortunately, the Senate was unable to pass it before the session 
ended.
  We can turn this disappointment into a success. The bill we introduce 
today adds to the exchange a highly sought after private parcel, the 
``Bloom Property.'' The Bloom Property would be added to Saguaro 
National Park. State and local officials, conservationists, and other 
stakeholders have worked together to include the Bloom Property in this 
bill and to structure an exchange that is fair and in the public 
interest.
  Let me explain the details of the exchange. The land to be 
transferred out of Federal ownership, approximately 1,280 acres, is 
referred to as the ``Sahuarita property.'' This property is BLM-managed 
land south of Tucson near Corona de Tucson. The land is low-lying 
Sonoran desert and has been identified for disposal by the BLM through 
its land-use planning process.
  The private land to be brought into Federal ownership consists of two 
parcels. The first parcel is approximately 2,392 acres of land referred 
to as the ``Empirita-Simonson property.'' This property lies north of 
the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area managed by the BLM. The 
Empirita-Simonson property lies within the ``Sonoita Valley Acquisition 
Planning District'' established by Public Law 106-538, which designated 
the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. The act directed the 
Department of the Interior to acquire lands from willing sellers within 
the planning district for inclusion within the conservation area. The 
idea was to further protect lands with important resource values for 
which the national conservation area was designated.
  The second parcel, the Bloom Property, is approximately 160 acres of 
land that was identified for inclusion in the Saguaro National Park 
during a boundary study conducted by the National Park Service in 1993. 
In 1994, using the data from the study, Congress enacted legislation 
expanding the park and changed Saguaro's designation from monument to 
park. At that time, the Bloom Property did not have a willing seller. I 
am pleased to say circumstances have changed, and we are able to 
include it in this exchange. The Bloom Property, which lies just south 
of the Sweetwater Trail in Saguaro Park West, is a prime example of 
Sonoran desert important to maintain corridors for wildlife like the 
mountain lion.
  Although this bill is centered on the land exchange I just described, 
it also accomplishes two other important objectives: addressing water 
withdrawals at Cienegas Creek and providing road access to a popular 
recreation destination, the Whetstone Mountains controlled by the 
Forest Service.
  Let's talk about water. Arizonans understand that protecting our 
water supply is crucial to the State's future. For this reason, we 
continually seek ways to promote responsible use of our limited water 
supply. This bill promotes responsible use. There is a prior claim to a 
well site on the private land that will be exchanged. That prior claim 
would allow a developer to withdraw 1,600 acre-feet of water a year. 
Pima County and the community at large are concerned about the future 
of Cienegas Creek and the entire riparian area if these water 
withdrawals occur.
  To address this concern, the land exchange is conditioned on Las 
Cienegas Conservation, LLC conveying the well site to Pima County and 
relinquishing those water rights it controls. The net result is a water 
savings of 1,050 acre-feet per year. This is a significant benefit to 
this riparian area.
  Overall, this bill allows us to accomplish important environmental 
and conservation objectives while managing our development. It is a 
bill with broad support that includes Pima County, the city of Tucson, 
and many others. I urge my colleagues to work with me to approve this 
legislation at the earliest possible date.
                                 ______