Queen Creek, Arizona

Scott Brady

Founder
The mountains east of Superior Arizona are rich with adventure. World class rock climbing, OHV trails, remote camping, trekking and more.

This area is at risk of closure due to copper mining, and the state gov. is attempting to due a land swap, which will cause us to lose this area forever.

For more infomation of the fight to save this area:
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Friends of Queen Creek

More infomation about the area:
Rock Climbing

OHV Travel

Camping, and more climbing
 

Scott Brady

Founder
FoQC Update

QUEEN CREEK CLIMBING AGREEMENT WITH RESOLUTION COPPER

THE ACCESS FUND

The Deal - It was a specific condition of RCC that it negotiate with the Access Fund rather than the Friends of Queen Creek (FoQC). Because Oak Flat will likely be acquired by RCC in the next year (or sooner), and the mining exploration and development RCC plans may pose safety and other conflicts at Oak Flat requiring the eventual exclusion of the public, last month the Access Fund executed a recreational use license with RCC to maintain at least some continued climbing/bouldering access at Oak Flat and Queen Creek Canyon.

The purpose and need for the deal reflected both: 1) the potential loss of public rock climbing, bouldering, and hiking opportunities on the Oak Flat parcel; and 2) liability concerns and the need to formally license rock climbing, bouldering and hiking on RCC’s existing private lands in Queen Creek Canyon (Atlantis and The Pond). The terms of this agreement reflect the reality that the climbing community had very little negotiating capital, especially once the AZ governor, entire congressional delegation, and all the local government leaders (Superior, Gila County, etc) endorsed the land swap (except US Rep. Grijalva).

Still, we did manage to force the Tamo development (which is written into the land exchange bill) and maintain climbing access to Oak Flat for a 5-year term, and possibly longer if RCC never mines the area. We also secured climbing access to Atlantis and The Pond in Queen Creek Canyon where RCC had significant concerns related to liability and several times had threatened that those areas could be closed to the public The Queen Creek Canyon areas are very likely to be licensed beyond 5 years because RCC has no plans to mine there.

The License – The terms of the license reflect 2+ years of work by the Access Fund, the Friends of Queen Creek and other Arizona locals and represent one of the AF’s largest advocacy efforts in the past several years. This license will: 1) allow for the continuation of rock climbing, bouldering and hiking (“permitted uses”) on portions of the 3,025 acre Oak flat parcel (where most of the bouldering is found) for 5 years; and 2) to authorize such uses on RCC’s existing private lands known as The Pond and Atlantis, also for 5 years. The license agreement for all of these areas may be revoked at any time by RCC, or RCC may close all or portions of Oak Flat (probably not Queen Creek Canyon) to public recreational use on a temporary and/or permanent basis to accommodate their mining exploration and development plans. RCC will make “good faith efforts” to keep the areas open for the 5-year term (and beyond) unless they determine an area unsafe due to: 1) health or safety concerns; or 2) if all or a portion of Oak Flat is needed on a temporary or permanent basis for mining or mining related activities.

Lost Climbing - Once the land exchange bill is signed, The Mine Area, Eurodog Valley and the Magma Mine Road will be RCC’s private land and closed to the public. Although the initial land exchange bill allowed some of these areas to remain open for up to 2 years, the fact that they are close to RCC’s existing mine shaft and the likely future center of expanded mining exploration and operations RCC insisted these areas be closed to the public immediately. The Access Fund lobbied hard to maintain access to these areas for as long as possible, if not indefinitely, but evidently these areas are the primary target for RCC’s future plans and we were not able to convince either RCC or Congress to maintain climbing at these locations. We had to take what we could get and that was most of the Oak Flat bouldering in addition to Atlantis, The Pond and Tamo (if you haven’t already, see www.climbtamo.com).

Details and Conditions - The license requires annual meetings between the parties to talk about any access concerns, to organize clean-ups, and ensure liability insurance payments and appropriate signage. The FoQC, other AZ climbing locals and the Access Fund, should share this role and we anticipate active participation by local climbers in all details of the deal’s implementation. RCC will place sign in/sign out boxes and information materials at entrances to all the licensed climbing areas and these will contain disclaimers of responsibility, statements of assumption of risk and hold harmless in favor of both The Access Fund and RCC. Everyone using the licensed parcels must sign-in prior to entering -- any person failing to sign in, (or using alcohol or controlled substances) will be considered a trespasser.

An express condition of the license is that the Access Fund maintain a general liability policy to protect RCC against lawsuits. Obtaining this policy was extremely difficult and the only option cost nearly $25,000 annually. RCC agreed to pay most of this policy but the climbing community will be required to contribute $2,000 annually. The local Arizona climbing community will be expected to pay the entire $2,000 in future years, however to make sure the deals gets done the Access Fund will contribute towards the first year. The sustainability of this license depends on continued activism, of the local climbing community.

There are additional details that need to be discussed and implemented (for example, access into the Oak Flat parcel will eventually be rerouted to a different entrance located further east).



FRIENDS OF QUEEN CREEK

The recently executed license that will allow climbers continued access to many parts of Queen Creek Canyon and Oak Flat was negotiated between
the Access Fund and Resolution Copper Company with the full blessing of the Friends of Queen Creek. The primary reason that the AF negotiated
this agreement on behalf of the Friends group is because this license is a legal and binding document that needed to be executed between two
well established and stable entities. Clearly, the local climbing community has every right to ask whether or not entering into such an agreement will ultimately benefit AZ climbers. Here are a few answers, in our group's opinion:

Q: Why did FoQC and the Access Fund drop its opposition to a new mine at Oak Flat in favor of settling for the license agreement?A: Actually, we never advocated an "all-out" opposition to a new mine at Oak Flat, Our initial position was that mining and climbing could potentially coexist in the Oak Flat area. While we still believe this to be true, FoQC and the AF came to understand that we would not be successful in any demand that a coexistence doctrine be written into
the land exchange bill.

Q: How did the idea of a climbing license come about?
A: It was the next best thing. Both the AF and FoQC groups desired to maintain ongoing climbing access to as much of Queen Creek and Oak Flat as possible--for as long as possible. When we first raised the idea of such a license with Resolution Copper Company, it was not warmly received. However, intensive ongoing lobbying with Congress and continued negotiations with RCC resulted in an access license that we now endorse.

Q: Is this really a good deal for Arizona climbers?
A: Only time will tell--but we believe so. The most likely alternative to result from maintaining a "hard line" AF and FoQC position, would have been that climbers would get nothing more than access to a new "replacement" climbing area--and ALL access to Queen Creek and Oak Flat would have been gone forever, after a couple of years.

Q: But, access to The Pond and Atlantis areas were never at risk, were they?
A: That is false. Resolution was very reluctant to maintain climbing access to even those areas not directly impacted by any new mining activities, due to liability concerns.

Q: So, what do we climbers get out of this deal--and what must we give up?
A: The access license gives climbers ongoing access to The Pond, Atlantis and virtually all of the bouldering areas located on the Oak Flat parcel. Sadly, if this land exchange bill becomes law, access to The Mine and Eurodog climbing areas will be lost, due to their physical proximity to Resolution's planned mining operations. However, to partially offset this loss, Resolution Copper company will work with the State of Arizona to establish a new climber's park at Mt. Tamoshanter.

On balance, the FoQC and Access Fund believe that our hard work over the last two and one-half years has resulted in a negotiated outcome that is favorable to climbers, while also accommodating all of the other competing interests. We hope you will continue to support the ongoing efforts of The Access Fund and FoQC.

The FoQC Steering Committee
 

articulate

Expedition Leader
expeditionswest said:
QUEEN CREEK CLIMBING AGREEMENT WITH RESOLUTION COPPER

THE ACCESS FUND
...
Q: So, what do we climbers get out of this deal--and what must we give up?
A: The access license gives climbers ongoing access to The Pond, Atlantis and virtually all of the bouldering areas located on the Oak Flat parcel. Sadly, if this land exchange bill becomes law, access to The Mine and Eurodog climbing areas will be lost, due to their physical proximity to Resolution's planned mining operations. However, to partially offset this loss, Resolution Copper company will work with the State of Arizona to establish a new climber's park at Mt. Tamoshanter.
I added the emphasis.

What I didn't see in that was a mention about the really cool areas of lower Devils Canyon, Hackberry Creek (of course) and Apache Leap. I presume the only saving grace for Devils is that road that cruises the eastern rim?

Mark
 

Scott Brady

Founder
articulate said:
I added the emphasis.

What I didn't see in that was a mention about the really cool areas of lower Devils Canyon, Hackberry Creek (of course) and Apache Leap. I presume the only saving grace for Devils is that road that cruises the eastern rim?

Mark

Exactly... I think we can still gain access from the SW at a minimum, which eases the sting a bit...
 

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