Wow....how does one get this kind of political backing....he's gonna make a killing on this deal.

Huge Ariz. land swap OK'd
House approves long-awaited deal by Yavapai Ranch, Forest Service

Billy House and Mark Shaffer
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 16, 2005 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - A bill that could bring widespread changes to north-central Arizona is on its way to President Bush to sign into law after the U.S. House on Tuesday approved a huge federal and private land swap.

Under the deal, the largest U.S. Forest Service land exchange in Arizona in 50 years, Yavapai Ranch owner Fred Ruskin would turn over about 35,000 acres southeast of Seligman to Prescott National Forest in return for federal land scattered throughout the Coconino and Prescott national forests, mostly near or in cities.

The more than 15,000 acres Ruskin will get includes about 2,200 acres bordering Interstate 17 and Arizona 260, half of which is within the Camp Verde limits.

Ruskin plans to build a shopping center and homes, sell right-of-way for an anticipated highway bypass between Camp Verde and Cottonwood, and donate about 500 acres to Camp Verde as open space.

The land going to Ruskin includes more than 2,000 acres he could sell to Flagstaff and Williams for the cities to use for airport and other municipal and industrial expansion.

Overall, the trade of 50,000 to 55,000 total acres would consolidate Forest Service land for public access and recreation, from youth facilities to town parks.

Currently, some of the land is intermingled with private property.

On July 26, the Senate approved the same bill, which was backed by Arizona GOP Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl. With the House approval Tuesday, the measure was ready to go to the president.

Sponsors said the bill would promote sound management of limited water supplies in the Verde River Basin watershed while encouraging economic development. Exact acreage to be exchanged would be determined by land-value appraisals, which are expected to take about 18 months.

"Ultimately, from an environmental standpoint, it's a huge land and water conservation achievement," said Rep. Rick Renzi, the House sponsor who had the support of the Interior Department, and in whose 1st Congressional District all the land lies. Renzi said he expects Bush to sign the bill "before Christmas."


Voice of dissent
But Diane Joens, a member of the Cottonwood City Council, said she was disappointed that the land trade had cleared both the House and Senate.

"It's good to consolidate Forest Service land, but it's just not right to drop in a development, where there's not enough water for it, in the Verde Valley," Joens said, adding that 600 people voiced their frustration about the trade to McCain in Camp Verde during a public hearing two years ago.

The land-exchange idea, approved by the House on a voice vote, has been discussed for nine years. It first was introduced in a bill before Congress in October 2002 .

Last December, Ruskin had suggested to The Arizona Republic that the inability of the House and Senate to agree on a bill was leading him to consider other options for some of his land. "After all that has happened, today's events are very anti-climactic," Ruskin said Tuesday.

One reason the bill stalled was because of concerns in the municipalities of Camp Verde, Cottonwood and Clarkdale about the 2,200 acres near I-17 and Camp Verde and whether the groundwater supply would be further reduced by development. Under the final version of the bill, any development there would be restricted to using not more than 300 acre-feet of water per year, which would limit the number of homes. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons.

The bill also authorizes creation of a water planning and management group for the Verde River Basin.

As in previous versions of the bill, Flagstaff would have the opportunity to acquire land from Ruskin to expand and improve Pulliam Airport, develop a city park and acquire land near its water treatment plant. Williams could acquire land for its well sites, water storage tanks and wastewater facility and drinking-water treatment plants. Williams also could expand its airport.

Flagstaff Mayor Joe Donaldson said the big-ticket item for Flagstaff, which is surrounded by federal land, would be acquiring about 1,400 acres to expand the airport's runway.

"We've been socking money away in anticipation of this day coming," Donaldson said.

Williams City Manager Dennis Wells said that the top priority is getting land for a wastewater facility and groundwater drilling sites and that the city could buy anywhere from 250 acres to 400 acres.

The bill also authorizes a Verde River Basin Partnership to be made up of federal, state and local governments, and other entities with responsibilities and expertise in water resource planning and management.

"I think, in the end, we're conserving land for sure and the headwaters of the Verde," Renzi said. But he also pointed out that Flagstaff would be able to expand and have a regional airport, which he said would enable it to grow tourism and the regional economy.

He also said that Williams would be able to get water from a different aquifer at a time it is looking at developing two theme parks and other economic growth and that church camps would be able to improve their facilities for more than 6,000 children.


'A hallmark day'
"This is a hallmark day for the people of Arizona. This compromise bill is both balanced and foresighted in addressing land use, economic development, and water issues in northern Arizona," McCain said Tuesday.

Said Kyl: "Today's House passage marks the culmination of nearly a decade of work, involving Congress, Yavapai Ranch, the U.S. Forest Service, community groups, local officials and other stakeholders. Nearly 25,000 ecologically significant acres in the headwaters of the Verde Valley will be protected and enjoyed by future generations. And the bill's requirements for responsible water use set an important precedent for the entire state."

Getting your hands on 35,000 acres to swap for 15,000 closer to the road would be the first step to setting up your own swap. Finding the backing after that would get simpler pretty quick. The local tax collectors probably support the dickens out of turning that state scrub into commercial property on the frontage road. Now we're going to backed up past Anthem to Camp Verde, woohoo!

Got news for ya Rat--he's already filthy rich. He's just getting richer!

Well...yeah...but he's gonna make a killing on this deal.