Record of Decision approves Land Exchange and Plan Amendments
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) signed the Record of Decision (ROD) approving the proposed land exchange between the BLM and ASARCO on October 24, 2019. Three Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendments facilitating the exchange have also been approved. The BLM published the Ray Land Exchange/Proposed Plan Amendment Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Ray Land Exchange Final SEIS/RMPAs) on July 12, 2019.   

Under the approved land exchange, the BLM acquires 7,298 acres of privately owned land in Pinal and Mohave Counties, consolidating checkerboard land ownership in those areas, allowing better management of wildlife migration corridors, and improving access to existing public lands for hunting and other family recreation. In exchange, the BLM transfers 9,339 acres of public land adjacent to ASARCO’s Ray Mine Complex and Copper Butte properties near Kearny, for mine expansion. This includes 7,196 acres of full estate and 2,143 acres of subsurface mineral estate, the surface of which is already owned by ASARCO.
 
The Final SEIS analyzed potential environmental impacts related to the proposed land exchange and plan amendments. Originally, up to 10,976 acres of public lands were proposed for exchange. However, updated appraisals in 2018 revealed that the value of the public lands had increased in recent years. Federal law requires that the lands exchanged be equal in value, with no more than a 25% cash equalization payment included. In order to equalize the exchange, the BLM’s decision involves exchanging less public lands than proposed. ASARCO will make up the remaining difference in value with a cash equalization payment.
 
The BLM decision amends three RMPs (the Lower Sonoran, Phoenix, and Safford RMPs) in order to facilitate the transfer of the lands identified in the exchange. Public input was an important part of developing the Final SEIS and Proposed RMP Amendments.

The BLM completed the original environmental analysis of the Ray Land Exchange in 1999. The land exchange was approved on April 27, 2000, but was later set aside as a result of a legal challenge. This ROD issues decisions based on the analysis in the Final SEIS which supplements the previous environmental analysis and updates information to reflect any changes in environmental conditions in the project area, as well as any applicable environmental laws or regulatory policies that may have come into effect since 1999.

 
Project Overview

The Ray Land Exchange proposes an exchange of lands between ASARCO LLC (Asarco) and the BLM for approximately 10,976 acres of “Selected” Public Lands in exchange for approximately 7,304 acres of “Offered” Private Lands. The SEIS provides additional analysis to supplement the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) issued in 1999, and is intended to  satisfy the ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. Dep’t of Interior, 623 F.3d 633 (9th Cir. 2010).
 
In accordance with the court’s ruling and remand order, the SEIS supplements the FEIS by providing a comparative analysis of the anticipated environmental impacts that could occur from the reasonably foreseeable future actions, “with and without” BLM oversight of mining activities, which was found lacking in the FEIS by the Ninth Circuit. The analysis compare two scenarios of potential environmental impacts on the Selected Lands from mining operations. One scenario analyzes potential impacts that could occur on the Selected Lands if they are not exchanged and remain under BLM jurisdiction (mining occurs with BLM regulations). The other scenario discloses potential impacts that would occur if the Selected Lands are exchanged and become privately owned lands (mining occurs without BLM regulations).
 
The SEIS also addresses any substantial changes in the land exchange and any significant new circumstances or information relevant to analyzing the impacts of the land exchange (see 40 C.F.R. § 1502.9(c); BLM NEPA Handbook § 5.3).  No new lands have been added to the proposed exchange.

Offered (Private) Lands Parcel Descriptions
Gila River at Cochran Parcel
•           320 acres
•           2.5 miles southwest of the White Canyon Wilderness on the Gila River
•           Contains a segment of the Gila River Riparian Management Area
•           146 acres of riparian habitat suitable for southwestern willow flycatcher and western yellow-billed cuckoo
•           BLM special status species known or likely to occur
•           Important wintering and breeding bird habitat
 
Knisely Ranch Parcels
•           160 acres
•           3 in-holding parcels within the Mount Tipton Wilderness
•           Great Basin conifer woodland, interior chaparral, and Mohave desertscrub
•           Pine Canyon provides mesquite- and catclaw-dominated xeroriparian habitat
 
McCracken Mountain Parcels
•           6,384 acres
•           10 parcels within the McCracken Desert Tortoise Habitat ACEC
•           High quality xeroriparian habitat for a variety of wildlife species
•           BLM special status species known or likely to occur
•           Consolidates checkerboard lands, limiting future development in desert tortoise habitat
 
Sacramento Valley Parcel
•           120 acres
•           Adjacent to Warm Springs Wilderness and near Mount Nutt Wilderness
•           Mohave desertscrub biotic community
•           Adjacent to high-value bighorn sheep habitat in Black Mountains; within the Black Mountains Herd Management Area
•           Xeroriparian vegetation includes ironwood, catclaw, foothill paloverde and jojoba
 
Tomlin Parcels
•           320 acres
•           Two of three parcels are located on the Big Sandy River
•           Big Sandy parcels provide high-quality riparian habitat for a wide variety of wildlife species, including potentially suitable habitat for southwestern willow flycatcher
•           BLM special status species known or likely to occur (desert tortoise, chuckwalla, lowland leopard frog, and bat species)
•           Area subject to Wild and Scenic River study


Selected (Public) Lands Parcel Descriptions
The existing conditions and foreseeable uses for the Selected Lands vary by parcel. Conditions range from parcels containing existing mining, parcels adjacent to mining, and parcels with no current mining activity. Foreseeable uses for the Selected Lands include expansion of open pit operations, haul roads, leach and rock deposition areas, access roads, storm water facilities, and administrative facilities. Some parcels will be used as buffer areas and contain limited or no mining activity.
 
Ray Mine Parcels    
•           6,325 acres
•           18 parcels surrounding the Ray open pit copper mine
Copper Butte Parcels         
•           3,182 acres
•           5 parcels located 2 miles west of the Ray Mine
Chilito Parcels         
•           832 acres
•           5 parcels near the Hayden operations
Casa Grande Parcels         
•           637 acres
•           3 parcels near Casa Grande
•           Exchange for mineral estate only; the surface estate of these parcels is no longer owned by Asarco



 
Questions may be directed to:

Michael Werner
Project Manager
BLM Arizona State Office
602-417-9561 
[email protected]