Raúl Grijalva: “Let me thank the gentleman from Missouri for his support of the legislation. As we heard, H.R. 2009 is the culmination…”

“Let me thank the gentleman from Missouri for his support of the legislation. As we heard, H.R. 2009 is the culmination of a longstanding land agreement between Tucson Unified School District, TUSD, and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. Last Congress we finalized the first part of the agreement with the passage and signing of H.R. 507, which conveyed two 10-acre parcels to the tribe. Passage of this bill will complete the second part of the agreement to the mutual benefit of both parties involved as well as the surrounding communities. The 40-acre parcel of land referenced in the bill is currently deeded to TUSD under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, but TUSD has no intention of using the land for the stated purpose. Instead, the tribe will be able to utilize the parcel to construct flood control measures to protect the reservation and surrounding communities from flash flooding during Arizona monsoon season. Additionally, the land conveyed to TUSD will allow the district to better plan for future expansion and best use scenarios without the encumbrances encountered under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. I would like to note that the tribe and TUSD have had, and continue to have, a great working relationship, especially when it comes to the land use decisions around the Pascua Yaqui reservation. This bill is a direct result of that relationship and was negotiated with input from all parties involved and with an eye to the most effective use of the parcels.…”