One of the concerns I have heard when attending meetings that involve citizen groups and members of the aggregate mining industry is: What happens to the land after mining operations have been completed? This is a valid concern as nobody wants live near an eye sore. ARPA and its members have devised several plans that will reclaim the land after operations have ceased. A prime example of what a area that has been mined can become is The Pines Golf Club at Marana. This golf course is located in the Town of Marana which is just north of Tucson.
Ten years ago, the company that operated the aggregate mine decided to stop mining the land. The mine operator, working in conjunction with The Town of Marana, formulated a plan that would transform what was once an aggregate production facility into a beautiful golf course. I am not a golfer, but I have been to this course and I can honestly say it is almost impossible to believe that this course was once an active aggregate mine.
Originally, the mine was situated adjacent to an existing golf course. The reclamation plan called for ten of the holes to be moved onto the mining site and for the reconfiguring of eight of the existing holes. What ultimately was created is one of Tucson's most popular golf courses. Today, the unique desert landscape features several elevation changes that were created during the mining of the land, along with the addition of thousands of trees. It is also one of the sources of great pride within the mining industry.
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