US EditionApache women seek court intervention as federal land is turned over for copper mining
The 2,422-acre Oak Flat was conveyed to Resolution Copper after courts denied injunctions; the mine could generate $1 billion annually and create thousands of jobs, officials said.
- On Friday, the federal government conveyed title to Oak Flat in Tonto National Forest to Resolution Copper after a federal appeals court denied requests by the San Carlos Apache Tribe, which says Oak Flat is sacred.
- After nearly 60 years of protection, a 2014 bill authorized the land swap to Resolution Copper via a provision inserted into a defense bill by Sen. John McCain, R‑Ariz.
- Oak Flat contains an estimated $150 billion in copper resources, and Resolution Copper projects up to 40 billion pounds over 40 years; the U.S. produced 1 million tons in 2025 but still imports 45%.
- Opponents vowed to keep litigating after the transfer and called it a major setback, while U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said it unlocks a major domestic copper source and supports President Donald Trump's energy goals.
- Critics pointed to national-security risks from Resolution Copper’s ties to Rio Tinto, BHP and Aluminum Corporation of China, while Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Tucson, introduced a bill with 32 co-sponsors to reverse the land swap.
21 Articles
21 Articles
US Transfers Ownership of Oak Flat to Resolution Copper
The U.S. Forest Service transferred ownership of Oak Flat to Resolution Copper on Monday after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied a request for an injunction from activists on Friday. Resolution Copper is a joint venture owned by Rio Tinto and BHP that represents one of the world’s most significant untapped...
US transfers sacred Oak Flat site to Resolution Copper, dealing blow to tribal opponents
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Forest Service transferred Arizona’s Oak Flat to Resolution Copper, advancing a massive mining project opposed by tribes and environmentalists. Supporters say it boosts domestic copper supply, while critics warn it will destroy a sacred Apache site.
Associated Press News
Apache women seek court intervention as federal land is turned over for copper mining
The transfer of federal forest land in Arizona to a pair of international companies that plan to mine one of the largest copper deposits in North America is complete.
Apache Women Ask Supreme Court to Block Transfer of Religious Site to Mining Company
"In short, without emergency relief, applicants’ sacred site will be irreversibly destroyed, their religious exercise extinguished, and the courts’ ability to remedy the violation severely compromised," lawyers for the women wrote in an emergency request to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Apache tribe members urge Supreme Court to protect sacred land from U.S. mine deal
Members of the Western Apache tribe rushed to the Supreme Court on Monday seeking an emergency order to block a proposed land transfer to a mining company, saying it would destroy a sacred tribal place in Arizona.
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