Appeals Court Petitioned to Reconsider Oak Flat Land Transfer in Arizona
Conservation organizations and Tribal advocates have filed a petition with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, requesting a larger panel of judges to reconsider a ruling that allows the transfer of Oak Flat to Resolution Copper, a subsidiary of multinational mining companies Rio Tinto and BHP. The transfer involves more than 2,400 acres of public land, including Oak Flat, which is part of the Tonto National Forest. The proposed mining operation would permanently destroy the site, causing the ground above to collapse into a massive crater and deplete regional groundwater supplies. Oak Flat holds significant cultural and spiritual importance for the San Carlos Apache Tribe and other Tribal Nations, and is also a popular site for outdoor recreation. 
