DENVER  — The U.S. Forest Service transfer of 2,422 acres of Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, also known as Oak Flat, to Resolution Copper causes irreparable harm to Indigenous Communities, wildlife habitat, and Arizona’s water supply.  The San Carlos Apache, Yavapai, Hopi, Zuni, and many other Tribes in the Southwest have their ancestral homelands in Oak Flat and still rely on the site for religious and cultural practices.

“The U.S. government has a legal trust responsibility to the Indigenous communities of this region but time and again demonstrates the willful disregard for Tribal self-determination and well-being,” said Garrit Voggesser, senior director of Tribal partnerships and policy at National Wildlife Federation. “This transfer threatens sacred religious traditions and puts the health of people and wildlife at risk from pollution, habitat destruction, and an already-strained water supply. It’s a tragedy that should have never happened”

Mining at Oak Flat could cause the collapse of a crater 1.8 miles wide and 1,000 feet deep, erasing a place where generations have gathered for recreational and cultural activities. The mine is estimated to consume 250 billion gallons of water over 40 years in a state facing a historic water crisis, leaving behind nearly 1.4 billion tons of toxic waste.