Save the Scenic Santa Ritas

Fighting to protect the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains from the devastating impacts of mining.

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Links to recent news articles and letters – 2022

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Recharging CAP water
Re: the March 15 letter “Rosemont recharge of CAP water.”
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor-april-4/article_d10c15f6-b0fe-11ec-92c8-6fbf4d2ad1cc.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Stu Williams, Executive Director Save The Scenic Santa Ritas
April 4, 2022

Letter: We need Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-we-need-rosemont-mine/article_1507ccae-aa34-11ec-b6cb-07c10d8bbc05.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Robert Robak
March 28, 2022

Letter: Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-rosemont-mine/article_6e738fd2-9b05-11ec-aced-7baf1cb304b7.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Brian McCarthy
March 6, 2022

Letter: No on the Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-no-on-the-rosemont-mine/article_3f2f557e-9a49-11ec-ad8f-037d325d48f4.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Paul Reese
March 5, 2022

Letter: Yes on the Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-yes-on-the-rosemont-mine/article_f9f422ee-98a1-11ec-baaf-f7e7c55c1eb3.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by James Tuthill
March 1, 2022

Tucson, CAP and Rosemont tangle over water storage
https://www.kold.com/2022/02/24/tucson-cap-rosemont-tangle-over-water-storage/
Bud Foster, KOLD News
February 23, 2022

Rosemont Mine project faces pushback over water storage
https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/021822_rosemont_water_shortage/rosemont-mine-project-faces-pushback-over-water-storage/
David Abbott, Arizona Mirror
February 18, 2022

Rosemont Mine is health threat
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor-feb-13/article_3faaa542-8abf-11ec-a2eb-478209652d6e.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Elaine Wolter
February 13, 2022

US mining and exploration Snapshot: Eight companies with big plans
https://www.mining.com/us-mining-and-exploration-snapshot-eight-companies-with-big-plans/
Marilyn Scales, The Northern Miner
February 11, 2022

Hudbay’s plans
https://www.gvnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/hudbay-s-plans/article_af2884a0-893b-11ec-9f0d-2bb1d643322d.html
Green Valley News Letter to the Editor by S. Murphy
February 9, 2022

Pascua Yaqui chairman calls on Congress to fund ‘critical’ water infrastructure
https://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/pascua-yaqui-chairman-calls-on-congress-to-fund-critical-water-infrastructure/article_223df30e-843a-51c6-a161-1417e4f358f4.html
Camila Pedrosa, Cronkite News
Feb 8, 2022

Pending Supreme Court case could undercut regulation of Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/pending-supreme-court-case-could-undercut-regulation-of-rosemont-mine/article_8e98ea7e-824a-11ec-af21-c74543170b13.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
February 8, 2022

Whose handful?
https://www.gvnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/whose-handful/article_1e3eb5e0-8698-11ec-addd-7f342da0facb.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share
Green Valley News Letter to the Editor by Stan Hart
February 6, 2022

Letter: Proposed new mines in Santa Rita
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-proposed-new-mines-in-santa-rita/article_18ad5324-8450-11ec-80e0-7bdffbe40b8d.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Dave Gamrath
February 4, 2022

Support the mine
https://www.gvnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/support-the-mine/article_45b4ca10-83aa-11ec-83e2-f3be9f8646c7.html
Green Valley News Letter to the Editor by Robert B. Robinson
February 2, 2022

Tucson digs in against Rosemont copper mine in a dispute over a water storage project
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2022/01/31/tucson-uses-dispute-over-water-recharge-renew-rosemont-opposition/9247404002/
Zayna Syed, Arizona Republic
January 31, 2022

Water for Foreigners
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-water-for-foreigners/article_bc0f25d8-74e7-11ec-ba99-2706d6732cf4.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Diane Stephenson
January 18, 2022

Rosemont gets approval to store CAP water in basins south of Tucson, over city’s objections
https://tucson.com/news/local/rosemont-gets-approval-to-store-cap-water-in-basins-south-of-tucson-over-citys-objections/article_c954fa12-6f45-11ec-9daa-0bd7899ea3fa.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
January 8, 2022

Mayor Romero objects to Rosemont Mine water storage in facility owned partially by city
https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/mayor-romero-objects-to-rosemont-mine-water-storage-in-facility-owned-partially-by-city
Phil Villarreal, KGUN 9 News
January 7, 2022

January 15th, 2pm – VIRTUAL Symposium on The Copper World Mining Project and Community Health in the Santa Cruz Valley

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We hope you join us (via Zoom): January 15th, 2pm – Symposium on The Copper World Mining Project and Community Health in the Santa Cruz Valley.

This event is presented by The Democratic Club of Quail Creek (DCQC)

Participants are invited to join the fully-virtual discussion via Zoom. Please click here to pre-register and to join the discussion.

About the symposium:

In September 2021, Hudbay Minerals Inc. announced their interest in extracting minerals from a copper sulphide and oxide mineralization deposit at its Copper World site located on private land on the northwest side of Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains. The results from exploratory drilling completed in June 2021, suggest the possibility of seven deposits at the Copper World site.

The Democratic Club of Quail Creek will expand its January meeting for a symposium on Copper World and related Rosemont issues. The meeting will be on Saturday, January 15th, and participation will be fully virtual.

The symposium will include an update on mining proposals in the northern Santa Ritas, discussions on the impact of mining on the Tohono O’odham of the San Xavier District and all communities in the Santa Cruz Valley, the potential for pollution and draw down of the local aquifer, the decline of air quality, the health consequences to the local residents, and the impact on habitat biodiversity.

Speakers will include Austin Nuñez, Chairman, San Xavier District, Tohono O’odham Nation; Charles Stack, Vice-president, NeoChloris, Inc.; Gayle Hartmann, President, Save the Scenic Santa Ritas; John Murphy (Democratic Club of Quail Creek & Field Museum).

To participate, simply click here to pre-register and join the discussion.

We hope to see you there!

What’s Happening on the West side of the Santa Ritas?

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As you know, Rosemont’s activities on the western side of the Santa Rita Mountains facing Green Valley and Sahuarita are getting a lot of attention right now. After a year of exploratory drilling (bulldozing roads and drill pads), Rosemont’s Canadian owners, Hudbay Minerals have announced that they have identified copper deposits that may prove worthy of mining.

Hudbay recently released what they call a “Reclamation Plan” for their proposed “Copper World” open-pit mine on the west side of the Santa Ritas. It is an extraordinary document in that it talks about what they will do after they have finished mining, yet they don’t even have a mining plan.

Also, the so-called Reclamation Plan is simply put, a sham. It fails to address any of the issues resulting from their mining activities. These include, for example: What do they plan to do about acid drainage? What do they plan to do about the possibility of toxic waste leaking into the groundwater? 

Because the Arizona Mine Inspector’s Office is a relic of a previous era, the Hudbay/Rosemont Reclamation Plan was approved without so much as a public hearing. But it doesn’t mean much. It is just an example of Hudbay going after “low-hanging fruit.” In other words, they can now check off the “Reclamation Plan box,” presumably to impress investors, even though they have a very long way to go before there is any possibility of mining.

For your reading enjoyment, the Reclamation Plan is linked here, along with comments on the plan prepared for us by expert geophysicist Dr. Dave Chambers.

There remain many unanswered questions about Hudbay/Rosemont’s plan for the western flank of the Santa Rita Mountains. For example, their so-called Reclamation Plan indicates that they are thinking of running an underground pipeline through Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land – thus requiring an analysis of environmental impacts pursuant to federal law. Also, Canadian financial regulations require that they publish an economic feasibility analysis, which will likely shed more light on their plans.

You can be assured we are staying on top of these issues and are prepared, with your help, to challenge them every step of the way.

What’s Happening on the East side of the Santa Ritas?

While we wait for a decision from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on our legal challenge that has stopped them from proceeding with construction of the Rosemont Mine, there is still activity occurring.

Hudbay has bulldozed new roads and drill pads on this side of the mountain range, which are prominent eyesores from Scenic Highway 83. Fortunately, these will disappear over time. Mother Nature will take care of them.

We continue to work hard to prevent mining in the Santa Ritas. And, we think we will prevail. As always, thank you all for your long-term support.

Gayle Hartmann, President

Links to recent news and letters – 2021

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Local Opinion: Copper mine would contaminate water
https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-copper-mine-would-contaminate-water/article_1e911bf2-5919-11ec-ae2d-ab11fe1fb7c2.html
Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz Special to the Arizona Daily Star
December 11, 2021

Local Opinion: Hucksters and hype at Hudbay
https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-hucksters-and-hype-at-hudbay/article_9cf8d57a-5847-11ec-a89e-273ea93dd471.html
Stanley Hart Special to the Arizona Daily Star
December 9, 2021

Are we prepared for more mines?
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor-nov-8/article_0371145c-3e5d-11ec-b73e-771bc098557f.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Roger Engels
November 8, 2021

Mines get what the mines want
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor-nov-7/article_03b36840-3e47-11ec-a21b-5f132fd8f066.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Richard Govern
November 7, 2021

State OK’s Open-Pit Mine Site’s Reclamation Plan Near Tucson
https://news.azpm.org/s/90459-state-oks-open-pit-mine-sites-reclamation-plan-near-tucson/
Associated Press
October 31, 2021

Arizona mine inspector OKs Hudbay reclamation plan for Santa Ritas’ west slope
https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/arizona-mine-inspector-oks-hudbay-reclamation-plan-for-santa-ritas-west-slope/article_c5fd07e8-3759-11ec-ba6b-07770f18b4b6.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
October 30, 2021

Hudbay plan calls for a head start on reclamation while mining proceeds
https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/hudbay-plan-calls-for-a-head-start-on-reclamation-while-mining-proceeds/article_aed91124-239f-11ec-8959-2f4a620f7ef3.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
October 3, 2021

Metallica frontman’s foundation sells land here to Rosemont Copper for $1.2 million
https://tucson.com/news/local/metallica-frontmans-foundation-sells-land-here-to-rosemont-copper-for-1-2-million/article_1a1b368e-35dd-11ec-9284-eb25ee435f11.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
October 30, 2021

Metallica singer James Hetfield sells 20 acres in Pima County for $1.2M
https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/metallica-singer-james-hetfield-sells-20-acres-in-pima-county-for-1-2m/
AZ Big Media
October 29, 2021

Hudbay detected massive copper deposits on the western side of the Santa Rita Mountains
https://nabur.gvnews.com/post/hudbay-detected-massive-copper-deposits-on-the-western-side-of-the-santa-ri–615b8fa8ff14a9dbfbfc8e7b
Kevin Murphy, Green Valley News
October 6, 2021

Hudbay tells state it will build three open pits on the Santa Ritas’ west slope
https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/hudbay-tells-state-it-will-build-three-open-pits-on-the-santa-ritas-west-slope/article_a9310d86-1fc0-11ec-9e9d-cb801c61e617.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
October 3, 2021

Huge deposits likely to mean mining coming first to west side of mountain
https://www.gvnews.com/news/huge-deposits-likely-to-mean-mining-coming-first-to-west-side-of-mountain/article_bcc57160-227d-11ec-ab60-83e97afa487a.html
Dan Shearer, Green Valley News
October 1, 2021

Succulent in Arizona’s sky islands listed as ‘threatened’ under Endangered Species Act
https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2021/09/27/bartrams-stonecrop-succulent-threatened-southern-arizona/
Olivia Dow/Cronkite News
September 27, 2021

Feds deal another setback to Rosemont mine by upholding jaguar habitat
https://www.tucsonlocalmedia.com/business/article_4c6aa524-0feb-11ec-9cbd-e313461fe04a.html
Kimberly Silverio-Bautista, Cronkite News
September 8, 2021

Hudbay owns extensive private land on Santa Ritas’ west slope
https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/hudbay-owns-extensive-private-land-on-santa-ritas-west-slope/article_981d1586-09df-11ec-887a-77a0db49c38a.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
September 5, 2021

U.S. Fish and Wildlife rejects Rosemont Copper petition to shrink critical jaguar habitat
https://news.azpm.org/p/news-articles/2021/9/3/199914-us-fish-and-wildlife-rejects-rosemont-copper-petition-to-shrink-critical-jaguar-habitat/
Alisa Reznick, AZPM
September 3, 2021

Federal judge in Tucson throws out Trump rule limiting protection of streams, washes
https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/federal-judge-in-tucson-throws-out-trump-rule-limiting-protection-of-streams-washes/article_7f9af134-09f0-11ec-a5f9-13093441c88a.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
September 1, 2021

Judge strikes down Trump-era water regulation that limited protections
https://news.azpm.org/p/news-articles/2021/9/1/199740-judge-strikes-down-trump-era-water-regulation-that-limited-protections/
Emma Gibson, AZPM News
September 1, 2021

Rare Arizona Plant Threatened by Rosemont Copper Mine Receives Endangered Species Act Protection
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/rare-arizona-plant-threatened-by-rosemont-copper-mine-receives-endangered-species-act-protection-2021-08-30/
Center for Biological Diversity Press Release
August 30, 2021

Hudbay tells investors and analysts that it owns enough land to mine the western side of the Santa Rita Mountains
https://www.rosemontminetruth.com/hudbay-tells-investors-and-analysts-that-it-owns-enough-land-to-mine-the-western-side-of-the-santa-rita-mountains/
Rosemont Mine Truth
August 12, 2021

Hudbay sees Copper World as ‘interesting’ alternative or add-on to Rosemont
https://www.miningweekly.com/article/hudbay-sees-copper-world-as-interesting-alternative-or-add-on-to-rosemont-2021-08-12
Miningweekly.com
August 12, 2021

Letter: Mining in the Santa Rita Mountain Range
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-mining-in-the-santa-rita-mountain-range/article_9d0fff1a-fab0-11eb-b053-bb2de83259c0.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Charles Stack
August 12, 2021

Hudbay ramps up spending to drill on the Santa Ritas’ west slope
https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/hudbay-ramps-up-spending-to-drill-on-the-santa-ritas-west-slope/article_060a37e2-f0a2-11eb-a6e7-5b965c95392d.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
August 7, 2021

Will This Court Case End the Mining Industry’s 150-Year Dominance of the West?
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/08/will-this-court-case-end-the-mining-industrys-150-year-dominance-of-the-west/
Elizabeth Royte, Mother Jones
August 2, 2021

Agency wrong to stop regulating Rosemont Mine site’s streams, washes, EPA says
https://tucson.com/news/local/agency-wrong-to-stop-regulating-rosemont-mine-sites-streams-washes-epa-says/article_7cffc5f0-ef36-11eb-ab85-8b3ec8d590f2.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
July 31, 2021

Letter: Re: the May 17. article “Letter: Rosemont Mine”
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-re-the-may-17-article-letter-rosemont-mine/article_91e858aa-d93e-11eb-9f6a-9bf69d29092a.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Ray Brown
July 6, 2021

To Create a Clean Energy Future, Mining Reform Must Be Front and Center
https://earthjustice.org/from-the-experts/2021-june/to-create-a-clean-energy-future-mining-reform-must-be-front-and-center
Blaine Miller-McFeeley, Senior Legislative Representative, EarthJustice
June 28, 2021

US Justice department backs land swap for Rio Tinto’s Arizona copper mine
https://www.mining.com/us-justice-department-backs-rio-tintos-arizona-copper-mine/
Cecilia Jamasmie, Mining.com
June 25, 2021

Letter: Arizona Mines
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-arizona-mines/article_54eb6404-ceb4-11eb-bec4-535f90721a55.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Donald Groner
June 17, 2021

MAPPED: These 25 projects will set the copper price for decades
https://www.mining.com/mapped-these-25-projects-will-set-the-copper-price-for-decades/
Frik Els, Mining.com
June 17, 2021

Letter: Climate Change & Water
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/letter-climate-change-water/article_97725014-cd31-11eb-9710-6f2278d1f90b.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Judy Bullington
June 15, 2021

Arizona Plant Threatened by Rosemont Copper Mine Receives Endangered Species Protection
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/arizona-plant-threatened-by-rosemont-copper-mine-receives-endangered-species-protection-2021-06-14/
Center For Biological Diversity Press Release
June 14, 2021

Letter: Our laughable response to environmental issues
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-our-laughable-response-to-environmental-issues/article_888583d6-ca5d-11eb-a623-03bfd3d1d8d8.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Peggy Hendrickson
June 14, 2021

‘America the Beautiful’ Points the Way Toward Necessary Conservation of Lands and Waters
https://earthjustice.org/from-the-experts/2021-may/america-the-beautiful-points-the-way-toward-necessary-conservation-of-lands-and-waters
Earth Justice, From the Experts by Addie Haughey, Legislative Director, Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans
May 20, 2021

Rosemont will destroy Santa Rita Mountains to export copper overseas
https://www.rosemontminetruth.com/rosemont-will-destroy-santa-rita-mountains-to-export-copper-overseas/
Rosemont Mine Truth
May 18, 2021

Letter: No mining, please, in the Santa Ritas
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor-may-17/article_3c225856-b4ce-11eb-93c7-1fd3495caf1e.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Ellen Garms
May 17, 2021

Saving groundwater: 3 new pipelines to bring CAP to Tucson’s suburbs
https://tucson.com/news/local/saving-groundwater-3-new-pipelines-to-bring-cap-to-tucsons-suburbs/article_b7f33fb0-9c9e-11eb-81b6-539c8e74c10f.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
May 7, 2021

Army walks back Trump-era ban on consultations with tribes over wash regulation
https://tucson.com/news/local/army-walks-back-trump-era-ban-on-consultations-with-tribes-over-wash-regulation/article_6e3b1912-a471-11eb-bdda-03f718f5a64c.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
April 27, 2021

EPA says Corps failed to adequately consult on Rosemont Mine permitting decision
https://tucson.com/news/local/epa-says-corps-failed-to-adequately-consult-on-rosemont-mine-permitting-decision/article_106f6ec8-a2fa-11eb-b378-0fd58ca1fd78.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
April 24, 2021

Pima County reaffirms resolution opposing Rosemont Mine
https://www.rosemontminetruth.com/pima-county-reaffirms-resolution-opposing-rosemont-mine/
Rosemont Mine Truth
April 19, 2021

Letter: Bottom line for Santa Ritas
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor-april-17/article_45bbb3ae-9e02-11eb-9954-d309a07ecbc1.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Rick Scifres
April 17, 2021

Save the Santa Ritas: Don’t let Hudbay destroy even more of the Santa Ritas
https://tucson.com/opinion/local/save-the-santa-ritas-dont-let-hudbay-destroy-even-more-of-the-santa-ritas/article_62100745-b478-5f3b-a625-bb0828a8cacf.html
Gayle Hartmann Special to the Arizona Daily Star
April 10, 2021

Letter: Water, water everywhere?
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-water-water-everywhere/article_7ade0534-922f-11eb-86ea-a7d0eaaf4b79.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Gerry Maggiora
April 1, 2021

Mining company makes copper discovery south of Tucson
https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/mining-company-makes-copper-discovery-south-of-tucson
KGUN / Associated Press
April 1, 2021

Hudbay says it found copper that could result in open pit mines on Santa Ritas’ west side
https://tucson.com/news/local/hudbay-says-it-found-copper-that-could-result-in-open-pit-mines-on-santa-ritas/article_78ef861e-d116-5586-b410-6c5bddae7bc6.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
April 1, 2021

Army Corps taps Trump rule, stiff-arms tribe on Ariz. mine
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063729049
Hannah Northey and James Marshall, E&E News reporters
April 1, 2021

Hudbay says it’s found copper that could result in open pit mines on Santa Ritas’ west side
https://tucson.com/news/local/hudbay-finds-new-copper-deposits-that-could-result-in-open-pit-mines-on-santa-ritas/article_2ff27050-91bc-11eb-b60e-cfa0c7076a35.html
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
March 31, 2021

Letter: Rosemont Mine and our Precious Water
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-rosemont-mine-and-our-precious-water/article_84d0b3ca-8ea6-11eb-b7e4-2fa6aab345cf.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Regina Watkins
March 30, 2021

Q&A with Hudbay: Major find could bring mining to western side of Santa Ritas
https://www.gvnews.com/news/q-a-with-hudbay-major-find-could-bring-mining-to-western-side-of-santa-ritas/article_ee21835e-90c2-11eb-90e6-cb94c034144b.html
Dan Shearer, Green Valley News
March 29, 2021

Letter: Arizona Copper Mining Isn’t Green
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-arizona-copper-mining-isn-t-green/article_7fd6da5a-8de0-11eb-a779-43c422db5b4a.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Karl Flessa
March 28, 2021

Letter: Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-rosemont-mine/article_dcab9a96-8ddf-11eb-bddd-5b37e4af881c.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Joyce Harrison
March 27, 2021

Proposed Arizona Mine Passes Federal Regulatory Hurdle
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/arizona/articles/2021-03-26/proposed-arizona-mine-passes-federal-regulatory-hurdle
Associate Press
March 26, 2021

Rosemont Mine wins big legal victory due to Trump administration rule changes
https://tucson.com/news/local/rosemont-mine-wins-big-legal-victory-due-to-trump-administration-rule-changes/article_f5c838a2-8da5-11eb-bc2b-5b64a5517bc2.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
March 25, 2021

Letter: Hudbay doesn’t tell the whole story
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-hudbay-doesnt-tell-the-whole-story/article_aace9090-8b33-11eb-94ba-b3fc3e67028c.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by James Nesci
March 23, 2021

Why a new jaguar sighting near the Arizona-Mexico border gives experts hope
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/jaguar-near-arizona-border-wall-mexico
Douglas Main, National Geographic
March 23, 2021

Local Opinion: America’s energy future is green with Arizona’s copper
https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-america-s-energy-future-is-green-with-arizonas-copper/article_2109ce84-5177-50f7-9087-229fc5efec3f.html
Andre Lauzon Special to the Arizona Daily Star
March 19, 2021

9th Circuit judges now weighing arguments over Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/news/local/9th-circuit-judges-now-weighing-arguments-over-rosemont-mine/article_5bf5e6dd-79f5-50c3-ae74-cce9d5f30383.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
February 15, 2021

Letter: Time for court to stop Rosemont
https://tucson.com/opinion/local/letters-to-the-editor-feb-3/article_06aa6e53-ebc5-5a48-a8f1-95d991dabeec.html
Ted Crisboi, Arizona Daily Star letter to the editor
February 3, 2021

Feds ask 9th Circuit to approve Rosemont Copper Mine plan
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/020221_rosemont_copper_mine/feds-ask-9th-circuit-approve-rosemont-copper-mine-plan/
B. Poole, TucsonSentinel.com
February 2, 2021

Court Hears Oral Arguments In Rosemont Copper Mine Case
https://kjzz.org/content/1655844/court-hears-oral-arguments-rosemont-copper-mine-case
Ron Dungan, kjzz.org
February 2, 2021

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers weighs its authority over Rosemont Mine
https://news.azpm.org/p/news-topical-nature/2021/1/21/187737-us-army-corps-of-engineers-weighs-its-authority-over-rosemont-mine/
Emma Gibson, AZ Public Media
January 21, 2021

Army Corps reverses pledge to consult with tribes over Rosemont Mine authority
https://tucson.com/news/local/army-corps-reverses-pledge-to-consult-with-tribes-over-rosemont-mine-authority/article_a642456d-d834-5d52-bb1e-95618824adc0.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
January 20, 2021

Just can’t get enough news about Saving the Santa Ritas? Here are links to articles/letters, etc. from 2020: https://www.scenicsantaritas.org/news/links-to-recent-news-and-letters-2020/

Exploratory Drilling Activity

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Photo taken November 19, 2020 by Greg Bedinger for Save the Scenic Santa Ritas with aerial support by LightHawk

What’s Happening on the West Side of the Santa Ritas?

As many of you know, Hudbay has been busy! For several months, they have been drilling on the west side of the northern Santa Rita Mountains. They have bulldozed new roads and widened old roads on the ridge at Gunsight Pass and the western slope, all of which have occurred on their patented mining claims – their private land. The apparent result of all the activity, they say, is that they have found more copper ore.  

What they are not talking about is, once again, the environmental damage that would occur if they were to mine this area. For instance, a LOT more groundwater (our best drinking water) would have to be pumped out of the Santa Cruz Valley near the town of Sahuarita. As a comparison, the proposed Rosemont Mine on the east side of the mountain would pump 4.8 million gallons per day – the same amount needed by about 60,000 homes. Any mining on the west side would presumably require at least as much. And, what about aesthetics? Who wants to see the mountain torn apart? Who wants to hear the blasting? Who wants to see lights 24 hours per day, seven days per week?  

All of this and much more would result from an open-pit mine on the western slopes of the northern Santa Ritas. Mining this area would present the same challenge Hudbay faces with the existing Rosemont proposal on the eastern side of the mountain: Where could they dump thousands of tons of waste and tailings?

On 10 April 2021, we had an opinion piece in the Arizona Daily Star. Take a few minutes to click here and read it, and you’ll learn why Hudbay’s current proposal is such a terrible idea. In it, we wrote, “Arizona doesn’t need another massive copper project that destroys the landscape while depleting and polluting scare desert water supplies. The Santa Ritas are a superb sky-island mountain range; they deserve to be preserved and protected.”

We’ll continue to do everything possible to see that these mountains are preserved and protected in perpetuity.

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Selected Lens on the Land Photographs

Land
Members of the Tohono O'odham Legislative Council, by Jeanne S. Broome
Night Sky
Water Resources
People
Economy
Biodiversity
Hiking at the Rosemont Site, by Dennis Caldwell
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Litigation Update

Oral arguments for our case before the 9th Circuit Appeals Court were held on February 1, 2021. Because of COVID, the oral arguments were virtual, and we could listen in. You can watch the recording here.

We cannot predict when we will hear a decision, but we expect to have to wait several months.

Click here for more updates