Save the Scenic Santa Ritas

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

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Biodiversity

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Southern Arizona is one of the most biologically diverse regions of North America as a result of a complex interplay of geographic location and differences in elevation across the landscape, from the low-elevation valleys to high-elevation Sky Island mountains. All of these influences can be seen in the Sonoita Valley, the Santa Rita Mountains, and at the site of the proposed Rosemont Mine.

If approved, the mine would destroy over 5,000 acres of habitat for plants and animals, including nine threatened and endangered species: Chiricahua leopard frog, Gila chub, Gila topminnow, Huachuca water umbel, jaguar, ocelot, lesser long- nosed bat, Pima pineapple cactus, and southwestern willow flycatcher.

The mine would disrupt an important intersection of wildlife corridors that connect the northern Santa Rita Mountains with Mexico to the south, the Whetstones to the east, and the Rincon and Santa Catalina Mountains to the north. As the Arizona Game and Fish Department noted, the mine would “render the northern portion of the Santa Rita Mountains virtually worthless as wildlife habitat and as a functioning ecosystem, and thus also worthless for wildlife recreation.”

The mine’s impact on the region’s groundwater and storm flows would lead to a drying of already-stressed aquatic and riparian areas, especially Cienega Creek, Davidson Canyon, and Empire Gulch. These areas represent some of the best habitat in Southern Arizona for dozens of species, including the Chiricahua leopard frog and Gila topminnow. Though some of the photographs presented here were not taken on the actual mine site, all the species occur in the affected area and would be impacted by the mine.

Recent Posts

  • Long Mountain – a film by Leslie Epperson July 8, 2020
  • Litigation Schedule February 19, 2020
  • A major win for endangered species in the Santa Ritas February 13, 2020
  • New Video from SSSR Supporter February 10, 2020
  • The Rosemont Story – Cartoon by Bob Swaim January 30, 2020

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RSS Latest from Rosemont Mine Truth

  • Pima County reaffirms resolution opposing Rosemont Mine April 19, 2019
  • Hudbay approves $122 million spending plan for “early works” at Rosemont March 29, 2019
  • Hudbay seeking Rosemont Mine joint venture partner after receiving key federal Clean Water Act permit March 15, 2019
  • Hudbay has failed to provide legal justification for Clean Water Act permit, Natural Resources Committee chairman says March 5, 2019

Selected Lens on the Land Photographs

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Litigation Update

Speaking of which (the appeal originally filed in Nov. 2017 challenging the Forest Service’s approval of the mine), we now have a schedule for that case in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals – not definitive, but at least a general time frame:

 

After a lot of negotiating, the lawyers have come to an agreement on the final schedule of our cases before the 9th Circuit Appeals Court. Here is the updated schedule:

  • Feds opening brief due by 1 June 2020
  • Hudbay opening brief due by 15 June 2020
  • Then, our response by 3 September 2020
  • Feds optional reply brief by 2 November 2020
  • Hudbay optional reply brief by 9 November 2020

Click here for more updates

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