Environmental coalition requests Hobbs to cancel land sale sought by Copper World

Press Release:

Contact: John Dougherty, Executive Director

Environmental coalition requests Hobbs to cancel land sale sought by Copper World

Oct. 28, 2025—A coalition of Southern Arizona environmental groups led by Save the Scenic Santa Ritas today requested Governor Katie Hobbs to cancel plans to auction 160 acres of State Trust Land sought by Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals for its proposed Copper World mine.

State Land Commissioner Robyn Sahid, a Hobbs’ appointee, notified Pima County on Oct. 8 that the land department plans to put the land up for public auction. Sahid rejected Pima County’s request that the land not be sold.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors subsequently passed a resolution opposing Copper World and the planned sale of the 160 acres during its Oct. 21 meeting.

“The sale of this land to Copper World will facilitate the development of a series of open pit

mines that will destroy the northern half of the Santa Rita Mountains, consume enormous

amounts of groundwater, devalue State Trust Land, and have devastating impacts on

nearby communities and natural and cultural resources,” the letter signed by eight environmental groups states.

“Governor Hobbs has the authority to stop the sale of this land that would be used to construct a toxic mining waste dump south of Corona de Tucson,” said Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Executive Director John Dougherty. “It’s time for the governor to stand with Southern Arizona and order the Land Department to stop facilitating development of this mine that will export the copper overseas.”

In addition to Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, organizations signing the letter include the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, Tucson Bird Alliance, Sky Island Alliance, DarkSky Southern Arizona, Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of Madera Canyon.