A U.S. appeals court temporarily blocked the transfer of U.S. Forest Service land in Arizona to international companies that plan to build the proposed Resolution Copper Mine on an area sacred to the San Carlos Apache people and other Tribes. The transfer was scheduled for Tuesday, but a panel of judges with the 9th U.S. District Court of Appeals issued a temporary injunction in response to appeals by a Native American Tribe and environmentalists.
Native American Tribes and other plaintiffs celebrated the injunction. Apache Stronghold, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and environmental groups have been fighting for years to save Oak Flat, which Tribal members call Chi’chil Bildagoteel. The area is dotted with oak groves and traditional plants the Apaches consider essential to their religion.
“We will continue praying that the court understands the grave injustice of trading our sacred grounds to foreign mining companies that seek to destroy Chí’chil Biłdagoteel to extract copper that will be exported overseas,” said Tribal Chairman Terry Rambler.
Keep Parks Public campaign stops in Salt Lake City and Grand Junction
The Keep Parks Public tour stops in Salt Lake City tonight for a live podcast recording at Fisher Brewing to discuss the impacts of funding cuts, new laws, and layoffs on our beloved public lands. The tour then heads east to Grand Junction for another live podcast taping tomorrow featuring public land advocates, former National Park Service leaders, and local voices to spotlight the importance of keeping our parks public and resisting harmful rollbacks and policies threatening our shared lands. Both events are filling up quickly, so be sure to RSVP!
Quick hits
Wyoming lawmakers advance bill decriminalizing corner crossing
Study: Industry-managed forests are more likely to fuel megafires
Trump slams ‘anti-American’ pushback after fresh delay to Arizona copper mine
Reuters | CNBC | Associated Press | AZPM
Trump says U.S. will not approve solar or wind power projects
Navajo Nation moves to take over air permits for small oil and gas operations
Colorado River water conservation program remains stalled in U.S. House
Interior deputizes border agents to National Park sites amid DC takeover
Grand jury indicts infamous Wyoming wolf captor on felony animal cruelty
Quote of the day
I don’t think there is a person who believes that someone should be taken off the public lands in handcuffs because they stepped on the wrong blade of grass.”
—Ryan Semerad, attorney representing hunters in Wyoming corner crossing case, WyoFile
Picture This
Some behind the scenes shots from the road!! 🚗 🌵
Denver > Las Cruces > Tucson > Flagstaff > Page > Moab down, Salt Lake > Grand Junction to go!
#publiclands #nationalparks #nationalmonuments #keepparkspublic
Featured photo: Oak Flat, Arizona is sacred land for the San Carlos Apache Tribe. Elias Butler, CC BY-SA 4.0