A Phoenix, Arizona federal judge will hear arguments Friday, June 6th, on two motions for a preliminary injunction that each seek to stop the Oak Flat land exchange pending further consideration of the lawsuits’ merits. One lawsuit was filed by the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and the other by a coalition of conservation and recreation groups (Access Fund, Arizona Mining Reform Coalition, Center for Biological Diversity, Earthworks, and Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club) and the Inter Tribal Association of Arizona, Inc.

A third related lawsuit was filed by the Apache Stronghold, which has proceeded on a separate schedule.

The plaintiffs oppose the exchange of over 2,400 acres of federal public lands to Resolution Copper Company, a joint venture between Rio Tinto and BHP. Resolution Copper plans to construct a massive copper mine that would cave-in Oak Flat’s rolling hills, leaving a crater up to two miles wide and 1,000 feet deep. Massive amounts of ground water would be pumped, depleting surface waters, obliterating sacred land, and impacting water use and availability across the region. 

Oak Flat is an incredible Sonoron desert ecosystem that is a sacred site of tremendous spiritual importance to the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and boasts world class rock climbing and bouldering. In fact, Oak Flat hosted the world’s largest outdoor bouldering contest. In addition to destroying sacred land, the proposed mine would impact thousands of acres of public land, destroy high value crags and boulders, and block access to long standing climbing opportunities. 

Access Fund will keep you posted on the judge’s decision and how the climbing community can help protect Oak Flat.

For more information on this history of Access Fund’s work at Oak Flat, read more here.