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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The final environmental impact statement (FEIS) from the U.S. Forest Service has triggered the impending sale of Oak Flat, an area that is of significant sacred importance to Tribes in the Southwest, but there’s still time to challenge the report and delay the land exchange. A recent federal court ruling mandates that the transfer cannot happen sooner than 60 days, providing a two-month window to save this sacred landscape.

Without intervention, the sacred public lands of Oak Flat would be immediately transferred to the private, corporate interests of Resolution Copper on August 19, 2025.

“The urgency of this situation can’t be stressed enough. Once this land is transferred, there’s no going back and we lose an irreplaceable, sacred spiritual and cultural site for the San Carlos Apache, the Yavapai, Hopi, Zuni, and many other Tribes in the Southwest,” said Garrit Voggesser, senior director of Tribal partnerships at the National Wildlife Federation. “The public lands of Oak Flat are also critical wildlife habitat. There is still time to challenge the FEIS and the land exchange, Congress must reintroduce and pass the Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act.”

"The implications of this land swap are staggering for Tribal sovereignty, water security, national security, and 皇冠体育app官网平台's self-reliance, and time is running out. We cannot afford to give away sacred land, one of the richest copper deposits in 皇冠体育app官网平台, and drain Arizona's precious water for the benefit of a foreign mining company with ties to China. We cannot ignore the permanent destruction of irreplaceable cultural and natural resources," said Camilla Simon, executive director of HECHO. "We urge Congress and federal leaders to take swift and meaningful action to reverse this land exchange before it is too late and protect 皇冠体育app官网平台's resources from foreign exploitation."

Learn more from HECHO .