Speak Out to Protect Oak Flat from Destructive Mining

Oak Flat is a beautiful and biodiverse area in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest. Its high desert lands are home to mountain lions and many other wildlife species. The lands are also sacred for the San Carlos Apache and other Indigenous communities.

Unfortunately, the wildlife, lands, and Indigenous sites of Oak Flat are threatened by a giant copper mine that would create a crater that is 1,000-feet deep and 1.8 miles wide. The mining would consume more than 250 billion gallons of water in an area that is already suffering from exceptional drought conditions. It would also create 1.4 billion tons of toxic mine tailings that would cover nearly 4,000 acres.

President Biden and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack can stop this destructive mine from moving forward so that wildlife, watersheds, and significant Indigenous sites are safeguarded for generations to come.

Please tell President Biden and Secretary Vilsack to protect wildlife and Indigenous sites by stopping a proposed mega-copper mine.

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Secretary of Agriculture

Tom

Vilsack

Department of Argriculture

President

Joe

Biden

White House

Dear President Biden / Secretary Vilsack,

Oak Flat in Arizona is a beautiful, high desert area that is home to diverse wildlife and sacred Indigenous sites. Unfortunately, the proposed mega copper mine would destroy these cherished lands. The mining operations would create a crater that is 1,000-feet deep and 1.8 miles wide and consume more than 250 billion gallons of water in an area that is already suffering from exceptional drought conditions. (That’s enough water to supply a city of 140,000 people for 40 years). The mine would also create 1.4 billion tons of toxic mine tailings that would cover nearly 4,000 acres.

I know that it’s important to transition to a clean energy economy and using copper will be necessary for that transition. But there are other places and other ways that copper can be utilized that won’t exact such a high price from our wildlife, our water supplies, and our Indigenous communities.

Please, do not proceed with plans to transfer Oak Flat to foreign mining companies that will destroy these lands, drive away wildlife, usurp water supplies, and wipe out significant Indigenous sites.

Thank you,
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