“Copper mine opponents file new lawsuit to block Oak Flat project”, 22 April 2026

Opponents of a contentious land exchange between the U.S. Forest Service and Resolution Copper have filed a new, amended lawsuit aimed at blocking a giant copper mine they say will desecrate lands sacred to Indigenous people.

The new litigation argues that the U.S. government admitted the mine will destroy the site, atop Oak Flat Campground, and Apaches will never again be able to access the site or perform sacred rituals there…

Resolution traded land in southern Arizona for the mine site, a swap that was authorized by Congress over a decade ago but only recently completed…

Settled law supports the land exchange and advancement of the project, the company said in a statement. "Courts at every level have consistently ruled in favor of Resolution Copper—including on the very same claims that are recycled in this newest filing. Three different presidential administrations have also supported this project. It is time for the meritless litigation to end…"

The company said it intends to keep the Oak Flat Campground open and has hired 4Winds Contracting, a tribal-owned company, to manage it…

Resolution has said the mine would bring much-needed jobs and revenues to the economically challenged Copper Triangle to the tune of about $1 billion a year…

Tonto signed over a total of 2,422 acres on March 13, including Oak Flat and some surrounding land, while Resolution conveyed 5,400 acres of "high-value conservation land" to the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management…