San Francisco Peaks Mining Ban Up for Renewal

 by Megan Kelly, Energy Associate

If you’ve been to Flagstaff, Arizona, you likely noticed the scenic backdrop to town. Meet the San Francisco Peaks — known as Dookʼoʼoosłííd to the Navajo, Nuva’tukya’ovi to the Hopi, Hvehasahpatch or Huassapatch to the Havasupai, and Sunha K’hbchu Yalanne to the Zuni. Aside from their sacredness to many Indigenous peoples, the peaks are biologically diverse, visible for long distances in all directions, home to the highest peak in northern Arizona, and provide year-round recreation opportunities.

Thanks to a temporary mining ban, no one is allowed to stake a claim to mine hard rock minerals like copper or gold in the peaks. But that ban is about to expire. Your voice can help keep hard rock mining out of the peaks for the next 20 years.

Background

In October 2000, then Assistant Secretary of the Interior Silvia Baca enacted the San Francisco Mountain/Mount Elden Mineral Withdrawal, which bans hard rock mining on over 74,000 acres of land surrounding the San Francisco Peaks and Mount Elden. The withdrawal was supported by a diverse group of advocates, including environmental groups and tribes. One of the primary reasons for implementing the mineral withdrawal was the cultural significance of the peaks to at least 13 tribes. The environmental assessment for the withdrawal recognized that there is “no other area or feature that can substitute for the Mountain in its role as one of the most important traditional cultural properties in the Southwest.”

Right now, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering a proposal to expand the mining ban for another 20 years and is asking for public comment. The Grand Canyon Trust and our partners support the renewal of the ban and also see this as an opportunity to ask the federal government to do better, particularly with how federal agencies collaborate with, and listen to Indigenous communities.

Take Action 

You can help protect the San Francisco Peaks from mining, too. The BLM is asking for input on the withdrawal extension until September 14, 2020. Let the BLM know that you support the decision to extend Public Land Order (PLO) 7467, Withdrawal of National Forest System Lands for San Francisco Peaks/Mount Elden Mineral Withdrawal, and encourage them to improve upon their engagement with tribal nations.