Feds withdraw environmental impact statement, delaying Oak Flat land swap
by Debra Utacia Krol | Arizona Republic
The U.S. Forest Service has withdrawn the final environmental impact statement for a huge copper mine near Superior, temporarily halting a land swap that would have given the mine’s owners title to a parcel deemed sacred by many Apaches and other Southwestern tribes.
In a statement released Monday, Tonto National Forest said the federal government had received significant input from many parties after the release of the final environmental impact statement on Jan. 15. As a result, the U.S. Department of Agriculture directed the forest service to rescind the decision it made based on the review document.
Tonto officials said a recent memorandum issued by President Joe Biden regarding tribal consultation and strengthening nation-to-nation relationships was a factor in the decision.
