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- Message 100: 03/27/25
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- Message 62: 06/06/24
- Message 61: 05/30/24
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- Message 59: 05/16/24:
- Message 58: 05/09/24
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- Message 56: 04/25/24
- Message 55: 04/11/24
- Message 54: 04/04/24
- Message 53: 03/28/24
- Message 52: 03/21/24
- Message 51: 03/14/24
- Message 50: 03/07/24
Santa Rita Mountains/Rosemont Barrel Canyon Bioblitz
A Resounding Success!
Over 40 participants from throughout Arizona, including those experienced in botany, entomology, herpetology, ornithology, zoology and even animal tracking, joined forces for the March 23, 2025 Santa Rita Mountains/Rosemont Barrel Canyon Bioblitz.
Participants documented over 396 individual observations resulting in the identification of more than 161 species, including magnificent old-growth trees, hundreds of plants, animals, and insects living in this vibrant ecosystem now threatened by the proposed 26 sq. mile Hudbay/Copperworld open pit mine.
Data obtained from this effort will become a valuable scientific tool for researching and monitoring the areas biodiversity and will assist in supporting efforts to stop this mine.
A special thanks to everyone involved, especially the
Great Old Broads for Wilderness, and Dave DeGroot, for their efforts coordinating this well run and important event!
Additional BioBlitz results will be shared as information becomes available.
It's Not Done Yet!
Andrea Hoerr, of the Great Old Broads for the Wilderness and Dave DeGroot, citizen scientist and longtime hiker of the area, are working through the observations and waiting anxiously for confirmations verifying results. They are committed to providing the highest quality data.
Next steps:
- Press release to various media outlets and reporters who cover this issue regularly
- Producing a formal report that can be leveraged for the continuing fight against Hudbay and CopperWorld mine
- Contacting various government leaders and politicians to ensure they know how passionate the community is about protecting this rare and precious place
Click the links below to learn more about the Santa Rita Mountains destruction: Pre-Approval
Two-Hundred-Year-Old Emory Oak at Risk
Santa Rita Mountains Open Pit Mine Update 2
Public Forum
On August 14th, 2024, the Living Desert Alliance along with 100's of community members and numerous environmental groups, attended an Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) public forum outlining the details of Hudbay's open pit mine permit. The forum focused on air quality and the steps they are taking to monitor its effect on the environment and local communities.
Despite being advertised as a presentation only event, the ADEQ allowed several hours for public questions. Many attendees challenged the ADEQ's findings and monitoring systems set in place to control the activities of Hudbay and its subsidiary, Copper World, who will be operating the mines for the next 44 years if the permit is approved.
Major take-a-ways include:
- Hudbay's intention to produce sulfuric acid for use on-site and for sale to other mining operations, and its potential for a spill or air dump contaminating the environment and surrounding communities.
- Fine particles of waste materials such as lead, mercury, uranium, and cadmium that could be transported by prevailing air currents to surrounding homes and schools, including Copper Ridge Elementary School located just 1.2 miles from the northern edge of a major tailing's pile.
- The possibility of an "atmospheric plume" from the mine that will drift northwest from the permanent tailing's piles located throughout the 26 square mile mining area.
There's still time to voice your concerns.
- Attend the second ADEQ in-person public forum on September 10th. Comments are welcome and will become public record.
- Send a letter opposing the mine by writing directly to the ADEQ. Review the Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Asso. Comment Information on how to send a letter opposing the mine. Page two contains a sample letter you can copy and insert with your own information.
- Complete the ADEQ's website public comments page.
Comments and letters must be received by SEPTEMBER 15th. So act now!
Click Here to view the entire ADEQ public forum presentation plus Q&A's.
Click here to view a KGUN 9 News segment.
Photo courtesy of Save the Scenic Santa Rita Mountains Asso.
Get Involved
You can become an active voice of opposition to this disastrous permit request by attending the next public forum on September 10, 2024. It starts at 6pm, and will be held at Corona Foothills Middle Schools, 16705 South Houghton Rd. Vail, AZ
Please plan to attend and bring your family and friends. Join the community, have your voices heard, and become a matter of public record.
Donate
Your support helps us continue our work and expand our impact. You can donate online, by mail, or in person. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference. Help us Grow | Living Desert Alliance
Contact Us
If you have any questions about our organization or want to learn more about how you can get involved, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are always happy to hear from members of our community. Living Desert Alliance
SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS OPEN PIT MINE UPDATE 1
Strategic Alliance
On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, the Living Desert Alliance joined forces with multiple community organizations including the Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) and the Great Old Broads for the Wilderness, to discuss strategies challenging the Copper World, Inc. project, including the Aquifer Permit. The goal is to convince the Arizona Department of Water Quality to deny them a permit for open pit mining rights slated for the destruction of the beautiful Santa Rita Mountains, the pollution of water critical for supporting life and the general devastation of the flora and fauna that depend on the Santa Rita Mountains and its resources for their very survival.
Previous Living Desert Alliance newsletters, document attempts by Copper World, Inc to quick start this project. Attempts challenged by the SSSR, multiple community groups, and the public exposing the lies, untruths, and distortion of facts by Copper World, Inc, its subsidiaries and supporters.
This committee of concerned citizens is organizing to prioritize efforts and continue the fight to stop this disaster from happening. The Living Desert Alliance is pleased to participate and support this struggle. Defeating this permit and saving the Santa Rita Mountains supports our mission to Keep our Desert and Community Livable and Thriving. We will keep our members informed as it progresses and present opportunities to participate in meetings, letter-writing campaigns, other ways to voice their concerns.
Click our Community Action Website Link to learn more about the effects of open pit mining on the environment.
Donate
Your support helps us continue our work and expand our impact. You can donate online, by mail, or in person. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about our organization or want to learn more about how you can become involved, please contact us by clicking on the CONTACT Menu above. We are always happy to hear from members of our community.