Resolution Copper

[2] Following the passage of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, many Native American and conservation groups oppose the copper mine because it will destroy the area above Oak Flat and around the deposit.

[20] The mine would impact an area set aside in 1955 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower which is sacred to the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.

Both the Oak Flat Campground, an area dotted with petroglyphs and historic and prehistoric sites, and the steep cliffs at Apache Leap would be affected.

[22] The initial report was rushed through during the final days of the Donald Trump administration, and under the provisions of Section 3003 ownership was scheduled to occur on March 11, 2021.

[21] Native American groups and conservationists worry about the impact to surrounding areas and have led a strong opposition to the land exchange.

[25] James Anaya, former United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, said that without community and tribal support, Rio Tinto should abandon its Resolution Copper mining project.

[26] In 2014, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said she was "profoundly disappointed with the Resolution Copper land-swap provision, which has no regard for lands considered sacred by nearby Indian tribes".

Jodi Gillette, Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs, quickly gave an official White House response, vowing that the Obama administration will work with Resolution Copper's parent company Rio Tinto to determine how to work with the tribes to preserve their sacred areas.

[31] In face of the mounting protests, the Biden administration ultimately pushed back the environmental assessment due to inadequate public and tribal input in March 2021.