# Save Oak Flat Act

This bill protects a specific piece of Arizona land called Oak Flat from being mined for copper. The land is currently owned by the federal government and sits on top of what mining companies believe is a valuable copper deposit. The bill essentially says that Oak Flat cannot be developed for mining purposes and must remain protected as public land.

Here's why this matters: A large mining company has been working toward opening a massive copper mine at Oak Flat for years. If the mine had gone forward, it would have involved digging a huge open pit and processing facility that would dramatically change the landscape. The bill stops this project permanently by making it illegal to mine the area. This protects the land for other uses like recreation, wildlife habitat, and preserving the area's natural state. It also protects water resources in the region, since large-scale mining operations typically use significant amounts of water and can affect groundwater quality.

The bill affects several groups differently. Environmental groups and people who value the area's natural landscape support it because it prevents industrial development. Local Native American tribes, particularly the Apache, have strong cultural and spiritual connections to Oak Flat and support its protection. On the other hand, the mining company and people who support mining jobs and copper production oppose the bill because it eliminates a potential source of employment and domestic copper supply. The bill essentially decides that preserving Oak Flat's current state is more important than developing the copper resources beneath it.

Save Oak Flat Act

Sanders, Bernard

Save Oak Flat Act This bill repeals the requirement for the Department of Agriculture to convey the 2,422 acres of Forest Service land located in Tonto National Forest in Pinal County, Arizona,&nbsp;known as Oak Flat, to Resolution Copper Mining, LLC, in exchange&nbsp;for various parcels of land owned by Resolution Copper. Oak Flat is withdrawn from (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials.