Dawn Walker, a part-time local to the Patagonia Mountains, recently submitted her take on living in Duquesne. Her story is beautiful and will kick off our first blog in our new “Patagonia Voices” series.
Dawn’s Story:
My association with Duquesne started with the passing of my mother in 2009. My sister Jill and I had not seen each other for fifteen years, as we both led different lives in lands far from our native England. I had sailed to New Zealand in a 50-foot yacht, and Jill and her husband Rick had built a magnificent log cabin home on 78 acres of mountain in Duquesne.
Mid-December we received news that Mum was not expected to survive to Christmas, so we both arranged to speed home and hopefully arrive in time to say farewell. Over the following emotionally-charged weeks we reaffirmed our relationship, and Jill told me of all the adventures she and Rick have in their amazing countryside. Riding horses, adventuring amidst the mountains, and the excitement of living close to the border. Even the name “Duquesne” musters up thoughts of the Wild West, and I was drawn there.
Not wanting to let our re-acquaintance die, I asked if I could visit the following summer. That visit was to be the start of a passionate love affair with one of the most beautiful and unique places I have ever visited– and having sailed halfway around the world, I have visited quite a few.
Because of the late arrival of my flight into Tucson, by the time we arrived at the ranch it was dark and I had only had glimpses of the passing countryside in the headlights of the truck. I was aware the highway became a road and the road became a track as we climbed higher and higher. Eventually the track became a rugged track. We bumped and bounced up their long drive and were greeted by furious barking and the occasional whinny. Already this felt like home.
I am an early riser and thus opened my eyes at daybreak. My breath stopped as I gazed out of the attic window to my first view of the sun rising to clear the magnificent Huachuca Mountains, bringing an expanding view of the stunningly beautiful landscape. There was the sweeping San Rafael Valley, the Canelo Hills, the Sierra Madre in Mexico, and the far distant conical outline of San Jose, 70 miles away. It was love at first sight. I had never known such an overwhelming feeling of tranquility, peace, wellbeing. The clear mountain air, the uninterrupted view of natural beauty– no roads, no houses, no power lines, no traffic, nor pollution. Just completely unspoiled country, literally as far as the eye could see.
Hummingbirds feeding at dawn. Photo: Dawn Walker
Now ten years later, I have myself bought twenty acres of land, designed and built a modest cabin, and come each summer for four months to relax, rejuvenate, and replenish my soul. I lease a horse during the length of my stay so that I can get out and about on the many trails in the Coronado National Forest and surrounding land. I ride for miles on dirt tracks, exploring canyons and washes, discover old abandoned stone cottages, ride through oak forests, and wind my way up pine-clad slopes to reach some of the peaks of the Patagonia Mountains.
The views are stunning, and you are never sure what you might see next. Occasionally I have caught a fleeting glimpse of a bear shambling away, startled by my presence. Deer athletically leaping to safety are commonplace, yet always a delight to see. They seem to float over the steepest terrain. Often seen are the amusing coatimundi who don’t seem too fussed about anything, especially a horse. Rarely do you encounter a rattlesnake, but they are there. A rustle in the undergrowth sometimes signals their stealthy departure, unwilling to chance a confrontation. Frustratingly, I have never yet seen my heart’s desire: a mountain lion. I have frequently smelled where they have marked their territory and seen their scat, but not yet have I been blessed with a sighting. One day, I hope.
Birds are abundant; it is a special treat to hear– and even more so to see– a rare visiting elegant trogon. We are fortunate that more of these visitors from Mexico are calling this area home. The shriek of a circling gray hawk epitomizes the wild, untamed element of this area. At my cabin, I hang feeders full of sugar water for the little hummers who flock to feed at first light and at dusk. Their squabbling antics as they duel and fight never fail to raise a smile. Most are just passing through on their migratory routes, and I hope I aid them on their way to distant lands.
Early morning view of the San Rafael Valley. Photo: Dawn Walker
From my cabin, I have the most amazing elevated 180-degree view to the east. I look across the sweeping San Rafael Valley to the peaks of the Huachucas. The view is dynamic as the sun rises, always varied yet always stunning. In the evening the shadows alter the mountains, revealing ranges you had never noticed before and disguising others you could have sworn were there. The colors always vary depending on the cloud formations and atmospheric conditions, comprising an ever-changing painting produced by nature.
I also have friends that I hike with and that open up many more delights as we explore off trailand scale canyons and hills, marveling at the treasures to be seen and found. Amazing rock formations, small creatures, bubbling pools, flowering cacti, and always the amazing views over a wide expanse of wild and unspoiled country.
A treat is to head over to hike in the Huachuca Mountains. The 20-mile drive across the San Rafael Valley is like stepping back in time; it is the largest one of only three remaining high grass prairies in the US. As you drive through the rolling grasslands, you can imagine buffalo grazing in their thousands. You drive past the San Rafael Ranch, a magnificent old ranch house built in 1884, formerly known as the Greene Ranch. It has been used as the backdrop to many western films including Oklahoma!, Tom Horn, Arizona Dreaming, and many more. Although it is owned by the Conservation Society, it is sadly no longer open to the public. The Huachuca Mountains, dramatic in appearance, have too many trails to mention, but all are an adventure, and there are many delights to discover.
This is a very special part of the world. It is unique and it has a biodiversity found in very few other places. It has an aura which cannot be described—it has to be witnessed and felt.
“To my mind these live oak-dotted hills fat with side oats grama, these pine-clad mesas spangled with flowers, these lazy trout streams bubbling along under great sycamores and cottonwoods, come near to being the cream of creation.”
Aldo Leopold, 1937
Tragically, all of the above are now endangered by the threat of industrialized mining and the greed of overseas companies. We cannot lose this area. We cannot let greed and the lust for money destroy what nature has created over millions of years. This area must be protected so that it lives and thrives for future generations of not only humanity, but all that lives and thrives here at present. To lose it would be to lose one of the biggest treasures we have ever inherited.
The Patagonia Mountains in Arizona, a hotspot for sensitive, threatened, and endangered species, are in danger of abuse by extractive industries including senior Australian mining company South32 and junior Canadian mining company Barksdale Resources.
(Click the links above to learn about our concerns with these companies.)
Leading up to the 2020 election, we will be unpacking the myths these industries want you to believe and what you can do to defend this biologically diverse region from destruction. Follow us on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook for daily posts breaking down the myths and uncovering the facts.
Once you know the myths, take action! Here are ten ways you can help defend the Patagonia Mountains through the election season and beyond.
EDUCATE
#1. EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT HARDROCK MINING!
Remember that “knowledge is power,” and in this case it is the power to teach others about the dangers of mining to our community and the power to oppose the dangerous mining plans and practices that affect local water and wildlife. Here are some good readings to start with:
Arizona is considered the 9th-friendliest mining district in the world. It’s important to understand the policies that create such a conducive environment for mining, against the backdrop of such beautiful but vulnerable biodiversity.
Share the “50 Days to Take Action: Defend the Patagonia Mountains” campaign regularly with your social networks. Share the important information from the campaign with your family, friends, and community who are not on social media. Spread awareness as far as the mountains themselves!
#5. WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR OF YOUR LOCAL PAPER!
Getting a piece published in the local newspaper helps to bring wider attention to the issue. Use these three resources to learn how to write letters to the editor, and for great tips on how to increase your chances of getting your letter published.
#6. WRITE AN OP-ED TO INFORM OTHERS AND ADVOCATE CHANGE!
Publishing an op-ed in a local or national newspaper allows you to put forward a counter-argument to other pieces that have been published. In this case, you can use the myths and facts from the “50 Days to Take Action” campaign (or informed by other credible sources) to create a counter-argument to the idea that the South32 mine will be good for the Patagonia and surrounding communities.
Use these three resources to learn how to write op-eds, and for great tips on how to increase your chances of getting your piece published.
Send an email to Coronado Forest Service Supervisor Kerwin Dewberry (kerwin.dewberry@usda.gov) and let him know that you support the Town of Patagonia’s request for a comprehensive water study in the Patagonia Mountains. How can we allow this mine to conduct business without a full study that assesses the short and long term effects on our water?
#8. EMAIL SOUTH32 DIRECTOR DEMANDING TRANSPARENCY!
Send an email to South32’s Pat Risner (pat.risner@south32.net) and let him know that you want all water reports currently in South32’s possession to be forwarded to the Town of Patagonia. Whether you live in town, or you call from afar, this action will really help amplify the importance of community and concerned citizen input!
#9. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS!
Exercise your right to speak! Find your district here (type your address in the address search pane toward the top of the page).Then, use the easy step guidelines we’ve posted here to send an effective message to your elected officials. Consider asking your representatives to support a revision of the 1872 Mining Act. After almost 150 years of inaction, we’re overdue for a change!
In April, Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) partnered up with Sky Island Alliance for their Border Wildlife Study—a camera-based project that will help organizations and the public better understand the depths of biodiversity seen near the U.S.-Mexico border wall. For this study, Sky Island Alliance deployed a camera array of sixty devices that span thirty-four miles of the border between the Huachuca and Patagonia mountains.
Sixteen of Sky Island Alliance’s cameras have been established in the Patagonia Mountains. Including six of PARA’s cameras, which have been collecting data in the Patagonias since 2012, this totals a power of twenty-two remote camera traps throughout the mountains.
Sky Island Alliance celebrated their first 90 days of Border Wildlife Study in July by releasing their full species list. They’ve detected seventy-one species (and counting!) across the thirty-four miles of border; and with the combined efforts of Sky Island Alliance and PARA, over forty-eight (48) species have been sighted in the Patagonia Mountains alone!
The Patagonia Mountains
If you’ve never driven through the Patagonia Mountains, searched for its rare birds, or hiked its canyons, you’re missing out. Located about sixty miles southeast of Tucson, the Patagonias make up one of Arizona’s unique Sky Island ranges. This range is also part of the Madrean Pine Oak Woodlands and extends across the U.S.-Mexico border where, in Mexico, it becomes the San Antonio Mountains.
The Patagonia Mountains lie at the very heart of six intersecting provinces: the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Madre, the Sonoran Desert, the Chihuahuan Desert, the Great Plains, and the Neo Tropics. Because of this, the Patagonias are home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including 300 species of birds, 600 species of native bees, 300 types of butterflies and moths, and 112 Federally threatened, endangered, and sensitive species—possibly including jaguars and ocelots that use the mountains to migrate between Mexico and the United States. Scientists have named this region one of the top areas in the world most in need of protection for species survival due to its ranging altitudes, the 128,000-acre Sonoita Creek watershed, and the Patagonia Mountains’ many canyons and woodlands.
While the Patagonia Mountains are wealthy in species diversity, they are also threatened by various operations, including border wall construction and industrialized mining. As the quality of air, water, and habitat are threatened, organizations like PARA and Sky Island Alliance are worried these operations will negatively impact these species at risk and ultimately limit—or remove all together—their ability to migrate freely across borders.
Check out this presentation PARA did with Sky Island Alliance in August on conservation in the Patagonia Mountains:
48 Species Detected in the Patagonias
Sky Island Alliance and PARA deploy their 24/7 camera traps differently—which results in some different sightings.
At Sky Island Alliance, the Border Wildlife Study team uses a scientific 1 km x 1 km grid. All cameras are placed within 3 kilometers from the border to get the best data on which species might attempt cross-border migration. This systematic grid placement ensures the cameras capture a variety of landscape features and, the Border Wildlife Study page says, “increases the likelihood of documenting the true breadth of the wildlife community.”
PARA’s camera team, on the other hand, places devices where wildlife sightings are most common: usually around water sources or where two different wildlife trails meet. While the approach is not unbiased or scientific in nature, it instead focuses on the locations where big mammals, like bears and large cats, are most likely to appear as they cross through the Patagonia Mountains on their way to and from Mexico.
Now for the species list! Here are the forty-eight* species PARA and Sky Island Alliance have detected over the last several months.
*If you’re curious what the forty-eighth species is, it’s a single insect: the moth!
For this Friday Flora Feature, we’re exploring a rare herb-succulent found in the Arizona Sky Islands. Commonly called the Patagonia Mountain leatherpetal, Bartram’s stonecrop, or Graptopetalum bartramii Rose, G. bartramii belongs to the Crassulaceae (stonecrop) family. It is native to Arizona and has not been discovered in any other U.S. states or territories.
G. bartramii is a perennial plant species that naturally grows in deep mountain canyons and rocky overhangs. It is easily identifiable by its pointed leaves and colors ranging from pale, dusky blues, greens, and purples to darker greens with reddish tips. Each plant flowers in autumn, sending up one to four stalks that release seeds for propagation. They prefer shaded areas with a dense collection of plant matter, like leaves, bark, and moss, and typically grow in areas that are within 50 feet of creeks, springs, or other water sources.
While they are often referred to as Patagonia Mountain leatherpetal, G. bartramii can be found all over the Sky Islands, including in these mountain ranges: Atascosa, Baboquivari, Chiricahua, Dragoon, Empire, Mule, Pajarito, Rincon, Santa Rita, and Whetstone (source: FWS). G. bartramii is also native to parts of Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico. The Center of Biological Diversity reports 34 known populations of G. bartramii in Arizona and three known G. bartramii populations in Mexico, but these numbers are currently threatened by climate change and industrial development.
G. bartramii is listed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a “salvage restricted” species. Environmental stressors, including watershed erosion, soil disturbance, drought, winter freezing, overgrazing, and illegal harvesting, have weakened G. bartramii’s ability to remain fully resilient in its natural habitats.
In December 2019, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to add G. bartramii to their Engaged Species Act list for better protection and conservation. The FWS made a proposal to add G. bartramii to this list soon after. Their decision is currently pending.
Photo Credit: Alan Cressler
Photo Credit: Glen Goodwin
Additional Flora Features (from PARA’s Partner Sky Island Alliance):
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, PARA has been using Zoom to meet safely with our board, family, friends, and loved ones. We suspect you may be embracing the same technology (or similar programs, like Skype) to stay connected with the world.
Did you know Zoom and Skype offer a trendy feature that allows you to conceal the clutter of home with a cool background image? To spruce up your weekly calls and meetings, here are six photos from the Patagonia region you can download (for free!) to use as a video call background. Not only will you represent a unique area rich in biodiversity and geography, you may also attract questions about Patagonia from your out-of-town friends and family—all of which help garner additional support and interest in the Patagonia Mountains. So if you’ve ever wondered how to bring up PARA’s mission with others, this may be a good segue into the topics of protecting and nurturing our stunning environment!
Today, we’re excited to feature the hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura). This little creature has been captured on Sky Island Alliance cameras as part of the Border Wildlife Study and captured on Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) cameras on the west side of the Patagonia Mountains. Through this collaboration, we’re excited to observe how hooded skunks migrate between the U.S. and Mexico, seeking habitats that include lowlands, wooded mountains, and areas with streams and springs.
Here are some facts about hooded skunks to get you acquainted with their habits and habitats—all without having to get up close and personal!
1. The hooded skunk species is found throughout the American Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas), Mexico, and Central America.
Hooded Skunk Range. Source: The Animal Files
2. Within the Mephitis macroura species, there are four subspecies. Only one, the Mephitis macroura milleri, is found in the American Southwest and in northern Mexico.
3. When compared to the size of other skunk species, the hooded skunk falls right in the middle. It is smaller than striped skunks and larger than spotted skunks. (All three of these species have been caught on PARA and Sky Island Alliance cameras.)
4. Hooded skunks are easily identified by the long white hair that covers their bodies and necks. Their heads and sides are often black, however, giving them the appearance of wearing a hood. Their tails tend to be bushier than other skunk species with a feather-like appearance.
5. Hooded skunks build dens in habitats with rocks and plentiful vegetation. They like to live near a water source, such as a river, spring, or stream, and tend to prefer areas with lowlands, forests, or the high desert.
6. Mating season for hooded skunks typically falls between February and March. Females will carry their young, called kits, for two months before giving birth to a litter. Each litter contains three to eight offspring.
7. Hooded skunks live an average of three years, though they tend to live shorter in the wild due to predators.
8. Hooded skunks are nocturnal. They leave their dens near dusk and spend the night searching for food.
9. Like raccoons, hooded skunks have been known to seek out and eat human garbage. Mostly, though, their diet consists of insects, vertebrates, and a little bit of plant material (such as fruit).
10. Hooded skunks are threatened by humans (hunting, roadkill) more than any other predator. To protect themselves from predators, they will hide in the burrows or dens of other animals or take cover in cholla cacti. They can also spray in defense like other skunk species.
The hooded skunk species’ conservation status is listed as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List, and it’s believed their population is steadily increasing across the U.S., Mexico, and Central America.
We at Patagonia Area Resource Alliance are excited to share details on a new partnership with Tucson-based nonprofit Sky Island Alliance. The work being done in Sky Island Alliance’s “Wildlife at the Wall” study will capture real-time data of the species found in the Patagonia Mountains, the Huachuca Mountains, and the San Rafael Valley—data that is vitally important in helping oppose Trump’s border wall.
Over 50 cameras have been deployed for this project with more planned for the future. Three weeks in, over 30 species have been documented—including, Sky Island Alliance reports, “mountain lion, white-nosed coati, ringtail, bobcat, gray fox, javelina, kangaroo rat, whitetailed and mule deer, Montezuma quail, American kestrel, Northern harrier, Mexican jay, and red-tailed hawk.”
OR, just keep reading for more details on this critical project!
SKY ISLAND ALLIANCE PRESS RELEASE — APRIL 2, 2020
Conservation scientists launch binational effort to document wildlife in the path of Trump’s border wall.
New study fills gap left by waiver of environmental laws at the U.S.-Mexico border Tucson, AZ—Sky Island Alliance announced the launch today of an unprecedented study to document the diversity of wildlife threatened by the U.S.-Mexico border wall. The Trump Administration has waived dozens of laws to fast-track border wall construction, and is set to build 30-foot tall steel walls in sensitive wildlife areas without any meaningful environmental review or mitigation.
“With border wall already under construction in Southern Arizona, it’s a race against time to document wildlife living in unwalled stretches of the international border,” said Emily Burns, Ph.D., lead scientist on the project and Program Director at Sky Island Alliance. “We don’t even have a complete list of species that live in these beautiful grasslands and forests, so we can’t even begin to estimate the toll of border wall construction on the remarkable animals of this region.”
Sky Island Alliance is partnering with Mexican nonprofit Naturalia and U.S. nonprofit Patagonia Area Resource Alliance to contribute vital science to fill the monumental information gap created by the Trump administration’s refusal to follow environmental laws. The study detects data using wildlife camera array along 34 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border in Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico.
Sky Island Alliance has already installed over 50 wildlife cameras across the Patagonia Mountains, San Rafael Valley, and Huachuca Mountains over the past few weeks, with more on the way. Capturing photos and video 24/7, the project will generate thousands of images weekly. Sky Island Alliance and partners plan to use this information to both document the incredible diversity of wildlife in this rugged and remote area—and advocate for the urgent protection of vital wildlife corridors in the face of border wall construction.
“The remarkable wildlife of the border region deserve a voice in the decisions being made in Washington D.C. that will damage their habitat and sever their migration corridors,” says Louise Misztal, Sky Island Alliance Executive Director. “We want to ensure the American public understands the enormous harm to wildlife and local communities from the border wall. We hope this study will catalyze efforts to protect our region.”
“For more than 15 years, our organization and Mexican environmental federal agencies have made extraordinary efforts to maintain the great biological corridors of the borderlands and to conserve priority species present on both sides of the border,” says Gerardo Carreón, Conservation Director of Naturalia, AC. “In Sonora and particularly in the Los Fresnos conservation area on the border, there are extensive areas of passage for wildlife through permeable fences that must remain so. In this region there are Mexican records of black bear, jaguar, cougar, bobcat, beaver, pronghorn, mule deer, white-tailed deer, javelina, and an enormous diversity of migratory birds such as the bald eagle, ducks, and grassland birds. We are happy to participate in this important border wildlife study.”
The study is already detecting a remarkable diversity of wildlife species – more than 27 species within just days of camera installation. Wildlife detected include: mountain lion, white-nosed coati, ringtail, bobcat, gray fox, javelina, kangaroo rat, whitetailed and mule deer, Montezuma quail, American kestrel, Northern harrier, Mexican jay, and red-tailed hawk.
“We’ve studied wildlife movement in the Sky Island region for decades and know that it can take two years to document a complete list of species in a given area,” Burns said. “To have detected so many species this quickly highlights the incredible diversity here and the critical need to protect the connected border landscapes that these iconic animals depend on.”
The U.S.-Mexico border region is a diverse mosaic of ecosystems from deserts to grasslands and oak forests—and home to more plant and animal species than anywhere else in inland North America. Border wall construction will stop many wildlife species in their tracks, preventing the recovery of iconic species such as jaguar, wolves, and ocelots in the U.S., and putting numerous species like pronghorn, black bears, pygmy owls, box turtles, and white-nosed coati at risk.
Despite calls to halt border wall construction to ensure community safety during the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration is continuing to advance more than 150 miles of new border walls in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, using more than $3.8 billion taken from Department of Defense projects. If completed, 30-foot tall border walls would block nearly the entire Southern Arizona border with Mexico and cut the Sky Island bioregion in two. Numerous parks, wilderness areas, wildlife refuges, national monuments, sacred Native American sites, and beloved cultural sites across the southern border region will also be harmed.
Early in May, Arizona Mining Inc (AMI) released its Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). As a Canadian company trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange, AMI is guided by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects which defines the information that can be provided in a PEA and “. . . it can only demonstrate the potential viability of mineral resources, not the technical or economic viability of a project.”
Some of the items in the PEA related to water, hazardous materials and truck traffic:
“For the PEA it was ASSUMED [emphasis added] an adequate water resource from ground water wells is available on the mine property.” p 201
The project will use 650 gallons of water per minute. If the mine goes into production, it will operate 24 hours, 7 days a week. 650 gallons of water per minute is 936,000 gallons per day, 6,552,000 gallons per week, 27,846,000 gallons per month, 334,152,000 gallons of water annually.
“After mineral extraction, approximately 50% of the tailings will be sent back underground as backfill . . .” p7
“The recommended mining method is sub-level open stoping.” p 8 “The underground mine is relatively deep and has a large mining footprint.” p 17 The average drill depth in 2016-17 was 4,094 feet and the average depth of the Taylor holes is 3,725 feet.
“Mining activities will be fully mechanized and large modern trackless mobile equipment will be employed throughout.” p 140
Of the many chemicals (reagents) to be used onsite, two are HIGHLY toxic: sodium cyanide and ammonium nitrate.There will be extensive blasting. “This would require approximately 143 Tons / month of explosive requiring 7 transport deliveries per month. Peak consumption is in Year 6 and the maximum quantity of explosives required is 2,460 tons per year, or 205 tons per month, requiring 10 transport deliveries per month.” p 165
Timothy McVeigh used 2 tons of ammonium nitrate when he blew up the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma. 240 tons of ammonium nitrate were stored at the West Fertilizer Company in Texas when an explosion in 2013 killed 15, injured 200 and damaged many buildings.
The estimates for monthly truck traffic (estimates are ONE WAY so double the number to get road traffic):
SUPPLY AND CONCENTRATE TRUCKS:
(assumption is each truck carries 40,000 pounds)
ammonium nitrate deliveries p 165 7-10 per month sodium cyanide deliveries p 205 1-2 per month other chemical deliveries p 205 40 per month shipment of concentrates p182 & 183 1,946 per month
(assumption: zinc and lead concentrates are material that would be shipped if not shipped as concentrates than number would be larger)
Employees p148
264 employees per day; 7,920 per month
OR
AMI suggests employees will be bused from Nogales, Sierra Vista and Tucson which would be 180 buses per month (assumption buses are full and carry 50 people)
The BIG truck traffic totals an estimated 3,996 trucks per month or 133 BIG trucks per day on Harshaw road any time of the day or night. PLUS 264 employees who will travel in buses or personal vehicles.
Truck Access Roads: “Three access routes to the mine property were reviewed. Each route is along existing improved and unimproved roadways. The preferred alternative is to upgrade the existing Harshaw road.” “These potential new improvements or any operating restrictions could arise through the necessary coordination with the town of Patagonia, and possibly others.” p 163
As stated twice in the PEA (p 15 and p 212): “The PEA is preliminary in nature. It includes inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the PEA will be realized.”
The potential impact on the quantity and quality of water, the blasting and the increase in traffic would be devastating on the quality of life in the Patagonia area. This is just the tip of the iceberg which would be a mine operation in the middle of thePatagonia mountains, one of the most beautiful and biologically diverse areas of the United States. The impact on the area’s water system, the loss of tree coverage and the increase in noise 24 hours a day among all other impacts would make life difficult for all residents of the Patagonia area.
Patagonia Area Resource Alliance is a grassroots, non-profit community alliance committed to preserving and protecting the Patagonia Mountains and to empowering people to steward this global biodiversity hotspot. Contact info@patagoniaalliance.org or Carolyn Shafer at 520.405.1117
The Coronado National Forest is designing a system to augment environmental cleanup work previously performed at the Lead Queen Mine on the Sierra Vista Ranger District.
An unusually wet summer monsoon season in 2014 contributed to colored runoff in some drainages in the Patagonia Mountains. This included waters tinted white, yellow, orange and red flowing from the Lead Queen Mine adit, indicating release and oxidation of mineralized waters and sediment.
An environmental cleanup was completed in February, 2016 to reduce or eliminate downstream movement of waste rock containing elevated concentrations of arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals, and to prevent acid mine drainage from entering into Harshaw Creek.
Adits and shafts were closed with polyurethane foam or bat-friendly metal gates. Waste rock was placed in a consolidation cell and capped. Wire gabion baskets were installed downstream of the main adit. Burlap bags filled with zeolite were placed inside the baskets to remove heavy metals and trap sediment particles.
On or about August 9, a short-duration, high-intensity precipitation event on the order of a five- year event (based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration point precipitation frequency estimates, and radar data) passed through the area, resulting in damage to the completed work.
Forest engineering, minerals and geology staff and U.S. Geological Survey scientists inspected and evaluated the damage, and determined a more sustainable and robust system was needed to meet project goals.
Coronado National Forest personnel are assembling a team of U.S. Geological Survey scientists and U.S. Forest Service professionals with expertise in remediation of similar conditions. Once in place, the team will design the improved system and identify a timeline to implement the project.
Further developments will be announced through future news releases.
The Price We Pay for the Mining Game, By Michael Stabile
A few years back Arizona Minerals, AKA Wildcat Silver, said they had discovered a great big silver deposit up in the Patagonia Mountains. They were going to recover over a million ounces of silver at a lower cost then any other silver mine in the country. They also had incredible amounts of manganese associated with the silver. They couldn’t say enough about their discovery. They did extensive exploratory drilling on their private landholdings to try and prove its value. They made two attempts to come onto public land for more exploration, but they backed down from both. Then there was silence; no more talk of the open pit silver mine. Was there a problem with the extraction of the silver from the manganese carbonate?
Wildcat Silver / AZ Mining Inc mineral drilling
That process was a difficult one, very dirty and not very productive. The cost of the project was estimated to be about $800,000,000 and water use approximately 1.5 billion gallons yearly. They still talk about the Hermosa project, originally called “Hardshell,” on their website, but have made no more effort to proceed with the mine plan.
Suddenly there was talk from people associated with Arizona Minerals about a new and better discovery: lead and zinc with some silver. This discovery was on land they purchased from the state, called the ASARCO Multi-State Environmental Custodial Trust. ASARCO was a mining company that operated here in Arizona, as well as other states, and went bankrupt and left behind a legacy of Superfund sites. Here in our neck of the woods ASARCO operated the Trench Mine which has been polluting the waters of Alum Gulch and Flux Canyon for years.
Arizona Minerals paid a price of under $100 for 300+ acres for the land — pretty cheap — but for such a low price, they are required to build a passive water control system to contain leaks from the old mine, which would cost upwards of two million dollars. They will also be responsible for any pollution that might escape the area. The new discovery is located on this land, 2,000+ feet below the surface. And in all their investor reports, they are not mentioning the cost of cleaning up the Trench Mine or the incredible costs of extracting minerals at great depth.
I recommend that concerned citizens of Patagonia drive up Harshaw Road and view the destruction that has taken place as Arizona Mining mounts an expedited drilling program to try and prove their discovery. They have closed down the Flux Canyon Road because it is now on their property. Turns out the Forest Service doesn’t have an easement from ASARCO or the state so anyone who wants to enjoy this area – birding, ATVing, hiking, hunting, etc. can no longer access this area.
My biggest concern, and something that should concern every resident of the area about Arizona Minerals, is that they control over 15,000 acres of public lands in the heart of Patagonia’s watershed and some of the most bio-diverse terrain in America. What can we do to protect this area from continued destruction? We the residents, who care about this special place, can make our voices heard. The last thing investors in these mining operations want to hear about is local opposition. This implies that the permitting process will be long, and any return on investment will take years. How do we make our voices heard? Contact state and local officials and state your concern for the watershed, the surrounding habitat where several endangered species live and thrive. Put signs in your yards stating opposition to the mine, We must protect Patagonia, a precious jewel that exists nowhere else in this great country of ours.
Federal court flips the off switch on Forest Service’s approval of “Sunnyside” project in Coronado National Forest
Tucson, Ariz. —A district court in Arizona put the brakes on an environmentally destructive exploratory drilling project in the Coronado National Forest near Patagonia, Arizona, saying the Forest Service failed to conduct the appropriate environmental review before fast-tracking the approval of the “Sunnyside” project. In October 2014 conservation groups Defenders of Wildlife and the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) filed a lawsuit claiming the Forest Service’s approval violated environmental laws and posed a threat to endangered species in the area.
Statement from Rob Peters, Defenders of Wildlife:
Pictured: Ocelot by Steve Harris
“This is a great victory for the many species of imperiled wildlife that call the Coronado National Forest and the Mountain Empire region home, especially the jaguar, Mexican spotted owl, ocelot and yellow-billed cuckoo, all of which are already at risk from multiple projects in the region.
“The court’s ruling against this destructive mining operation is the best thing that could have happened for the residents of Patagonia and for the incredible and diverse wildlife in the area.”
Statement from Wendy Russell, Patagonia Area Resource Alliance:
“We’re not going to stand by and let the Forest Service rubber-stamp these mining projects in the Patagonia Mountains. There’s too much at stake for both our community and wildlife. This is the second time we’ve had to take them to court, and the second time we’ve won.”
Defenders and PARA were assisted in the case by Roger Flynn, an attorney with the Western Mining Action Project. Flynn noted the importance of local residents’ right to participate in the Forest Service’s review of mineral projects on public land – residents were excluded from this process in the fast-tracking of the approval, a violation of federal law.
Background:
The Canadian mining company Regal Resources’ Sunnyside Project (an exploratory mining operation) involves drilling six exploratory holes for copper deposits up to 6,500 feet deep roughly five miles from the town of Patagonia, Arizona. The Forest Service issued a “categorical exclusion” decision which essentially fast-tracked the mineral drilling exploration and approved the project without involving the public or taking a hard look at the project’s impacts to endangered species. The decision authorized Regal Resources to run its drill rigs for at least five months in sensitive endangered species’ habitat. Loud mineral drilling operations and construction would occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week (using artificial lighting at night) with total project operations and reclamation lasting up to three years.
In January of this year, the Forest Service temporarily withdrew approval for the Sunnyside project until it completed consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether the project would significantly affect the western yellow-billed cuckoo, which is listed as a federally threatened species. After completing the consultation and concluding that there would be no significant effects, the Forest Service re-issued its approval for drilling to proceed in April, 2015.
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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1.2 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org and follow us on Twitter @DefendersNews.
The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance is a citizen watchdog organization that monitors the activities of mining companies, as well as ensures government agencies’ due diligence, to make sure their actions have long-term, sustainable benefits to our public lands, our water, and the town of Patagonia. For more information visit www.patagoniaalliance.org and follow us on Twitter @PARAalliance.
The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance and Defenders of Wildlife were in federal court in Tucson last Thursday to present oral arguments against the Forest Service’s unlawful approval of a mining exploration project in the Patagonia Mountains on the Coronado National Forest.
Over 20 people attended the court hearing in support of PARA, Defenders of Wildlife and the Patagonia Mountains.
Canadian mining company Regal Resources’ Sunnyside Project involves drilling six exploratory holes for copper deposits up to 6,500 feet deep roughly five miles from the Town of Patagonia.
The Forest Service issued a “categorical exclusion” decision which essentially fast-tracked the mineral drilling exploration and approved the project without doing any environmental assessments. The decision authorized Regal Resources to run drilling for one year, with a seven month stoppage during the breeding seasons of the Mexican spotted owl and Yellow-billed cuckoo.
Defenders of Wildlife Lawyer Jay Tutchton argued that the Forest Service’s approval of the Sunnyside project violates environmental laws and poses a potential threat to local, endangered species. The extensive mineral drilling and construction would run 24 hours a day, seven days a week with total project operations and reclamation lasting up to 3 years.
The Patagonia Mountains support some of the world’s most threatened and endangered wildlife, including the jaguar, ocelot, lesser long-nosed bat, Mexican spotted owl, and yellow-billed cuckoo. Of particular concern is the Mexican spotted owl “Protected Activity Center” (PAC), prime habitat which is supposed to have the greatest protection by law and is occupied by the owls year-round. One of the project’s proposed drilling sites is less than 200 yards from a “nesting core area” of the PAC. The noise caused by the drills would be louder than a chainsaw and would disrupt about one-third of the Mexican spotted owls’ PAC, as well as the migratory corridors of jaguars and ocelots, Tutchton argued.
The Forest Service asked the court to dismiss the complaint. Forest Service lawyer Julia Thrower claimed the decision to grant a categorical exclusion complied with the National Environmental Protection Act and was not arbitrary or capricious.
“We’re optimistic that the judge will agree that the Forest Service’s attempt to avoid extra paperwork by skipping environmental assessments violates the law and places local, imperiled wildlife in even more jeopardy,” said Wendy Russell of the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance.
U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Marquez said that she would take the matter under advisement and would issue her ruling before the proposed October 1 start date.
AZ Mining Inc / Wildcat Silver to Purchase Historic Trench Mine
Wildcat Silver, now known as AZ Mining Inc, recently announced plans to purchase the 300 acre historic Trench Camp Mine from Asarco Multi-State Environmental Custodial Trust. The custodial trust was formed as a result of a bankruptcy settlement with ASARCO and tasked with cleanup of the abandoned mine.
Mining stopped at the underground Trench mine over 50 years ago, which is located in the Patagonia Mountains adjacent to AZ Mining’s existing 154 acres of private land inholdings. The purchase “will greatly enhance AZ Mining’s surface lands for any future mining operations,” according to a press release.
The press release also stated that AZ Mining Inc “has submitted a remediation work plan that addresses the environmental liabilities with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality [ADEQ] and will construct a passive water treatment system estimated to cost US$2.6 million, excluding contingency, of which the Company’s share will be US$1.6 million.”
This would be the third time in recent history that the Trench Mine has undergone remediation work. The mine was “largely remediated by ASARCO” in the 1980’s and 1990’s, according to an ADEQ report.
More recent work was necessary after the Trench tailings pile dam overflowed with acidic water loaded with toxic heavy metals when heavy rains hit the Patagonia Mountains in September 2014.ADEQ issued six violationsof state water-quality rules as a result of that spill.
AZ Mining Inc takes on these environmental issues with the purchase of the Trench mine.Wendy Russell, PARA Coordinator, told the Weekly Bulletin that she is doubtful the situation will be improved. “I’m really concerned about the environmental issues that we have with the Trench Mine, and if they’ll actually clean it up,” she said.
Highly toxic, acidic orange water overflowing from Trench Mine tailings in September 2014.
We have reasons to further question their incentives for this pending purchase. A look at the history of AZ Mining’s CEO and Board Chairman, Richard Warke, reveals questionable business practices as outlined in the documentary, Cyanide Beach, by investigative journalist John Dougherty.
Failure to provide accurate and timely information to shareholders.
Failure to pay vendors.
Misspending a Sardinian government loan.
Evidence of a self-enrichment scheme to benefit its chairman.
Evidence of insiders receiving excessive discounts on stock purchases.
Issuing misleading press releases.
Sargold also made numerous promises of clean up of the mine site. They even tried to leverage clean up plans for the acquisition of additional mining rights elsewhere. The clean up was never completed and the only mining that happened was re-mining the old tailings piles at the gold mine.
One day, workers discovered that the mining company had just walked away from the mine, leaving behind an unfolding environmental disaster.
Extensive supporting documentation for Cyanide Beach, including a timeline of the business history of Richard Warke, supported by thousands of pages of corporate disclosures, is posted at investigative journalist John Dougherty’s website: InvestigativeMedia.com.
This disastrous pattern of irresponsible behavior and the pending purchase of the Trench mine in the Patagonia Mountains further compels us in our on-going mission to keep our citizen watchdog eyes wide open and to pro-actively engage in protecting our water, area wildlife, and the well-being of the Patagonia area community.
Thank You PARA Supporters! We are very fortunate to have a group of amazingly committed community members and generous donors supporting our work. PARA’s efforts to protect and preserve the Patagonia Mountains and our community’s drinking water are only possible because of your financial support.
Consider making an automatic, monthly donation to the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance on your credit card through PayPal.
Every single contribution makes a sizable difference to our organization and ultimately for our community. It is only because of the generous support from people like you that we can undertake this critical work. Thank you!
Make Your Donation Online
Click the Make A Donation button to make a secure, on-line donation with your credit card through PayPal. Thank you!
Your donation to the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Please check with your tax advisor or the Department of Internal Revenue.
Lead Queen Clean Up Progress
The Forest Service has not yet begun clean up work on the toxic mess left behind after the Lead Queen mine overflowed in September 2014.
Final bids for the clean up work are due August 4, 2015. The Forest Service hopes to have a contractor chosen by the week of August 10, according to a telephone conversation with Eli Curiel, On-Scene Coordinator with the Coronado National Forest.
In February, the Southwestern Regional Office of the US Forest Service issued a “Time Critical Removal Action Approval Memorandum” to mitigate the spill and its potential threats to public health and welfare, water and wildlife. Clean up was scheduled to start Spring 2015, before monsoon rains could potentially wash contamination further downstream.
More information can be obtained from the Forest Service Project On-Scene Coordinator, Eli Curiel at 520-388-8413.
Toxic overflow from the historic Lead Queen mine in the Patagonia Mountains drains towards Harshaw Creek.
The Coronado National Forest, Sierra Vista Ranger District hosted a community meeting in Patagonia, Arizona on April 28. The Lead Queen Mine cleanup plan was by presented by Floyd Gray of United States Geological Survey (USGS), and Eli Curiel of the Forest Service.
The Lead Queen was an underground mine for lead, silver, zinc, copper and gold that started in 1898 and was abandoned after 1940. After heavy rains in September 2014, members of PARA discovered and reported the leaking mine site, located approximately 6 miles south of Patagonia, Arizona. In December, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality served the Forest Service with two notices of violation for the toxic mine spill. The Forest Service issued a “Time Critical Removal Action Approval Memorandum” in February to mitigate the spill and its potential threats to public health and welfare, water and wildlife. Clean up was scheduled to start Spring 2015, before monsoon rains could potentially wash contamination further downstream.
Floyd Gray gave an overview of his findings from sampling and testing the water, soil, and waste rock around the abandoned mine site. It was also deduced that there is more than one source of leakage from the mine site. One source was identified by its extreme concentration of iron while the other source is high in aluminum. All of the tested samples came back with very high levels of contamination from hazardous heavy metals such as arsenic and lead. In one water sample, the heavy metal levels were 20 times higher than the allowable drinking water standards. It was also determined that the mine contamination traveled 9/10th of a mile downstream.
The studies at the Lead Queen site to determine all of the sources of contamination has lead to a larger, ongoing study of the watersheds in the Patagonia Mountains by USGS and the Forest Service.
Eli Curiel detailed the plans to plug the six abandoned tunnels and shafts of the Lead Queen mine site with polyurethane foam. The waste rock piles laced with toxic heavy metals will be consolidated into a new location above the watershed and capped with clean fill to prevent future contamination. The polluted sediment in the waterway will be removed with the aid of a series of eleven gabion walls across the drainage filled with zeolite to capture and hold the heavy metals. The clean up area comprises five acres on the Coronado National Forest in the Patagonia Mountains. The mine site will require ongoing monitoring and maintenance, essentially forever.
The cost to taxpayers has not yet been determined. The clean up project has not yet gone out to bid. It’s expected to take up to 120 days with work possibly starting this summer.
More information can be obtained from the Forest Service Project On-Scene Coordinator, Eli Curiel at 520-388-8413.
At the public meeting, an update was given on Regal Resources’ Sunnyside mining exploration project in the Patagonia Mountains by Forest Service Geologist Mindy Vogel. Conspicuously absent from Vogel’s overview was the ongoing litigation between Defenders of Wildlife and PARA against the Forest Service and US Fish and Wildlife for the unlawful approval of this project.
For the present time, no work is allowed at the Sunnyside site between March 1 and Oct 1, 2015 because of nesting Mexican spotted owls and Yellow-billed cuckoos in the area, according to the Forest Service Decision Memo.
No questions were permitted during any of the presentations. Audience members were required to seek out Forest Service and USGS personnel after all presentations were complete to ask questions. It is a format that we find effectively prevents members of the community from getting all of their questions answered and learning the most information possible.
Wildcat Silver Hermosa Proposal
Forest Service geologist Margie DeRose gave an overview and an update of the expected timeline of the AZ Mining Inc (aka Wildcat Silver, AMI) Hermosa mining exploration proposal in the Patagonia Mountains on the Coronado National Forest. The final Environmental Assessment and draft decision is estimated for release in October 2015 – over a year past the original timeline. A 45 day public objection period will follow.
Meanwhile, AZ Mining Inc / Wildcat Silver board chairman Richard Warke is privately funding more mine exploration drilling on their privately owned land. AZ Mining Inc / Wildcat Silver is now claiming that deposits for lead, zinc and silver exist for an additional mine at the Hermosa project, referred to as Hermosa North West.
New Decision Memorandum Issued for Sunnyside Mineral Drilling Project in Patagonia Mountains
The Forest Service sent out a notice on April 10th that a new Decision Memo has been issued for the Regal Resources Sunnyside project, an exploratory mineral drilling proposal in the Humboldt Canyon and Alum Gulch areas of the Patagonia Mountains on the Coronado National Forest.
The emailed notice from the Forest Service stated that exploratory drilling can start once “the operator provides a reclamation performance bond, incorporates the design features from the decision document, and the Plan of Operations is approved.”
The notice is misleading because it fails to mention two important facts.
No drilling can take place between March 1 to September 30 to avoid potential disturbance to the Mexican spotted owl and Yellow-billed cuckoo during their breeding season, as stated in the Decision Memo.
Additionally, PARA and Defenders of Wildlife are still in litigation against the Forest Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service for this unlawful approval of the Sunnyside Proposal. Read more…
The Sunnyside mineral drilling proposal is located approximately 7 miles south of the town of Patagonia. For more information concerning this decision, please contact Mindy Sue Vogel, Geologist, Coronado National Forest, 300 W. Congress Street, Tucson, AZ 85701, 520-388-8327, msvogel@fs.fed.us.
Kevin Pakulis Band to play benefit concert for Friends of the Mountain Empire, with special guest appearance from Congressman Raúl Grijalva
TUCSON, ARIZ. — The Kevin Pakulis Band will play a benefit concert to raise funds and awareness for the Friends of the Mountain Empire on Saturday, May 9th at the Hotel Congress in Tucson. Tickets for the magical evening of music can be purchased now to support the organizations – Patagonia Area Resource Alliance,Sky Island Alliance,Defenders of Wildlife,Tucson Audubon Society,Center for Biological Diversity and Save the Scenic Santa Ritas – that are working to protect and preserve the habitat, water, and wildlife of the Mountain Empire from new mining in the Patagonia Mountains, Santa Rita Mountains, Canelo Hills, and the San Rafael Valley of southern Arizona.
The event will provide a unique and exciting opportunity to hear the soulful music of Tucson-based, award-winning Americana singer-songwriter Kevin Pakulis, while supporting the incredible ecological and cultural biodiversity of the region.
“Our goal is to draw attention to the local organizations that play a vital role in protecting and restoring wild places in southern Arizona. More specifically, to draw attention to the message they bring – a message that deserves careful consideration, if not enthusiastic action,” said Pakulis.
Ocelot, photo US FWS
Arizona’s southwestern Mountain Empire is a hidden gem of the country, recognized for its beauty, uniqueness and ecological importance. The region is rich in wildlife and plant diversity and supports some of the world’s most imperiled wildlife including the jaguar, ocelot, lesser long-nosed bat, Mexican spotted owl and yellow-billed cuckoo. Sadly, destructive mining projects that continue to be proposed and approved threaten not only endangered wildlife, but the water, health and safety of local communities.
The benefit will include a special guest appearance from Congressman Raúl Grijalva, who will speak to the importance of conserving the natural and local communities of the Mountain Empire in the face of such threats.
About the Event
When: Saturday, May 9th, 7:00pm – 11:00pm Where: Copper Hall in Hotel Congress, 311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701 Who: Kevin Pakulis Band, Friends of the Mountain Empire, Congressman Raúl Grijalva Tickets: $20 Advance/$25 At the door
Regional Forester Issues Time Critical Removal Action Approval Memo
Patagonia, Arizona – Yesterday, the Southwestern Regional Office of the US Forest Service issued an Action Memo for “Time Critical” clean up of the abandoned Lead Queen mine in the Patagonia Mountains on the Coronado National Forest, approximately 6 miles south of the town of Patagonia, Arizona.
Members of the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) discovered the abandoned mine over-flowing with toxic, orange sludge into a tributary of Harshaw Creek, last September. PARA documented the spill and notified authorities. The Harshaw Creek tributary eventually flows into the Town of Patagonia, Sonoita Creek and Patagonia Lake.
As the land owners of the Lead Queen mine, the Forest Service was issued two Notice of Violations from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality: “Addition of a pollutant to navigable waters from a point source without a permit,” and “Discharge of storm water associated with an industrial activity without a permit.”
Test results showed off-the-chart concentrations of lead and arsenic in water, soil and waste rock samples at the Lead Queen site. High concentrations of zinc, copper and aluminum were also found. All of these heavy metals are listed as “hazardous substances” and can cause serious – or even deadly – health issues. The red-orange color of the sludge was due to extreme concentrations of iron.
The USFS document stated the clean up aims to reduce potential exposure of the hazardous heavy metals to “human populations, animals or the food chain.”
“This is a good start, but I’ve seen many more abandoned mines in the Patagonia Mountains that also need to be cleaned up. The mining industry has a well-earned reputation for just walking away from mines when they’re done.” Gooch Goodwin, native Patagonian and PARA board member.
The Forest Service document also acknowledges that the “Patagonia Mountains have high levels of biodiversity and are home to a variety of species protected under the Endangered Species Act including jaguar, ocelot, lesser long-nosed bat, Mexican spotted owl, western yellow-billed cuckoo, Sonora tiger salamander, and the northern Mexican gartersnake.”
It additionally states, “the area is best-known and most popular places for birding in the U.S. Bird enthusiast who come from all over the world to catch a glimpse of more than 300 species of birds, including many Neotropical species that migrate, nest, and live in this unique habitat.”
Clean up of the five acre site is expected to start Spring 2015 and be completed before the coming monsoon season to avoid erosion and flushing of heavy metals further downstream.
For further information regarding the USFS Removal Action Memorandum, please contact Eli Curiel, P.E., On-Scene Coordinator, at 520-388-8413; or Maria McGaha, P.E., Regional Environmental Engineer, at 505-842-3837.
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The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance is a citizen watchdog organization that monitors the activities of mining companies, as well as ensures government agencies’ due diligence, to make sure their actions have long-term, sustainable benefits to our public lands, our water, and the town of Patagonia. For more information visit www.patagoniaalliance.org and follow us on Twitter @PARAalliance.
Plug Pulled on Proposed “Sunnyside” project in Arizona’s Coronado National Forest
Tucson, Ariz. — Today the U.S. Forest Service temporarily put the brakes on an environmentally hazardous mining project in southern Arizona’s Coronado National Forest that it previously approved in August. The Forest Service’s decision follows a similar move by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which had originally given the project the green light in August and then withdrew its approval in December. The agency decisions to withdraw their approvals of the Canadian mining company Regal Resources’ “Sunnyside Project” are based on the project’s potential violation of multiple environmental laws.
photo by Nathan Rupert
“The agencies knew from the beginning that this project could have a devastating impact on the local wildlife and habitat in this unique corner of the country,” said Rob Peters of Defenders of Wildlife. “The Coronado is home to an incredible diversity of imperiled species like the jaguar, ocelot and yellow-billed cuckoo, all which are already at risk from multiple projects in the region.”
“No one understood why they approved this project to begin with, but for the sake of Patagonia’s residents and wildlife, we are glad to see that they’ve reconsidered,” added Peters.
In October conservation groups Defenders of Wildlife and the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance filed a lawsuit claiming the federal agencies’ approvals the Sunnyside project violated environmental laws and posed a threat to endangered species and the safety of drinking water for local residents.
“Sunnyside could have been a disaster not only for our region’s unique wildlife, but also for the residents living directly downstream and the municipal watershed of the town of Patagonia,” said Wendy Russell of the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance. “Projects like Sunnyside use and abuse a tremendous amount of the local water supply and create long-term destruction of wildlife habitat. The people and wildlife of our national forests deserve more, and the agencies know that.”
Contact: Courtney Sexton, csexton@defenders.org, 202-772-0253
Wendy Russell, wendy@patagoniaalliance.org, 520-477-2308
Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1.1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org and follow us on Twitter @DefendersNews.
The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance is a citizen watchdog organization that monitors the activities of mining companies, as well as ensures government agencies’ due diligence, to make sure their actions have long-term, sustainable benefits to our public lands, our water, and the town of Patagonia. For more information visit www.patagoniaalliance.org and follow us on Twitter @PARAalliance.
The AZ Mining Inc (Wildcat Silver) Hermosa drilling project timeline was just pushed back–now almost a full year behind the previous schedule. We couldn’t have planned a better holiday gift! The release of the Hermosa Environmental Assessment (EA) and Draft Decision is now estimated for July 2015, which would then trigger a 45 day deadline for objections. If you commented on the Hermosa project, you will be able to participate in the objection process. PARA has successfully delayed AZ Mining Inc / Wildcat Silver–and all other mining companies–from drilling on public land in the Patagonia Mountains since 2011.
Your Gift is Helping to Save Wildlife and Water in Patagonia!
Billie the Black Bear makes her home in the Patagonia Mountains. Open pit mining would destroy her home and the water that we all depend upon. Your gift to the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance empowers us to keep new mining activity off of public land in the Patagonia Mountains–successfully since 2011!
Your donations also make it possible for us to organize community involvement and action so that we can protect the Patagonia Mountains, wildlife and habitats, our waterways and our communities.
The Forest Service approved the Sunnyside mineral drilling proposal by Regal Resources in the Patagonia Mountains, even though it directly threatens the imperiled Mexican spotted owl in the most sensitive area of their habitat–their roosting and nesting areas. As a result, we filed suit in federal court with Defenders of Wildlife for that unlawful approval, which violates environmental laws and poses potential threats to additional endangered species and the safety of drinking water for local residents.
Even More Good News: Thank You PARA Supporters!
We are very fortunate to have a group of amazingly committed community members and generous donors supporting our work.
We’ve just exceeded our year-end goal of raising $19,000! We on our way to reaching our entire 2015 operating budget. Thank you!
The work necessary to keep mining out of the Patagonia Mountains a reality is only possible because of your financial support.
Consider making an automatic, monthly donation to PARA on your credit card through PayPal.
Every single contribution makes a sizable difference to our organization and ultimately for our community.
It is only because of the generous support from people like you that we can undertake this critical work. Thank you!
It’s hard to believe that the end of the year is nearly upon us! When 2014 began, your friends, neighbors and colleagues here at the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) were gearing up for a busy year promoting the incredible beauty, community, and natural heritage of the Town of Patagonia and the Patagonia Mountains. Little did we know what a whirlwind year it would be! The past eleven months have seemingly sped by while we have been advocating to protect this amazing place that we all treasure from the multiple threats that exploratory drilling and mining pose to our small community.
PARA was formed in 2011 to educate and engage the community about the risks and realities of mining, to promote local sustainable economies, to better understand our precious and imperiled natural resources such as clean water and wildlife, and to actively advocate for the protection of those resources in concert with Patagonia’s distinct and serene rural way of life.
You have helped us along the way this year! You have volunteered, come to public meetings, wrote letters, monitored wildlife, and participated in the NEPA process. Together, we have contributed over 2500 volunteer hours already in 2014!
It has been another amazing and transforming year for PARA, but we have so much more to do! PARA runs on a shoestring budget with the human power of an almost entirely volunteer workforce and our two person outreach team–budgeted for only 30 hours per week. We’d like to do so much more! Please consider making a donation to PARA this year to support and grow this critical work in our community.
A few of the activities and accomplishments reached this year through the contributions of all of PARA’s supporters, volunteers and partners:
Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis. photo US FWS
Holding Agencies Accountable
Filed a complaint in federal court in October with Defenders of Wildlife against the Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service for their unlawful approval of the Regal Resources Sunnyside mineral drilling project in southern Arizona’s Coronado National Forest, in the Alum Gulch area of the Patagonia Mountains. The Sunnyside project approval violates environmental laws and poses a potential threat to endangered species and the safety of drinking water for Patagonia area residents. The Coronado National Forest, Patagonia Mountains and waterways in our region support some of the world’s most imperiled wildlife, including jaguar, ocelot, lesser long-nosed bat, Mexican spotted owl, and yellow-billed cuckoo.
Educating the Community on Mining Risks
Released a peer-reviewed report with the national organization EARTHWORKS, “The Hermosa Mine: Potential Impacts to Patagonia’s Water Supply.” The report uses geologic and hydrologic studies from mine developer AZ Mining Inc (Wildcat Silver), the United States Geologic Survey, the Arizona Department of Water Resources, the Town of Patagonia, and others, as well as analyzes historic contamination issues caused by mining in the Patagonia Mountains. We conclude in our report that the seemingly inescapable realities of acid drainage and water consumption impacts pose too great a risk to Patagonia.
SIA Biologist, Sergio Avila
Empowering the Community, Ensuring Due Diligence
Coordinated and submitted NEPA comments on the USFS draft Environmental Assessment for the AZ Mining Inc (Wildcat Silver) Hermosa drilling project with Defenders of Wildlife, Arizona Mining Reform Coalition, Center for Biological Diversity, Earthworks, and Sky Island Alliance. Hosted a community workshop to empower residents to comment on the Hermosa EA comprising of an overview of the Hermosa proposal and its likely impacts; a NEPA presentation and how to comment on an EA by Jenny Neeley, Attorney at Law; and a presentation of area wildlife by Biologist, Sergio Avila, of Sky Island Alliance.
Sonoita Creek
Tireless Advocacy for Patagonia Area Water and Wildlife
Submitted comments regarding the proposed United States Forest Service Guidelines on Groundwater, advocating for groundwater protection and consideration of potential impacts regarding all agency activities in our National Forests, especially in regards to hardrock mining. Submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the proposed rule defining the “Waters of the U.S.” advocating for protection of ephemeral and intermittent streams. Submitted comments advocating for more designated critical habitat in the Patagonia Mountains for the threatened yellow-billed cuckoo.
With continued legal assistance from Defenders of Wildlife, PARA strives to hold mining companies, the US Forest Service and all agencies accountable to follow the laws and regulations designed to protect our water, air, surrounding ecosystems and communities. We are positioned to respond to future exploratory mining proposals scheduled for the Patagonia Mountains.
Sustaining Wildlife Data Documentation and Collaborations
Citizen scientists from the community continue wildlife monitoring efforts in the Patagonia Mountains focusing on areas immediately at risk by proposed mining activities. Data gathered is used to fight mining proposals through species lists, presence of vulnerable species and habitat analysis. Additional collaborations are ongoing with Defenders of Wildlife, EARTHWORKS, Sky Island Alliance and Tucson Audubon to ensure this data is applied to advocacy efforts in the most effective ways.
Increasing Our Outreach for 2015
PARA is strategizing to expand community education activities to grow our base of support and empower concerned residents with potential actions to keep mining out of the Patagonia Mountains. We recognize the need to establish sustainable funding to maintain core functions and seek to expand funding sources. With our additional staff funding in the 2015 budget, we plan to sustain our two person team to continue to expand our outreach beyond our community boundaries. Our 2014 Financial Report is also available online: www.patagoniaalliance.org/our-activities-outreach/
For A Thriving Community in 2015 and beyond
PARA recognizes that the health and economic prosperity of our community are deeply connected to the well-being of the Patagonia Mountains and the Harshaw/Sonoita Creek watershed. They are the source of our drinking water, clean air and the centerpieces that drive our local economy.
Please make a Year-End Gift to PARA
There are many needs in our community and many compelling requests for support. We believe one of the most fundamental is protecting our drinking water and our community from the well-known detrimental effects of open pit mining. To that end, PARA is seeking to raise $19,000 by the end of 2014 to support the several ongoing and new initiatives outlined above as we move into 2015. We are fortunate to have a group of amazingly committed community members and generous donors supporting our work, but we are looking to broaden the base of support to ensure not only financial sustainability, but also the ability to impact local, regional and national decision-making on our own behalf.
That’s where you come in. The work necessary to make this vision of 2015 a reality is possible only because of your time and your financial support. Please make a gift today.
Recurring monthly donations can be made securely throughPayPal.
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Release Date: Sep 1, 2016
On or about August 9, a short-duration, high-intensity precipitation event on the order of a five- year event (based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration point precipitation frequency estimates, and radar data) passed through the area, resulting in damage to the completed work.
Test results showed off-the-chart concentrations of lead and arsenic in water, soil and waste rock samples at the Lead Queen site. High concentrations of zinc, copper and aluminum were also found. All of these heavy metals are listed as “hazardous substances” and can cause serious – or even deadly – health issues. The red-orange color of the sludge was due to extreme concentrations of iron.
The Forest Service document also acknowledges that the “Patagonia Mountains have high levels of biodiversity and are home to a variety of species protected under the Endangered Species Act including jaguar, ocelot, lesser long-nosed bat, Mexican spotted owl, western yellow-billed cuckoo, Sonora tiger salamander, and the northern Mexican gartersnake.”
