Small Tracts Act
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CALL TO ACTION
Comment Deadline August 30
For many years, the public lands around Patagonia, AZ have been under threat due to industrialized mining. South32, an Australian mining company operating in the Patagonia Mountains as a subsidiary of Arizona Minerals Inc., has applied to purchase three parcels of land from the Coronado National Forest under the authority of the Small Tracts Act.
The purchase of these National Forest lands will simplify and move forward South32’s mining plans in the Patagonia Mountains. We know that 21st century industrialized mining has a massive negative impact on the environment and we need YOUR help in pushing back and protecting our public lands!
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Use the following letter as a guide to your own comment or,
- Copy the following letter and then follow the link to the Forest Service website where you can paste it and submit the comment in support of PARA’s objections to the sale of National Forest lands for the purpose of industrialized mining.
The comment period ends August 30, 2021, and your comment is needed now!
COPY THE FOLLOWING LETTER and ADD YOUR PERSONAL COMMENT:
Dear Coronado National Forest:
The proposed Small Tracts Act sale of National Forest land to Arizona Minerals, Inc. is directly tied to the Hermosa mining project; it will facilitate the mine’s operations in an ecologically sensitive area and will likely result in a significant cumulative impact on the area, therefore it should not be approved. The Patagonia Mountains are home to many threatened and endangered species and the Forest Service needs to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the potential sale’s impacts on all affected threatened and endangered species and their designated critical habitats before the sale is to be approved.
Further, if this proposed Small Tracts Act sale were to go through, access to, use, and enjoyment of National Forest land by the general public will be unduly impeded and restricted. The Patagonia Mountains have long been used for public recreation by residents from all over Arizona and many people also travel from far and wide to enjoy the natural beauty, wildlife, hiking, mountain biking, off-roading, and camping that the area has to offer.
In addition, the Patagonia Mountains have been home to multiple Indigenous people groups for thousands of years, and the Forest Service should first consult with any Indian Tribes that attach religious or cultural significance to the sites prior to approving the proposed sale.
I hereby reference comments filed by Patagonia Resource Alliance and include those comments as issues of concern for me individually.