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PARA Biodiversity Tour
by Vincent Pinto In conjunction with PARA’s new film, Biodiversity in the Heart of the Sky Islands, a fund-raising raffle was held for 15 slots in a Biodiversity walk in and near the Patagonia Mountains. As part of our crucial mission to save the range and the associated Sonoita Creek Watershed from the worst assaults of industrial mining, PARA is striving to educate people near and far about...
Meet your Sky Islands Flora and Fauna
Common Names: Brown Vinesnake, Neotropical Vinesnake, Thornscrub Vinesnake, Mexican Vinesnake Scientific Name: Oxybelis aeneus Range: From extreme south-central AZ (Patagonia, Atascosas, & Pajarito Mountains) through Mexico and Central America to Peru and Brazil Description: A long, thin, and vine-like snake with a narrow, triangular head housing vertical pupils. Dorsal color is light...
Greenwashing
History Pollution of our planet reached such a dire stage in the late 1960s that Lake Erie was declared “dead” and the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught on fire. The 1970s saw the creation or expansion of most of the environmental laws we have today : The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 1969 The Environmental Protection Act 1970 The Clean Air Act greatly expanded in 1970 The...
Mining History: the 1872 Mining Law
One would be forgiven for being unaware of the major events of 1872, so allow us to remind you: Ulysses S. Grant defeats Horace Greeley to win the U.S. presidency. Suffragist Susan B. Anthony is served an arrest warrant for the crime of voting and fined $100. Yellowstone is established as the world’s first national park. The General Mining Act passes in an effort to encourage development in the...
PARA Asks State Agency to Delay Permit Process for South32’s Hermosa Project in the Patagonia Mountains
CONTACT: Carolyn Shafer, Mission Coordinator and Board Member Patagonia Area Resource Alliance info@patagoniaalliance.org PARA Asks State Agency to Delay Permit Process for South32’s Hermosa Project in the Patagonia Mountains Patagonia Area Resource Alliance raises concern over watershed impacts PATAGONIA Arizona, Dec 1 2020— South32, an Australian mining company, wants to...
What is a Watershed and How is it Threatened?
Watershed. A watershed moment. A shed for water? When talking about the issues surrounding mining in the Patagonia Mountains, one is inevitably going to hear mention of a “watershed”. But what does this term really mean? And why is it so important to discuss? In this blog post, we are going to address those basic questions and go into detail on our own Sonoita Creek watershed. What is a...
A Glimpse of Duquesne in the Patagonia Mountains
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...
PARA Spreads Awareness of Local Water, Roads, and Power Concerns
CONTACT: Anna Sofia, Communications and Outreach Coordinator Patagonia Area Resource Alliance info@patagoniaalliance.org PARA Spreads Awareness of Local Water, Roads, and Power Concerns Patagonia Area Resource Alliances raises awareness on local issues ahead of the 2020 election. PATAGONIA Arizona, Oct 1 2020—Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), a grassroots...
50 Days to Take Action: Defend the Patagonia Mountains
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...
How to Write an Op-Ed on Patagonia’s Mining Issues
At Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), our mission is to protect the water and wildlife from the pressures and realities of 21st-century industrialized mining. As such, we have watched, with concern, the current U.S. administration weaken long-standing environmental laws at a national level. From rolling back the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to repealing parts of the Clean Water...
48 Species Detected in Patagonia Mountains during Remote Camera Study
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...
Border Wildlife Study: Sky Island Alliance Shares 90-Day Findings
Feature image credit: Sky Island Alliance This week, Sky Island Alliance announced the list of species they've found during the first 90 days of running their remote camera project. Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, a partner on this exciting Border Wildlife Study, believes this documentation of species is incredibly important for understanding the depths of biodiversity in the Sky Islands. Many...
Ten Arizona 2020 Election Candidates Answer Important Environmental Questions
In June 2020, Patagonia Area Resource Alliance reached out to 14 total candidates running for seats in the Patagonia Town Council, Santa Cruz County, and Arizona’s State LD2 this November. We asked them to share their thoughts and efforts in areas surrounding environmental issues, water concerns, and regulations. Out of the 14 we reached out to, we received 10 responses. We hope these responses...
Flora Feature: Patagonia Mountain Leatherpetal (Graptopetalum Bartramii Rose)
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...
Six Nature Photos to Use as Your Zoom or Skype Background
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...
Creature Feature: Hooded Skunk (Mephitis Macroura)
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,...
Citizen Scientists: The Unsung Heroes Protecting Wildlife at The Border
Today, we're sharing a story written by our communications coordinator, Anna Sofia. Sofia shadowed PARA as a field volunteer for a few months before coming to work with us and wrote this story as part of her MA in Science Writing thesis at Johns Hopkins University. You can read the full story here > Canyon wrens flew overhead as I scaled a rocky wash in Humboldt Canyon, an inner arm of...
PARA Partners with Sky Island Alliance on Critical Wildlife at the Border Project
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...
How to Look for Bias in Economic Reports
Many of us rely on information shared by industries, scientists, and economic professionals. We follow published reports—reading them in hopes we’ll learn something new, make better decisions, or plan appropriately for our lives. However, not all reports are created equal. Some of them take advantage of public trust, concealing underlying facts that could change how we view their data. Knowing...
Water Matters More: Join us for a screening of our newest film
Join us on Tuesday, August 7th for "Water Matters More"! Tuesday, August 7th from 6:00-7:30pm at the Tin Shed Theater in Patagonia, Arizona Dear friends of the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, We're writing because we are so excited to share "Water Matters More” with you! It is our newest short film that tells the story of the Sonoita Creek watershed, the Patagonia community, and the threats...
Southern Arizona’s Mountain Empire: Sanctuary for Rare and Unusual Species
Imagine a little-known national treasure — a largely wild land home to ocelots, exotic and imperiled birds like elegant trogons and Mexican spotted owls, imperiled reptiles and amphibians like the threatened Chiricuahua leopard frog, and El Jefe, the only jaguar currently living in the United States. This is the Mountain Empire of southern Arizona, a place as special as Yosemite or Yellowstone,...
Latest News From Arizona Mining Inc
Arizona Mining Inc has had 10 drill trucks for 24 hours/7 days a week since March on their private property. Now AMI is interested in drilling on public land, the Hermosa-Taylor Deposit Drilling Project. This project is eight exploratory drill holes to obtain characterization of mineralization on the Coronado National Forest land -- your land. We are hosting a Comment Writing Workshop to help...
Writing NEPA Scoping Comments: EA or EIS projects
By Jenny Neeley, Attorney at Law Introduction: National Environmental Policy Act & Scoping Process The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires all federal agencies to prepare a “detailed statement” on the impacts of any proposed action that may “significantly affect the quality of the human environment.”¹ This “detailed statement” can take one of two forms: Environmental...
Repairs to be Performed on Lead Queen Mine Closure
Release Date: Sep 1, 2016 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...
Defenders of Wildlife Welcomes Recovery Plan for Ocelot; Concerns Regarding Habitat Threats Remain
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 15, 2016 TUCSON, Ariz. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a recovery plan that will guide restoration and protection of the ocelot populations in Arizona and Texas and in bordering Mexican states of Sonora and Tamaulipas. The ultimate goal of the plan is to increase the number of ocelots in both nations, protect their habitat and create connecting habitat...
Army Corps Recommends Denial of Essential Permit for Rosemont Mine
Massive Mine Threatens America's Only Known Jaguar, Local Water Supplies In an important development in the effort to save America’s only known jaguar, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Los Angeles regional office has recommended denial of an essential permit for the proposed Rosemont copper mine in southern Arizona. The denial recommendation was forwarded this week to the Corps’ San Francisco...
The Price We Pay For The Mining Game
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...
Modern mining is increasingly dangerous
New research validated: mining disasters on the rise because of modern mining techniques EARTHWORKS News Release Washington, D.C. -- A mine waste dam at the Germano open-pit iron ore mine in Brazil’s state of Minas Gerais breached Thursday, flooding the downstream area with mining waste and causing fatalities. The Germano facility is co-owned by two of the world’s largest mining companies,...
USFS Community Update: Lead Queen Abandoned Mine Cleanup
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service – Southwestern Region Coronado National Forest Arizona Environmental Cleanup Actions The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service begins this month an environmental cleanup of the Lead Queen Abandoned Mine (Site) situated within the Harshaw Creek watershed. The Site is located approximately six miles south of Patagonia,...
Conservation Wins in Court over Exploratory Drilling in Arizona’s Mountain Empire
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Courtney Sexton, csexton@defenders.org, 202-772-0253 Wendy Russell, wendy@patagoniaalliance.org, 520-477-2308 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...
Court hearing against Sunnyside mining exploration in Patagonia Mountains
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...
Purchase of Historic Trench Mine Pending, Lead Queen Cleanup Stalled
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...
Provinces & Territories Must Act To Avoid Mine Waste Disasters
Canadian Mines Ministers Conference in Halifax: Provinces & Territories Must Act To Avoid Mine Waste Disasters While Energy & Mines Ministers from across Canada are meeting in Halifax for their annual conference, a coalition of more than 50 environmental, First Nations, and community organizations today sent a letter to all Canadian Mines Ministers urging them to take immediate action to...
Oak Flat Named One of America’s Most Endangered Historic Places
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named Oak Flat, near Superior, Arizona, to its 2015 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The annual list spotlights important examples of the nation’s architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage. Oak Flat is sacred to the San Carlos Apache and other Native American tribes and...
Forest Service Outlines Clean Up Plans for Abandoned Lead Queen Mine
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....
Forest Service re-issues Decision for Sunnyside Proposal by Regal Resources
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...
Apache Elders to join Oak Flat Street Fair in Tucson
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE San Carlos, AZ – Tribal elders of the San Carlos Apache Tribe are geared up to join the Protect Oak Flat Street Fair that is slated for Sunday, April 19th in Tucson, in conjunction with Cyclovia Tucson, a car-free community celebration. “We are Apaches and we never give up,” pointed out Anthony Logan, Holy Ground Medicine Man, in his native San Carlos Apache language. We...
Sounds of Music Bring Awareness to the Mountain Empire
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 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...
Upcoming PARA Events for April and May
Patagonia EARTHfest Event: Trails Day • Earth Day • Arbor Day A celebration of our biological diversity, cultural heritage, and local resiliency in Patagonia, Arizona. The 6th Annual Patagonia EARTHfest is being held on Saturday, April 18 in Patagonia, Arizona. Two additional feature presentations on Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17. This year’s event theme is TREES. The Patagonia Area...
Obama administration must act to avoid mine waste disasters
EARTHWORKS PRESS RELEASE Letter from community and enviro groups around the country urges EPA, Forest Service, BLM to respond to lessons of Mount Polley mine disaster findings A coalition of more than 40 environmental and community groups today sent letters to the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) urging they take immediate...
Court Overturns Rosemont Air Pollution Permit
ADEQ decision ruled “not supported by evidence” and “an abuse of discretion” Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Media Release (Phoenix, Ariz.) A Maricopa County (AZ) Superior Court today overturned a key air pollution permit for Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals’ proposed Rosemont copper mine. Judge Crane McClennen ruled the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) acted “contrary to law” in its...
Forest Service Authorizes Urgent Clean Up of Abandoned Lead Queen Mine In Patagonia Mountains, Arizona
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 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...
Agency Rescinds Approval of Destructive “Sunnyside” Mining Project Based on Conservation Concerns
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 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...
Good News: A Gift For Everyone
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...
PARA’s 2014 Activities and Accomplishments
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...
Conservationists turn to the Courts to Battle Mining in Patagonia on behalf of Imperiled Wildlife and Local Residents
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 29, 2014 Contact: Courtney Sexton, csexton@defenders.org, 202-772-0253 Wendy Russell, wendy@patagoniaalliance.org, 520-477-2308 Groups file complaint against Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service for approval of mineral drilling project in Arizona’s Coronado National Forest TUCSON, ARIZ. – Defenders of Wildlife and the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance today...
Hermosa mine proposal could deplete southeast Arizona town’s drinking water aquifer
Peer-reviewed report outlines Hermosa mine’s risks of water consumption, perpetual water pollution to Patagonia area Patagonia Area Resource Alliance Earthworks October 28, 2014 Patagonia – The Hermosa silver mine proposed inside Patagonia, Arizona’s Municipal Supply Watershed could deplete the town’s drinking water and perpetually contaminate area groundwater with acid mine drainage, according...
Western Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Receives Federal Protection under the Endangered Species Act
For Immediate Release U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service October 02, 2014 Sacramento – The western population of the yellow-billed cuckoo will be protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today. The Service determined that listing a distinct population segment (DPS) of the bird in portions of 12 western states, Canada and...
Toxic Mining Contaminants Threaten People and Wildlife in Arizona
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Courtney Sexton, 202.772.0253, csexton@defenders.org Wendy Russell, 520.477.2308, Wendy@PatagoniaAlliance.org Toxic Mining Contaminants Threaten People and Wildlife in Arizona TUCSON, ARIZ. - Contaminants from a mine spill in Cananea, Sonora earlier this summer have likely reached the San Pedro River flowing into Arizona. And with recent storms, old copper...
Sunnyside Drilling Proposal Gets Go Ahead From Forest Service
Sierra Vista District Ranger Mark Ruggiero signed a Decision Memorandum (DM) for the Regal Resources Sunnyside exploratory mineral drilling project granting them a Categorical Exclusion and allowing a September 2014 start date. The project is located on the Coronado National Forest in Humboldt Canyon in the Patagonia Mountains and 6 miles south of the town of Patagonia, Arizona. The Decision...
Environmental Catastrophe in Canada Underscores Rosemont Threats
Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Media Release August 8, 2014 Environmental Catastrophe in Canada Underscores Rosemont Threats (TUCSON, Ariz.) The international engineering firm that designed a Canadian mine tailings dam that collapsed earlier this week is also playing a key role in the development of the proposed Rosemont Copper Mine’s tailings dump. Monday’s catastrophic failure of Imperial Metal’s...
Rosemont is still a bad project
Save the Scenic Santa Ritas PRESS RELEASE June 23, 2014 HudBay’s acquisition changes nothing – Rosemont is still a bad project (TUCSON, Ariz.) Today’s announcement that Augusta Resource Corporation has accepted Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals' hostile takeover bid does nothing to change the simple facts that the proposed massive Rosemont open pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains south of...
PARA Reception and ‘Rosemont Ours’ Screening
The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance hosted a reception and screening of 'Rosemont Ours' in Patagonia on Saturday, May 17. The evening began with a reception at Molly’s Studio Patio followed by a screening of “Rosemont Ours,” a film of modern dance celebrating the plants and animals of the Santa Rita Mountains. Filmmaker Ben Johnson, Director Kimi Eisele and Composer Vicki Brown were on hand to...
Red Mountain & Patagonia, AZ
Recent Articles
PARA Biodiversity TourJune 21, 2023
Meet your Sky Islands Flora and FaunaOctober 3, 2022Common Names: Brown Vinesnake, Neotropical Vinesnake, Thornscrub Vinesnake, Mexican Vinesnake […]
GreenwashingFebruary 19, 2021History Pollution of our planet reached such a dire stage in the late 1960s that Lake Erie was […]
Mining History: the 1872 Mining LawDecember 22, 2020One would be forgiven for being unaware of the major events of 1872, so allow us to remind you: […]
PARA Asks State Agency to Delay Permit Process for South32’s Hermosa Project in the Patagonia MountainsDecember 3, 2020CONTACT: Carolyn Shafer, Mission Coordinator and Board Member Patagonia Area Resource […]
What is a Watershed and How is it Threatened?November 27, 2020Watershed. A watershed moment. A shed for water? When talking about the issues surrounding mining […]
A Glimpse of Duquesne in the Patagonia MountainsOctober 16, 2020Dawn Walker, a part-time local to the Patagonia Mountains, recently submitted her take on living in […]
PARA Spreads Awareness of Local Water, Roads, and Power ConcernsOctober 1, 2020CONTACT: Anna Sofia, Communications and Outreach Coordinator Patagonia Area Resource […]
50 Days to Take Action: Defend the Patagonia MountainsSeptember 11, 2020The Patagonia Mountains in Arizona, a hotspot for sensitive, threatened, and endangered species, […]
How to Write an Op-Ed on Patagonia’s Mining IssuesSeptember 2, 2020At Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), our mission is to protect the water and wildlife from […]