New tag. Camp ground. I'll discuss more after the ride.
So Oak Flat was/is part of the Tonto NF. It sits on top of a massive copper deposit. A subsidiary of Rio Tinto and BHPBilliton (the two biggest metal mining companies in the world, by annual revenue and market capitalization) is proposing to mine copper ore deep underneath Oak Flat.
They facilitated a land swap for the National Forest Land. The underground mine would eventually collapse and form a 2mi wide crater. Native Americans view the area as sacred and were fighting in court. They recently lost their case in court, but just this week, the swap was put on hold pending further review.
This would be the largest source of copper in the country, but the devistation to the area would be unbelievable. This is a close by climbing area that may also collapse. Nearby Superior is fighting for the mine, as it would represent 3000+ jobs.
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