Sponsors (4)
The bill secures strong protections for tribal sacred sites, water, and ecosystems and preserves public recreation, at the cost of foregone mining development, lost local and government revenue, and potential legal and permitting complications.
Indigenous tribal communities retain and gain stronger legal protections and access to the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District, preserving sacred sites and traditional religious and cultural practices.
Rural residents, visitors, and downstream communities are protected from water depletion and contamination because mining and disruptive development are barred, preserving groundwater, wildlife, flora, and ecosystem health.
Local communities and the public retain outdoor recreation and public-forest uses as the landscape and cultural resources are preserved and development/disposal of the lands is prevented.
Local communities, workers, and governments lose potential jobs, business activity, and tax/royalty revenue because mining, leasing, and mineral development are prohibited on the withdrawn lands.
Taxpayers, Resolution Copper, and federal agencies face heightened risk of litigation, compensation claims, and administrative disputes over the land status and protections, which could generate legal costs and delays.
Federal, state, and local land managers and neighboring project planners face greater administrative burdens and uncertainty because the law provides few detailed exceptions, durations, or implementation rules, which can slow permitting and coordination for adjacent activities.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Introduced March 17, 2026 by Adelita S. Grijalva · Last progress March 17, 2026
Protects the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel (Oak Flat) National Register–listed traditional cultural place by withdrawing National Forest System land within the district from mining, mineral leasing, public-land disposal, and related development. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to preserve the area's natural condition, prohibit mining and mining-related infrastructure on those National Forest lands, and conduct government-to-government consultation and cooperative agreements with Tribes to protect access and traditional activities. The law defines the historic district and key terms, documents cultural and environmental concerns tied to proposed mining, and imposes a permanent bar on mineral development and most federal land disposals for the specified National Forest land; it does not appropriate funds or set an explicit effective date in the text provided.