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Since the approval of exploration for the Copper Creek mine, the project has gathered momentum. It was added to the federal FAST-41 transparency list under the Trump administration, and Faraday Copper has plans to purchase the shuttered San Manuel Mine nearby from BHP.
The Mexican spotted owl, one of North America’s largest owls, has been listed as threatened since 1993, and is a focal point of concern in the permitting process for the Copper Creek mine. Environmental groups have warned that noise and light pollution could harm the species. And now, a lawsuit argues the Bureau of Land Management ignored scientific evidence and failed to properly consult the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about those impacts, as required by the Endangered Species Act.
“When agencies ignore clear evidence and fail to follow the law, local communities are left to defend the river, the habitat and the species that make this place irreplaceable,” said Melissa Crytzer Fry, chair of the Lower San Pedro Watershed Alliance. “We shared trail camera images with the BLM showing Mexican spotted owls in the area and were utterly ignored.”
🔗 Read more on our website, linked in our bio
✍️ Wyatt Myskow
📸 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lower Pedro Watershed Alliance and EcoFlight.
