SAVE OAK FLAT ACT - Current & Historical Record

Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) introduced the Save Oak Flat Act H.R. 1884 to permanently protect the Oak Flat area of Tonto National Forest from destructive mining proposals. Senator Bernie Sanders introduced its companion bill in the S.915 in the Senate. Oak Flat, or Chi’chil Bildagoteel, is of significant cultural importance and considered sacred by many tribal communities in Arizona, including the San Carlos Apache Tribe, which has resisted a years-long effort by Resolution Copper – owned by international mining conglomerates BHP and Rio Tinto – to mine the region.  Grijalva has been leading the issue since the insertion of an unrelated provision in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act mandating the federal government transfer 2,422 acres of Tonto National Forest land to Resolution Copper in exchange for less valuable land elsewhere. 
UPDATE:  April 13, 2021 - Natural Resources Committee, The Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States (SCIP) will host a virtual, fully remote legislative hearing on the following tribal-related legislation: H.R. 1884 (Rep. Raúl Grijalva), To repeal section 3003 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, and for other purposes.
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MORE INFORMATION and WRITTEN TESTIMONIES:  https://naturalresources.house.gov/hearings/legislative-hearing-on-save-oak-flat-act
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Hearing on Save Oak Flat Act , Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. (EDT). Watch hearing https://youtu.be/07lQnARcxZU?t=295  (YouTube)
Please urge your congressional leaders to cosponsor and support the Save Oak Flat Act. 
 Passage of the Save Oak Flat Act, HR 1884, is critical to stop this project that promises big profits to multinational mining companies, while imposing irreversible harm to the people and environment of Arizona. TAKE ACTION NOW

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HISTORY OF THE FIRST "SAVE OAK FLAT ACT"

“Save Oak Flat Act” will Reverse Backroom Deal that Threatens Apache Religion and Sacred Areas - June 17, 2015

On Wednesday, June 17, 2015, Rep. Raul Grijalva with 14 bipartisan co-sponsors introduced the “Save Oak Flat Act”. The bill would repeal Section 3003 of the FY15 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which approved the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange.
 

San Carlos Apache Tribal Chairman, Terry Rambler, praised the bill’s introduction. Rambler stated, “I applaud Congressman Grijalva and the co-sponsors of the Save Oak Flat Act. They are true champions of Indian Country and justice for the American taxpayer. The Save Oak Flat Act directly responds to the deception that was used to approve the Land Exchange through an eleventh hour rider. That process directly ignored the will of the people and exemplifies everything wrong with Congress.”   View original article 

One of the lawmakers involved in the fight to save Oak Flat, Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), introduced the first “Save Oak Flat Act” in June 2015 to protect the sacred grounds from mining.  Since 2015, the Save Oak Flat Act has died in committee.

 
Grijalva’s 2015 bill reads:
“As a result of previous Federal land policies that resulted in the significant loss of lands of American Indian tribes, many sacred areas of tribes are now located on Federal lands. The United States has a trust responsibility acknowledged by Congress to protect tribal sacred areas on Federal lands. [The deal] sets dangerous legislative precedent for the lack of protection of tribal sacred areas located on Federal lands … [and] will require significant amounts of water that will likely affect the local hydrology, including the underlying aquifer, and will result in polluted water that will seep into drinking water supplies.”

SAVE OAK FLAT ACT HISTORY

to "Reverse Backroom Deal that Threatens Apache Religion and Sacred Areas"

On Wednesday, June 17, 2015, Arizona Congressman. Raul Grijalva with 14 bipartisan co-sponsors introduced the first “Save Oak Flat Act”. The bill would repeal Section 3003 of the FY15 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which approved the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange. 
Section 3003 Southeast Arizona Land exchange & Conservation Act became public law during the 113th Congress (2013-2014)
H.R.3979 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015
12/19/2014 | Became Public Law No: 113-291

Historical Record of the Save Oak Flat Act

2015-2016 H.R.2811 | S.2242 (Save Oak Flat Act) to repeal the land exchange

2017-2018 H.R. 2915 | S. 1375 (Save Oak Flat Act) to repeal the land exchange

2019-2020 H.R. 665 | S.173 (Save Oak Flat Act) to repeal the land exchange

PRESS RELEASE: SAVE OAK FLAT ACT 1/17/2019 | SAVE OAK FLAT ACT - Introduced in 116th Congress 1/17/2019

2021-2022 117TH Congress | H.R.1884 | S.915 - To repeal section 3003 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, and for other purposes.

House of Natural Resources Committee
Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States

The Irreparable Environmental and Cultural Impacts of the Proposed Resolution Copper Mining Operation

Thursday, March 12, 2020 - WATCH HEARING ON YOUTUBE