Published: June 18, 2025 | Share This

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Resolution Copper has received republication of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — a positive step forward for the project. This republication allows the USFS to advance the congressionally mandated land exchange, enabling future underground mine development and placing thousands of acres of land into permanent conservation.

For more than ten years, the USFS, in consultation with Native American Tribes, local Copper Triangle communities, civil society organizations, and a dozen federal and state agencies have shaped the Resolution Copper project through a rigorous, independent review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

The process began in 2013 with the submittal of the mine plan of operations, shortly before President Obama signed the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange Act in December 2014. The FEIS republication marks a significant milestone and documents the lengthy decade-long stakeholder process to co-design the underground mine and associated surface support facilities within the footprint of the historic Magma Copper Mine.

“Through this process, we have deepened our relationships with local communities and Native American Tribes, including our senior leaders spending time with Tribal leaders to listen and build mutual understanding. We welcome the opportunity to continue these conversations as we move into the next phase of permitting. Working together, mining can co-exist with cultural heritage, recreation, and nature, while delivering new economic opportunities in rural Arizona,” said Vicky Peacey, general manager of Resolution Copper.

“This project has undergone one of the most comprehensive environmental and social reviews in U.S. history. The republication of the FEIS reflects the thorough work by the USFS, local communities, and Native American Tribes and the seriousness with which all stakeholders have approached this process. We remain committed to earning trust through transparency, engagement, and responsible development as we move forward,” added Peacey.

As part of the land exchange, Resolution Copper has committed to initiatives that support cultural preservation, recreation, education, employment, economic development, and nature through long-term partnerships with Native American Tribes and local communities. This includes significant funding in a long-term Native American Trust Fund and Emory Oak restoration. Other commitments focus on conservation and monitoring of seeps and springs, restoration and preservation of creeks, rivers, and watersheds, and habitat enhancement for biodiversity.

As one of the largest investments in rural Arizona’s history, the project is expected to generate thousands of jobs and contribute $1 billion annually to the state’s economy. Copper produced at the mine will support U.S. energy, infrastructure, clean technology, and national defense priorities, strengthening both Arizona’s economy and the nation’s long-term security.

The Resolution Copper project is a proposed underground mine that will be developed by re-using the disturbed footprint of the historic Magma Copper mine, in the Copper Triangle of Arizona. The ore deposit lies nearly 7,000 feet below the earth’s surface. It represents one of the most significant untapped copper deposits today. The mine has the potential to become one of the largest copper mines in America as well as other strategic materials and critical minerals. The project is a joint venture owned by Rio Tinto (55 percent) and BHP (45 percent).

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