USFS Strives to Reinstate Mining Ban in Oak Creek Canyon

The U.S. Forest Service has initiated a public comment period regarding its request to withdraw over 10,000 acres of land in Oak Creek Canyon from new mining and geothermal claims for the next two decades. This follows a decision made in February aimed at protecting the area’s ecological integrity.

To facilitate community engagement, an online public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has emphasized that the primary goal of this withdrawal request is to safeguard Oak Creek Canyon from the potential negative effects of mining operations.

The BLM’s announcement, issued on July 25, notes that the publication of this withdrawal request will temporarily segregate the lands for up to two years, while also triggering a 90-day public comment period. This development follows a previous withdrawal of 10,500 acres that took place in 1999, which expired in May 2019, and since then, no new mining claims have been filed in the canyon, according to USFS spokesperson Adam Torruella.

Torruella attributed this lapse to factors such as limited administrative resources and a shift in focus towards database modernization and other regional mineral priorities. He noted that the Forest Service has instead concentrated efforts on a separate 74,689-acre withdrawal surrounding the San Francisco Peaks most recently extended in 2020 to prohibit mining for another two decades.

According to the Federal Register, the lands at the center of the proposed Oak Creek closure would be temporarily segregated from new mining claims but would remain subject to leasing under certain mineral laws unless the application’s status changes or the withdrawal is finalized beforehand.

Interestingly, the proposed withdrawal area is now 475 acres smaller than the previous prohibition and notably excludes Slide Rock State Park and the eastern entrance of Mund’s Canyon, both of which are already under protective measures. Insights from BLM Public Affairs Specialist Chris Wonderly highlighted that certain parcels were removed from the new application due to their existing protection under the Weeks Act.

In a 2020 statement, Deidre McLaughlin, a manager at Coconino National Forest, indicated that few commercially valuable mineral deposits are known in the canyon, except for a potential presence of uranium.

The BLM and USFS will co-host the upcoming public meeting, which is designed to gather input on the withdrawal request. Separate from this discussion, there will be additional opportunities for public comment as part of the Forest Service’s National Environmental Policy Act process.

Interested parties can submit comments regarding the proposed mining withdrawal until the comment period closes on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Submissions can be made via email at BLM_AZ_Withdrawal_Comments@blm.gov or mailed to Mike Ouellett at the BLM Arizona State Office in Phoenix.