Preserve the Traditional Cultural Place Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District Act
Summary
HB7957, titled the Preserve the Traditional Cultural Place Chı´’chil Bidagoteel Historic District Act, would protect the Oak Flat/Chı´’chil Bidagoteel area in southeastern Arizona by withdrawing the relevant National Forest System lands from public land disposal, mining claims, mineral leasing, and geothermal leasing. The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to preserve the area in its natural condition as a traditional cultural place and to prohibit activities that would harm its physical, cultural, ecological, or water resources.
The bill is built around congressional findings describing Chı´’chil Bidagoteel as a sacred and historically significant site for Western Apache and other Tribes, and it emphasizes the site’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It also states that the proposed Resolution Copper project would destroy much of the district, require major infrastructure such as pipelines, power lines, roads, and a large tailings facility, and would consume substantial groundwater and create long-term environmental risks. The bill further requires government-to-government consultation with affected Tribes and authorizes cooperative agreements to preserve access for traditional uses and protect sacred areas.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would override existing and future mining-related access to the covered lands by permanently withdrawing them from entry, patent, mineral leasing, and related development under federal land laws. It would also constrain the Forest Service’s management authority by requiring preservation of the site’s natural and cultural integrity and by barring mining, waste disposal, utility corridors, road expansion, and other related infrastructure on the affected National Forest lands. The measure would directly affect Resolution Copper’s planned development and would strengthen tribal consultation and access rights tied to traditional cultural and religious practices.
Sentiment
The bill’s tone and findings indicate strong support from its sponsors for preservation of the site and opposition to the Resolution Copper project. No committee transcript or recorded vote information is provided, so there is no formal legislative sentiment data beyond the bill text itself. Based on the text, the measure is framed as a cultural preservation and tribal protection bill, with an explicitly protective and anti-mining posture.
Contention
The central point of contention is the conflict between preservation of a sacred tribal site and development of the Resolution Copper mine. Supporters of the bill emphasize tribal religious use, historic preservation, groundwater protection, and environmental risks, while the bill’s findings criticize the land exchange that enabled mining access and the foreign ownership structure of Resolution Copper. The bill also signals concern about tailings disposal, infrastructure impacts, and long-term damage to downstream communities, suggesting that mining proponents and preservation/tribal advocates are the main opposing sides.