The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose mining at Rosemont Ranch in the Santa Rita Mountains.
The decision doesn't stop the mine. Canadian-based Augusta Resource Corp. is in the process of seeking a permit from the U.S. Forest Service to allow an 800-acre open-pit copper mine. The mine would be on private land, but the operation requires the use of surrounding Forest Service Land.
But it does put the county on record opposing the mine, despite promises from Augusta to provide $117 million worth of environmental remediation — including a $50 million endowment to buy open space in other parts of the county.
The supervisors also bought two small Northwest Side properties for conservation.
Despite the pleas of conservationists and area residents, they didn't buy two other nearby properties because they were too expensive. The supervisors were split 3-2 in that decision, with Supervisors Richard Elias and Ray Carroll wanting to purchase the parcels.
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The standing-room-only crowd in the board hearing room Tuesday included several dozen mine employees wearing T-shirts that said "I want 1 of the 350 jobs at the mine" But they were far outnumbered by environmentalists and residents opposed to mining.
"We are not environmental nuts," said Tom Ward, speaking on behalf of 19 Green Valley neighborhood associations. "We are not opposed to economic development. But we believe this is the wrong project in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Jamie Sturgess, Augusta vice president and project manager, asked the board to put off a decision at least until the company completes its feasibility study later this year.
The resolution had been put off repeatedly since Carroll introduced it in September.
At that time, county officials said they wanted more information about the mine's plan of operations.
But supervisors said Tuesday that Augusta had not provided enough details, and they could not trust a company that has never operated a mine.
They voted unanimously to oppose the mine, even removing language added by County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry that said the opposition was "based on the current information available."
They also asked the Arizona congressional delegation to protect the land from mining and said the county should have bought the land two years ago when Triangle Ventures LLC offered it for $11.5 million.
The county passed at the time because of the price and because it would have required amending the 2004 bond ordinance. Augusta later bought the land for $20.8 million.
Northwest Side residents who wanted the county to protect land there cited that failure as they urged the board to buy four small parcels, surrounded by houses, on the Northwest Side.
Huckelberry supported two of the purchases but opposed the other two. He said they were too expensive.
