What’s Next For Oak Flat?
Oak Flat is officially no longer public land nestled within the Tonto National Forest. The roughly 2,400 acres just east of Phoenix — long-considered Apache holy land — is now private property belonging to a multinational mining company.
Despite being under new ownership, Resolution Copper president and general manager, Vicky Peacey, stresses Oak Flat will remain mostly untouched. Chí’chil Biłdagoteel, as Apaches call it, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
“We’re very excited to take the next steps, although in a way that is humble and respectful,” Peacey told KJZZ. “We wanted to make sure that the look — the feel of the area — is very similar to how the Forest Service had managed it.”