Canadian mining company stakes new claims on the edge of America's first wilderness

Category: Editorials Editorials
Published: 22 September 2022 22 September 2022

Expansion threatens Mexican spotted owl, Gila trout, and multiple critical watersheds

MOGOLLON, NEW MEXICO—Canadian mining company Summa Silver Corporation just released a statement that it has staked a large package of contiguous mining claims at its Mogollon Project near Silver City, New Mexico. Mogollon sits in the heart of the Greater Gila region, and the new claims more than double the company's project size, now significantly encroaching onto National Forest lands, including areas where threatened Mexican spotted owl and Gila trout have been documented.

Summa Silver's exploratory drilling operations are taking place just a few miles from the boundary of the Gila Wilderness, this country's first, designated almost 100 years ago through the efforts of the visionary conservationist Aldo Leopold. The Greater Gila region is known for its exceptional biodiversity, hosting more species of birds and mammals than any other region in the Southwest, including the only population of Mexican gray wolves. The Greater Gila is home to over 200 rare plant and animal species, with over 30 listed as threatened or endangered.

"Mogollon is a one-of-a-kind, truly magical place. It is a blend of well-preserved history of days-gone-by with a tremendous amount of nature knocking at its door: an abundance of wildlife, peace and serenity amidst birds chirping, hummingbirds zooming, and forest trees rustling, and at night, a dark sky sanctuary highlighted by a single owl hooting or a pair of owls calling to each other," said long-time local resident Bob Moore." How sad it is that a foreign, penny stock company with grand plans involving thousands of acres of private and public lands for mineral extraction can waltz right in and destroy what is cherished by the Mogollon residents and its active visitors, sight-seers, birders, nature lovers, hikers, bikers, equestrian enthusiasts, and avid hunters."

In addition, Summa Silver's exploratory drilling operations are taking place on the traditional homelands of the Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache.

"The Creator, Yusen, charged the Chiricahua people with stewarding the land, the air, the water, the plants, the animals, and the spirits in what is now called the Greater Gila region. This is our reason for being," said Bill Tooahyaysay Bradford, Ikegee Nant'an (Vice Chief) and Beh Goz Ani (Attorney General) for the Chiricahua Apache Nation. "The site where Summa Silver seeks to mine is sacred to the Chiricahua as the place where Yusen divided the night and the day as a gift to humans and animals. We commemorate this through the Moccasin Dance and the Moccasin Game. Our obligation to Yusen is to resist any attempts to damage or destroy this sacred place. We, the Chiricahua Apache Nation, hope for the opportunity to share the importance of this place with Summa Silver and to encourage them to cease their efforts to mine not only in Mogollon but within the Greater Gila region."

"Mogollon and the entire Greater Gila Bioregion are facing the hard truths of climate breakdown, ongoing aridification, and biodiversity collapse," said WildEarth Guardians' Greater Gila New Mexico Advocate Leia Barnett. "The last thing this ecosystem and this community need is a new mine that damages public lands, pollutes public waters, and further endangers iconic wildlife species."

The Greater Gila is the headwaters of the Gila River, one of the West's last free-flowing rivers, in addition to the Mimbres, the Little Colorado, the Verde, and the San Francisco rivers. The actions of Summa Silver directly jeopardize Mineral Creek, Silver Creek, and Whitewater Creek. All of these waterways combined provide critical habitat for some of the most imperiled aquatic species, including Gila trout, Gila chub, Chiricahua chub, Apache trout, loach minnow and Chiricahua leopard frog. In addition, the Greater Gila is one of just a few internationally designated Dark Sky Sanctuary sites. New mining operations destroy and degrade all that make Mogollon and the Greater Gila exceptional.

 

Leia Barnett
WildEarth Guardians

Link to online petition
https://p2a.co/Dg031ry

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.