By Steve Brown

I believe the Rosemont Mine, if allowed to proceed, would have a significant adverse effect on the economy of the tourist industry in the vicinity of the Santa Rita Mountains. Hudbay says they will create “hundreds of jobs.” But how many jobs will they destroy?

Here are some facts from the Arizona Office of Tourism:

In 2017, there were 6.5 million domestic overnight visitors to this region;

There are more than 25,000 tourism-related jobs in Pima County;

$3.5 billion/year is directly spent by tourists in Southeastern Arizona – Pima, Santa Cruz, Graham, Greenlee, and Cochise Counties.

My grandfather came to the Sonoran Desert in 1893. I grew up in the Santa Rita Mountains, on Box Canyon Road on the Santa Rita Ranch. I remember the magnificent Twin Buttes area across the valley from us, the east side of the Sierrita Mountains, before the open pit mines.

Mining has always been part of life in the Santa Ritas – but not large scale, open pit mines. For generations, ranchers and miners co-existed in the Santa Ritas, and for the most part, respected each other’s rights. This all changed when the big open-pit mines came. I remember when the mining companies came to us ranchers in the 1950’s and 1960’s promising that “in a generation, you’ll never know a mine had been there. We will restore the desert and plant the vegetation so your view and your land will be just like it is now.” Hike up into the Santa Ritas and look at those mines across the valley today, and ask yourself, “Was this promise kept?” No one goes to the west slope of Twin Buttes today to bird-watch, hunt deer or javelina, or hike quiet trails. Our paradise became a wasteland.

However, it is not enough to simply say “No!” to Hudbay’s efforts to create an open pit mine in the Rosemont Valley of the Santa Ritas. We must also propose a “Yes!” that stimulates the southeastern Arizona economy and enhances the quality of life for residents and tourists alike. For example, suppose the Vail community proposes a “Yes” which creates in the Rosemont Valley a wilderness retreat center, under the auspices of the Yaqui, Hopi, and Tohono O’odham nations, where tourists, environmentalists, scientists, philosophers, leaders, can retreat to experience the beauty of these mountains, to share the tribes’ vision of respect for the earth. Vail and the Rosemont Valley will thus be celebrated for the deeply sacred place it is, a sacrament that transcends all religions. Visitors will experience renewal, and return to the troubled world energized and inspired by this unique beauty, and share their experience with the world in a way that inspires humankind to grow beyond our exploitative, rapacious means; to live in harmony with the earth, of which we are all part.

These opportunities are among the reasons the community is fighting so hard to protect our mountains and drinking water from the devastating impacts of the proposed Rosemont mine. We owe it to future generations.

About author View all posts

Guest Author