/ Cultural Heritage

Cultural Heritage

Cultural Heritage Stewardship

Arizona’s cultural history runs deep in the Copper Triangle. For more than a century, mining and ranching have shaped local communities. The area also holds enduring cultural ties for Native American Tribes from Arizona and New Mexico.

At Resolution Copper, cultural stewardship starts with listening and continues through action.

Many Voices Shaping the Project

For more than a decade, we’ve engaged with Tribal Nations and Copper Triangle communities to understand their connections to the land. These ongoing conversations guide how the project evolves and how culturally significant places are respected and protected. Community and Tribal input have shaped mine planning, strengthened safeguards, and informed collaborative preservation efforts.

Preserving Local History and Community Access

Cultural stewardship includes protecting community history while addressing legacy mining impacts. We document historic resources, restore meaningful structures, and maintain public access. This work includes restoring the former Magma Hospital and preserving access to Queen Creek Canyon and the Claypool Tunnel.

Federal Consultation and Oversight

Since 2013, the U.S. Forest Service has led a multi-year National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review that included hundreds of consultations with Tribal governments, local communities, and stakeholders. This process identifies cultural resources, evaluates potential impacts, and defines steps to avoid, minimize, or mitigate harm throughout the life of the project.

Emory Oak Restoration and Conservation

Emory oak trees are culturally important to Western Apache communities. To address declining regeneration, Resolution Copper partnered with Western Apache Tribes, the U.S. Forest Service, and Northern Arizona University. Together, we support the Emory Oak Collaborative Tribal Restoration Initiative, focused on restoring oak groves while honoring cultural traditions. Explore the Emory oak restoration program ›

Tribal Monitor Program

Resolution Copper supports the Tribal Monitor Program in partnership with seven Tribes and the U.S. Forest Service. Tribal monitors help identify, monitor, and protect culturally important places, using Traditional Ecological Knowledge to guide stewardship. The program has earned national recognition and continues to expand.

Protecting Apache Leap

More than 800 acres have been set aside to protect Apache Leap, a place of deep cultural, historical, and spiritual importance. Designated as a federally recognized Special Management Area, Apache Leap is managed through long-term monitoring, continued access, and plans developed with Tribes and local communities. Learn more about the Apache Leap Special Management Area >

Preserving Cultural and Historic Resources

We’re required to comply with all laws related to Native American cultural heritage, but we strive to do more. Working with USFS, each tribe has developed a detailed management plan for handling any artifacts. Resolution Copper will not retain or store any Native American artifacts.

We also help preserve regional history through oral histories, industrial archaeology documentation, LIDAR scanning of historic sites, and partnerships with local institutions such as the Bullion Plaza Museum and the Superior Multi-Generational Center.

Resources

Our Work

New Water Recycling System Reduces Annual Use by One Million Gallons

A new Potable Water Recycling System is now operating on site, reducing water use by an estimated one million gallons per year. The system captures clean analyzer water and returns it to the plant for reuse, replacing water that was previously discharged onto the ground.

Reflecting on His Past, Bryan Mines a New Future

Bryan’s family is no stranger to mining. Born and raised in Globe, Bryan grew up watching his father and uncles work at the Magma Copper Mine. The industry was volatile at the time, and Bryan’s father was laid off three different times. Wanting a more stable path for his son, Bryan’s father encouraged him to do anything else for a living. Bryan followed that advice and decided to enroll at the University of Arizona, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in economic development.

Apache Owned Business to Manage Oak Flat Campground

Resolution Copper reaffirms that public access to the Oak Flat Campground, as well as to recreational roads and climbing areas on private land in the Oak Flat area, will remain open for the foreseeable future following completion of a federal land exchange this month.

United States Forest Service and Resolution Copper Complete Land Exchange

The U.S. Forest Service and Resolution Copper, a joint venture owned by Rio Tinto and BHP that represents one of the world's most significant untapped copper deposits, have completed a Federal land exchange required to unlock the full potential of the project.

Eight Years of Emory Oak Restoration and Cultural Stewardship

Across Arizona’s National Forests, Emory oak trees and the restoration of their groves support far more than wildlife and shade. For Western Apache communities, these trees provide acorns that are central to food traditions, ceremonies, and cultural practices that stretch back generations.

Resolution Copper in the Community: 2025 Recap

If there’s one thing 2025 proved, it’s this: engaging with the community isn’t a side project for us. Across the Copper Triangle and surrounding communities, Resolution Copper showed up in hundreds of ways, big and small. Some days it looked like volunteers packing food bags. Other days it looked like robotics kits in classrooms, filling sandbags, or youth baseball teams taking the field.

$4.5M Invested in Local Communities in 2025

Together alongside local partners, we invested over 4.5 million dollars to support students, families, communities, small businesses, and the places we all care about in the Copper Triangle region. The year was full of real moments that changed lives in quiet, meaningful ways. A robotics team getting their first competition kit. Families picking up holiday meals with dignity and relief. Teachers gain new tools for hands-on learning

Inside Our Underground Concrete Work on 68L

At Resolution Copper, we recently completed a major upgrade on 68L, one of the key levels deep in our underground system. The work was a collaboration between our team, Redpath, and Oddonetto, and it is a good window into what it takes to build strong mining infrastructure before full operations begin.

Resolution Copper Donates $285,000 to United Food Bank

Resolution Copper has donated $285,000 to Mesa-based United Food Bank to support the nonprofit’s mission and work in the Copper Corridor, tribal communities, and in the East Valley. The multi-year agreement through December 2028 comes at a critical time when there is record demand for food among all populations, including seniors and working families.