Save the Scenic Santa Ritas has filed two lawsuits seeking to overturn the April 29, 2026 Arizona State Land Department sale of 160 acres of State Trust Land to Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals for a waste dump at its proposed Copper World mine during a three-minute auction.
SSSR filed a special action lawsuit in Pima County Superior Court on April 30. The lawsuit also required SSSR to place a lis pendens on the 160 acres, which as been filed with the Pima County Recorder’s Office.
SSSR filed a second special action lawsuit in the Arizona Court of Appeals on May 11. This lawsuit requests the appeals court to overturn the land department’s order rejecting SSSR’s protest of the auction terms that was filed in March. (See additional stories below for more information on the lawsuits.)
SSSR’s lawsuits were filed after State Land Commissioner Robyn Sahid rejected repeated requests from Pima County and a letter from the Tucson City Council not to auction the land. Pima County has pass four resolutions opposing the Copper World mine, and its predecessor Rosemont, over the last 20 years with the most recent last October. Tucson has also passed a resolution opposing Copper World. .
The state’s discretionary decision to auction the land sends a clear signal that Hobbs, a Democrat running in a tough reelection campaign, is supporting the short-term economic interest of foreign mining companies and unions seeking short term jobs rather than protecting Southern Arizona’s long-term economic health and environment.
“It’s extremely disappointing that Hobbs, who claims to be concerned about protecting Arizona’s water, is backing Hudbay’s plan to plunder 170 billion gallons of groundwater and and destroy the Santa Rita Mountain watershed that provides potable water to Tucson,” said SSSR Executive Director John Dougherty.
“We strongly encourage southern Arizona voters, who were crucial in Hobbs’ 2022 election, to directly contact her office and request she take all steps in her power to stop the Copper World mine.”
