Save Oak Flat Act (SOFA)

Current and Historical Record

The Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act (SOFA)

To repeal section 3003 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, and for other purposes.

Note:  The 118th Congress failed to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. As of January 11, 2025, the legal case Apache Stronghold v United States is currently at the Supreme Court waiting to be heard. See Press Releases for additional information regarding this legal case.

March 6, 2023 | Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today announced the introduction of the Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act to permanently protect Tonto National Forest’s Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District, also known as Oak Flat, from foreign mining operations that will permanently desecrate the area and destroy its tribal cultural and religious heritage sites. Passage of the Save Oak Flat Act, H.R. 1351 is critical to stop this project that promises big profits to multinational mining companies, while imposing irreversible harm to the people and environment of Arizona. 

2023-2024 H.R.1351 Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act

H.R.1351 - 118th Congress (2023-2024)  Sponsor: Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-3] (Introduced 03/14/2023) | Cosponsors

Full bill text of the Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act | Fact Sheet

Please urge your congressional leaders to cosponsor and support the Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act.

HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE SAVE OAK FLAT ACT

to "Reverse Backroom Deal that Threatens Apache Religion and Sacred Areas"

THE FIRST "SAVE OAK FLAT ACT" | On Wednesday, June 17, 2015, Arizona Congressman. Raul Grijalva, with 14 bipartisan co-sponsors, introduced the first “Save Oak Flat Act”. The bill would repeal Section 3003 of the FY15 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which approved

Section 3003 Southeast Arizona Land exchange & Conservation Act to became public law during the 113th Congress (2013-2014) 
H.R.3979 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015
12/19/2014 | Became Public Law No: 113-291 

San Carlos Apache Tribal Chairman, Terry Rambler, praised the bill’s introduction. Rambler stated, “I applaud Congressman Grijalva and the co-sponsors of the Save Oak Flat Act. They are true champions of Indian Country and justice for the American taxpayer. The Save Oak Flat Act directly responds to the deception that was used to approve the Land Exchange through an eleventh hour rider. That process directly ignored the will of the people and exemplifies everything wrong with Congress.”   View original article  One of the lawmakers involved in the fight to save Oak Flat, Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), introduced the first “Save Oak Flat Act” in June 2015 to protect the sacred grounds from mining.