Conservation groups are threatening to sue federal land managers over a Canadian-backed mining project near the town of Mammoth in Pinal County.
The groups are concerned with possible disruptions to owl habitats.
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of their intent to sue the Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Service over the Copper Creek Exploration Project on Monday. Faraday Copper is drilling for copper resources to sell to an extraction company.
The San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Lower San Pedro Watershed Alliance are also on the notice.
The groups claim the Bureau of Land Management ignored their evidence of Mexican spotted owl habitats in the area during environmental review for the Copper Creek exploration mining project.
"By ignoring it, they disregarded the law surrounding the Endangered Species Act. And we just want everybody to play by the same rules," said Melissa Crytzer Fry, chair of the Watershed Alliance.
She says the groups have set up cameras that have captured the spotted owl in the area for years. Fry says that protecting habitats is essential to helping wildlife thrive, but that it can help humans as well.
“When you protect an endangered species, you're also protecting the water for Arizonans who live in the area, and let's face it, we have a water problem at this point," Crytzer Fry said.
The notice says the groups will sue in 60 days if the BLM doesn’t halt ongoing mining activities.
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