H.R. 7957 — Preserve the Traditional Cultural Place Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District Act

This section states 17 congressional findings regarding (1) the cultural, religious, and historical significance of Chí’chil Biłdagoteel (Oak Flat) to Western Apache and other Native American tribes; (2) its nomination to and 2016 listing on the National Register of Historic Places as the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District; (3) the 2014 land exchange of approximately 2,422 acres under the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange Act (16 U.S.C. 539p); (4) Forest Service studies identifying traditional cultural resources, springs, and plants there; (5) Resolution Copper's foreign ownership by Rio Tinto (55%) and BHP (45%), with substantial revenue and shareholdings linked to China; (6) Rio Tinto's record of environmental and human rights issues abroad; and (7) anticipated mine impacts, including surface collapse into a 1.8-mile-wide crater 1,000 feet deep and aquifer dewatering.

This section defines terms used in the Act, including: (1) Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District, a traditional cultural place listed on the National Register of Historic Places located on Tonto National Forest land in southeastern Arizona and on 2,422 acres of previously National Forest System land transferred to Resolution Copper on or about March 13, 2026; (2) Indian Tribe, as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304); (3) National Forest System, as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)); (4) Resolution Copper, meaning Resolution Copper Mining, LLC, formed by Rio Tinto and BHP to acquire 2,422 acres of the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District to extract copper beneath it; (5) Secretary, meaning the Secretary of Agriculture; and (6) traditional cultural place, meaning a place eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places based on associations with cultural practices and beliefs of a living community rooted in that community’s history.

This section withdraws National Forest System land located in the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District from all forms of (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to preserve the natural condition of National Forest System land in the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District (a traditional cultural place), prohibits any activities that could adversely affect its physical or cultural integrity or its landscape, natural structures, water resources, wildlife, flora, or ecosystems, and bans all mining-related activities (including rights-of-way, pipelines, infrastructure, utilities, waste disposal, and roads) on such land notwithstanding any other law. The section further requires government-to-government consultations with Indian Tribes affiliated with the district and cooperative agreements, as requested by those Tribes, to ensure access for traditional activities and preservation of sacred and cultural areas.