PHOENIX — A yearslong legal battle over the future of more than 2,200 acres in the Tonto National Forest could come to a head Tuesday as the federal government prepares to transfer Oak Flat to Resolution Copper, a private mining company.

The land exchange, approved during the Trump administration, has drawn fierce opposition from Native American tribes and conservation groups who say the project would destroy Oak Flat, a sacred site for the San Carlos Apache Tribe and other Indigenous communities.

The transfer was delayed by a 60-day pause while two lawsuits moved through federal court. On Friday, a U.S. District Court judge denied requests for injunctions, ruling that the plaintiffs had not demonstrated a likelihood of success or raised serious legal questions. Unless higher courts inte

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