Mine opponents disrupt meeting in Patagonia

An unruly crowd forced cancellation Thursday night of a U.S. Forest meeting in Patagonia being held to get comments about the proposed copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains.

Similar opinion-gathering meets in Tucson and Green Valley on Wednesday and Thursday nights were peaceful.

At least one police vehicle announced its arrival at the Patagonia High School with siren sounding and emergency lights flashing.

Jeanine Derby, chief ranger for the Coronado National Forest, said she ended the meeting after about an hour when some of the people there became unruly.

“It was very orderly, but then some people wanted to run it their way, so we closed the meeting,” Derby said.

Augusta Resource has proposed building an open-pit copper mine on the east side of the Santa Ritas and there has been much opposition by speakers, letter to the editor writers and others.

There were no speakers planned for the meeting, just exhibits. Forest Service employees and consultants encouraged visitors to write questions and comments on cards to be analyzed later.

Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Maynard said he believes “people don’t think they’re getting input on the decision.

He said a fourth public meeting would be held in Vail soon.

According to several accounts, a Patagonia resident went onto the empty stage at the high school auditorium and started protesting the procedures.

When ordered, he left peacefully, but then stood on a table to continue his protest.

That’s about the time the Forest Service ended the meeting.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada was driving through Patagonia on personal business and said he was surprised at the large number of vehicles there.

Within minutes, he said, he passed a Sheriff’s vehicle heading for the school “in code 3” with lights and siren on.

Border Patrol vehicles also arrived, the sheriff said he later learned.

Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll was driving south on state Scenic Route 82 when he got a cell phone call from aide Scott Egan who was already in Patagonia.

“He told me to turn around, the meeting was over,” said Carroll.

Carroll is one of the most outspoken critics of the mine proposal, saying mines are longer compatible with the desert Southwest.

Forest Service spokesperson Heidi Schewel said the meeting has become “totally unproductive. There was no chance of reaching the people.”

She said the people who came for information were the ones who suffered.

“I want people to be part of the process. One purpose of the meetings is to identity other alternatives,” said Schewel.

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