The San Carlos Apache tribe has issued a statement following last week’s rejection of a challenge to the Resolution Copper mine located about 60 miles east of Phoenix in Tonto National Forest.

Although the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling against Apache Stronghold was a setback, other lawsuits are pending.

The project also hinges on an environmental impact statement, which was approved after the 2020 election and later withdrawn by the Biden administration.

But navigating the legal landscape of mining law can be difficult, and the tribe said it remains focused on advancing the Save Oak Flat Act through Congress.