Forest Service approves South32 Hermosa Critical Minerals Project under FAST-41

(Tucson, AZ, September 2, 2026) — The Coronado National Forest has approved South32 Hermosa Inc. Critical Minerals Project Exploration and Mine Plan of Operations, clearing the way for work to begin within the Patagonia Mountains of southern Arizona. This decision marks an important step toward advancing the nation’s responsible development of critical mineral resources. 
 
This approval completes the first Forest Service critical minerals project in the nation designated as covered under Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), administered by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council. 
 
The Hermosa Critical Minerals Project has served as the Forest Service’s flagship FAST-41 project, consistently meeting FAST-41 and National Environmental Policy Act timelines through close collaboration among project proponents, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Permitting Council, and other cooperating agencies.
 
Critical minerals are essential to national security, economic stability, and supply chain resilience. They support key industries, drive technological innovation, and form the foundation of modern American infrastructure. 
 
The United States is fully reliant on foreign sources for manganese. Production is approved under the Defense Production Act to strengthen domestic mining and processing, which is vital for a large capacity battery supply chain. Currently, China produces more than 95 percent of battery-grade manganese globally. The Clark deposit within the South32 Hermosa project is the nation’s only advanced project proven through pilot testing that it can produce battery-grade manganese from a domestic ore source. 
 
The Final Environmental Impact Statement, final record of decision, and other related documents are available online on the Hermosa Critical Minerals Project webpage. 
 
For any additional questions, email Mailroom_R3_Coronado@usda.gov. For the most current updates about the Coronado National Forest, please follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CoronadoNF .  


About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has, for more than 100 years, brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.