08/27/2026
We’re Not Alone in the Fight
I’m a naturalist at heart.
I love plants and animals.
I never thought I’d write about a poll – a survey. But a recent poll gave me hope for Barrel Canyon.
Before you say “I don’t trust polls,” let me explain.
Yes, I know many polls are not trustworthy. During this election cycle, it seems like the closer an issue is to politics the less you can trust it! But this recent poll was about potential Pima County voters and their feelings about Hudbay’s Copper World Mine.
I wondered if I could trust it, so I looked for information about the company that did the survey. Were they for real?
Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) hired Fairband, Maslin, Maulin, Metz & Associates, “FM3 Research” to do the polling. This company bases its reputation on being careful and producing good results. They have hundreds of clients in the fields of education, energy, environment/conservation, healthcare, labor, land use, local government, transportation, and candidate campaigns.
This recent poll consisted of 13 questions answered by 700 people who made up a pretty good cross-section of Pima County voters. The survey was taken June 31-July 9, 2026, mostly by phone.
I was especially interested in the third question, which was asked at the beginning of the survey: [1] “Do you support or oppose [Hudbay’s] proposed mine?” Here’s what the results showed.
55% of Pima County’s potential voters oppose Copper World Mine. 25% support the mine.
And because I care deeply about the wildlife in Barrel Canyon I was interested in the response to Question 6-H, asked of people who said they opposed the mine: “Do you agree with Arizona Game and Fish Department’s statement that Copper World will render the northern portion of the Santa Rita Mountains virtually worthless as wildlife habitat?”
79% of those who oppose the mine agreed with this strongly-worded statement about habitat destruction.
As you know, if you’ve read “Barrel Canyon Bill”” over the last few months, I totally agree with that statement by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. I encourage you to look at results of the poll.
Go to Save the Scenic Santa Ritas’ website > News > Press Release: Poll July 20, 2026.
Please support my good friends at NoCopperWorld.