A “bipartisan group of leaders,” “local communities” and Resolution officials came together to decide which lands would go to public land managers, according to their website.

Equal value

A government appraiser will be jointly selected by the forest service and Resolution to evaluate and determine if the proposed lands are of “equal value” while abiding by nationally recognized standards.

If the appraiser concludes that the lands are not of “equal value,” Resolution will have to give up more land or pay the federal government to make up the difference, according to the forest service website.

The selection process for the appraiser is under way and the evaluation is expected to begin in 2017, Scaggs said.

Cultural objections

Wendsler Nosie Sr., councilman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, said in terms of cultural value, the other land parcels don’t fit the bill. Nosie Sr. is also a representative of the Apache-Stronghold, an organization opposed to the proposed mine.