Trails & Mining:
Partnership for Local Economic Development and Trail Excellence
The mining industry and the preservation & promotion of outdoor recreation along with local economic development are most often presented as competing goals. Superior, Arizona is a small town of 3,000 that suffered greatly from a mine closure in the 80s/90s, but is now known for its transformation over the past decade in terms of local development, including trail development, watershed restoration, and an improved downtown business environment. This has taken part in conjunction with an ongoing dialogue, negotiations, and partnership with the Resolution Copper project currently in permitting. This presentation will share the Town of Superior and Legends of Superior Trails engagement with a international mining company implementing a multibillion-dollar copper project that will culminate in 25% of the US copper production. The process of getting from an antagonistic relationship to one that provides a clear path forward for local development in Superior and the surrounding region. We will concentrate on trail & watershed protection and development through direct negotiation with the Town, the Recreational Users Group, the Community Working Group, the Queen Creek Watershed Group, United States Forest Service and the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. A PowerPoint presentation by the presenters will lead to a question-and-answer session.
Meet the Speakers
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Meet the Speakers *
is the Mayor of Superior; she has played a key role in leading her community through the Resolution Copper Environmental Impact Statement while also leading collaborative region-wide initiatives to preserve her town and Arizona’s Copper Corridor region. Mila is one of the original founders of LOST - Legends of Superior Trails and serves as the Executive Director. She also serves with the Arizona League of Cities is on the Board of Directors of the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
Mila Besich
has served as the Town Manager for the Town of Superior since January 2016. Prior to holding this position, he was the Fire Operations Chief for the Superior Fire Department and performed a variety of duties as the town’s Fire Marshal, Arson Investigator, and Code Enforcement Officer, as well as Chief of the Department. Before entering public service, he worked as an Assistant Project Manager for a junior mining company for thirteen years.
Todd Pryor
is the Vice President for LOST - Legends of Superior Trails. He serves on the Board for Rebuild Superior, Inc., consults for the Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition and owns a local small business. He has decades working in both nonprofit management and the extractives industry.
Jim Schenck