Conservation groups urge Feds to block California desert gold mine expansion

IMPERIAL COUNTY — A coalition of tribal and environmental leaders is calling on the federal government to halt the expansion of a gold mine in a biodiverse and culturally significant desert landscape, arguing the project threatens irreplaceable resources and relies on outdated environmental data.

The conflict centers on the Western Mesquite Mine, owned by Equinox Gold, which has proposed a new exploration project known as “Rainbow East.” The plan would allow the company to drill for gold on public lands within the Picacho Area of Critical Environmental Concern, a region managed specifically to protect wildlife like the threatened desert tortoise and tribal cultural resources.