Donald Diamond sí, Rosemont Copper no. That's essentially the mantra of conservationist Luther Propst as he prepares to leave his director's job with the Tucson-based Sonoran Institute, 22 years after founding it. For most of that time, Propst never saw a development he wanted to oppose. The group normally collaborates with folks many environmentalists see as adversaries - developers, ranchers, conservative legislators and the business community in general. He worked with Diamond, a major Tucson-area landholder and developer, 20 years ago trying to make his Rocking K project near Saguaro National Park East environmentally friendlier. The collaboration brought Propst plenty of criticism from fellow environmentalists, but he strongly defends it to this day. Collaboration has helped the institute build an empire of seven offices around the western U.S. and in Sonora. But now the institute is locked in its first fight against a big project - the proposed Rosemont Mine - a project Propst calls "egregious" and "unacceptable," even as the institute continues to seek collaboration on other fronts. The Star sat down with Propst to discuss his time on the job.
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