The Hermosa mine, a $1.7 billion project run by Australian company South32, is a proposed zinc, silver and manganese mine. If permitted, it will be the largest investment in Santa Cruz County history, according to the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council. Mine production is slated to begin in 2027.

Fast-41 is a federal program established in 2015 that created the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council— made up of 16 members including 13 federal agencies — to coordinate federal environmental reviews for qualified projects.