Photo © Charles Severide
The Save the Peaks Coalition is a group of concerned citizens, agencies, business people, religious and spiritual leaders, skiers, snowboarders, conservationists, students, teachers and taxpayers committed to the protection of the San Francisco Peaks.
The Coalition was formed February 2, 2004 when it was revealed that Coconino National Forest Supervisor Nora Rasure supports Alternative two of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which calls for full "build-out" of the Arizona Snowbowl, including new runs and lifts, and for using 180 million gallons of "reclaimed wastewater" each year for snowmaking on the Sacred San Francisco Peaks.
In 2004 we worked to urge the Forest Service to approve the "No Action" alternative (Alt. One) of the draft EIS for the following reasons:
- To protect spiritual and cultural rights
- To protect the health of our families
- To foster mutual respect among all people and ensure a high quality of life for all peoples potentially affected.
- To protect local taxpayers from exorbitant and unforeseen costs over the coming years. Who will pay for the pipeline, the water, and increased highway maintenance, traffic control and emergency response expenses?
- To conserve water for the future, when true needs will be greater, and the drought perhaps more severe.
- To prevent habitat disruption and fragmentation, and other threats to endangered plants and animals.
- To keep local winter traffic from becoming more dangerous.
- To defend Flagstaff from Ski Town Syndrome. We may not become Vail or Aspen, but what will we become if we value things like increased skiing more highly than the Peaks’ exceptional beauty, habitat and cultural importance?
- Because the Forest Service has failed to distribute the DEIS widely and to allow for adequate participation by affected tribal members.
- Because there is the possibility of institutional bias toward snowmaking and expansion.
In addition, the Save The Peaks Coalition urged the Forest Service to: extend the comment period from 60 days to 120 days; hold public hearings on the affected reservations, with translators present; delay ANY decision on snowmaking and/or expansion until completion of the National Register Nomination/Designation processes; respect the NEPA process by taking seriously the cultural concerns presented by the public through the long, documented history of opposition to commercial development on the Sacred Peaks.
Today the Save the Peaks Coalition continues to advocate for respect and the protection of the sacred San Francisco Peaks by holding prayer vigils and gatherings, raising public awareness, supporting the lawsuit by tribes and environmental groups to stop the expansion and snowmaking with wastewater plan by going all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary, and more.
Email us to find out more about how you can get involved today!
