FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
protectpeaks@gmail.com
www.truesnow.org

Blockade Halts Ski Resort Destruction & Desecration of Holy Mountain

Flagstaff, AZ — August 8th, 2011. Nine people took direct action at 5:00 AM on Monday morning, blockading the ongoing destruction and desecration of the Holy San Francisco Peaks.  Nine individuals directly confronted the ecocidal actions of Arizona Snowbowl, halting their daily clear-cutting and pipeline excavation plans for eight hours. Responding sheriffs deputies immediately arrested the group’s police liaison, who was ensuring the safety of demonstrators. More than 50 law enforcement officials used industrial saws and a jack hammer to forcefully break apart the blockade.

“The action we took today is one part of a series of events with the intent to stop Snowbowl, the US Forest Service, and other corporations from further desecrating the Holy San Francisco Peaks,” stated Haley Coles after being released from jail. “The pipeline will not be tolerated. Spewed waste water turned into artificial snow will not be tolerated. Clear cuts, slash piles, and burning of hundred-year old trees will not be tolerated. The Holy mountain will be defended, and the desecration will be stopped; at whatever cost. We have the mountain on our side,” said Coles.

Stephen Zavodynik, also arrested during Monday’s blockade, stated, “Today, a small group of people decided that they had enough of wealthy investors, cultural genocide, and privileged white people who are indifferent to the destructive impacts of their recreational activities.  We decided to take matters into our own hands and you can too. Whatever you feel is sacred, defend it with all your heart and take a risk, because our future generations will not forgive inaction.”

“As a snowboarder, I support an immediate reversal of all construction related to the expansion and spreading of treated sewage on the sacred San Francisco Peaks. It is our obligation to act immediately to prevent ongoing cultural genocide and environmental destruction just miles from where we live, where old growth forest is culled using slash and burn foresting techniques while huge, diesel-powered machines cut into the earth in preparation for the import of hormones, carcinogenic chemical compounds, and fecal matter onto the highest reaches of the San Francisco peaks. Allowing Arizona Snowbowl to buy treated sewage from the City of Flagstaff is an absolute failure of our elected representatives to protect the civil rights of indigenous members of the Flagstaff community. I will continue to use any means necessary to protect the peaks and support my friends and community members.” stated Kennedy.

Jenna Tomasello, who was also part of the action, stated that “Almost all of our options have been exhausted. The US Supreme Court failed to protect religious freedoms of Native peoples.  The Flagstaff City Council has failed to meaningfully listen to its constituents who have consistently vocalized their opposition to Arizona Snowbowl development for decades.  And the US Forest Service has failed to protect the public from the environmental impacts of treated sewage effluent.  It is time for more people, wherever you are, to open your eyes. Respect the land of which we are dependent on and the people that the land has been stolen from.  The only choice for us is to take action against those who threaten Indigenous cultures, the environment and our future.  It’s frustrating that we had to do this in order to make this point clear.” stated Tomasello.

“For those of us who have chosen to fight the colonial strongholds, we have also chosen to fight for the minds that hold this power.  If harmony is to prevail, all beliefs attempting to control nature must be liberated.  We belong to the Earth; the Earth does not belong to us.” stated Tom Lang, who was part of the action.

All 10 arrested were released within hours due to strong outpouring of community support.

17 people have been arrested during a community “Week of Action to Protect the Peaks.” 23 arrests have been made since June 16, when 6 people locked themselves to Snowbowl excavators and inside sewage pipeline trenches.

“This was an autonomous action planned by those who took part. It was beautiful and powerful and very responsible. We took every measure to ensure our safety. Nobody was unwillingly put in the way.” stated Rudy Preston, the arrested police liason for the group. “The Civil Disobedience roadblock on the mountain was not a family event or publicized with the rest of the legal actions planned for the ‘Week of Action.’” stated Preston.

Since May 25, 2011, the owners of Arizona Snowbowl, with the support of the U.S. Forest Service and the Flagstaff City Council, have laid over five miles of a 14.8 mile wastewater pipeline and have clearcut over 40 acres of rare alpine forest. A current lawsuit against the Forest Service focusing on the human health impacts of wastewater snowmaking is still under appeal in the 9th Circuit Court.  The individuals involved in today’s action are separate from the Coalition involved in the lawsuit.

The San Francisco Peaks are Holy to more than 13 Indigenous Nations.
They are a place of worship, a place where deities reside, a place where offerings are made, where herbs are gathered, where emergence has occurred, and a location where other sacred religious practices take place .

Monday’s blockade to protect the Peaks joins four decades of sustained resistance to desecration of the Holy Peaks. Over the past three weeks since Snowbowl began clear-cutting, dozens of protest camps have been established on the mountain and solidarity actions have occurred in Phoenix and Los Angeles.

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CONTACT:
protectpeaks@gmail.com
www.truesnow.org

Flagstaff Police Aggressively Disrupt Protect the Peaks March
Six Arrested at Peaceful Protest

Flagstaff, AZ – August 7^th, 2011. More than one hundred people, including families with children and elders, marched through downtown Flagstaff on Sunday in protest of the destruction and desecration of the San Francisco Peaks by Arizona Snowbowl. Demonstrators first gathered at Wheeler Park where they were immediately ordered to leave the public park by the Flagstaff Police Department.  As the march wound through downtown Flagstaff demonstrators were met with positive responses and support while dozens of police – many out of uniform — harassed the demonstrators.  Police cars drove alongside the marchers.  As the protesters passed out flyers and carried banners through Flagstaff’s Southside, police violently disrupted the march, grabbing those who were closest to the street and arresting them.  As six marchers were handcuffed, the remaining demonstrators continued to yell demands for an end to the Peaks’ destruction.

“As long as Arizona Snowbowl, the Obama Administration’s Forest Service and the City of Flagstaff continue this ecocide and cultural genocide, we will not stop,” said Klee Benally (Dine’), one of the arrested marchers. “We will pray, march, protest, and take whatever action is necessary to ensure that our basic human rights, dignity and environment are safeguarded. Today’s unjustified force from the Flagstaff Police Department demonstrates that they are not on the side of justice or healthy communities. The Forest Service and City of Flagstaff are on the side of corporate interests that are destroying our communities.”

Since May 25, 2011, the owners of Arizona Snowbowl, with the support of the U.S. Forest Service and the Flagstaff City Council, have laid over five miles of a 14.8 mile wastewater pipeline and have clear-cut over 40 acres of rare alpine forest. A current lawsuit against the Forest Service, focusing on human health impacts of wastewater snowmaking, is still under appeal in the 9th Circuit Court.  The individuals at today’s march are separate from the Coalition involved in the lawsuit.

Sunday’s march joins four decades of sustained resistance to desecration of the Holy Peaks. Over the past three weeks since Snowbowl began clear-cutting, dozens of protest camps have been established on the mountain.

“The Week of Action is a culmination of efforts to directly address the lack of political will of the Forest Service and City Council to safeguard the community, public health and cultural rights,” said Nadia Del Callejo who was arrested while simply video taping the incident.

“The same profit driven push that has desecrated the Peaks, is the same sickness that has lead to the militarization of the border and is now trying to desecrate South Mountain, which is sacred to all O’odham.” said Alex Soto (Tohono  O‘odham ) who was also arrested, “Sacred sites are under attack, but today we said no. Our solidarity in these struggles is re-establishing our traditional networks of support ”

Demonstrators invite everyone to join them Monday, August 8, 12:30pm at the United States Coconino National Forest Service Office at 1824 S. Thomson St, Wednesday, 12:30pm at High Desert Investment at 504 E Butler Ave and Wednesday, 4:00pm at Flagstaff City Hall.

Protesters vowed to not stop until the desecration of the Peaks stops.  “I am not afraid of what will happen to me if I protest, what I am more afraid of is what will happen if I do not stand up for what the Peaks are,” Stated Del Callejo.

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50 Take Streets of Flagstaff, Police Abduct One

On Friday, August 5th, more than 50 people marched through the streets of downtown Flagstaff to raise awareness of Arizona Snowbowl’s eco-cide and desecration of the Holy San Francisco Peaks. The march was part of a week of action to bring community members together to protect the Peaks.

On May 25th 2011, authorized by the the Obama Administration’s Department of Agriculture and US Forest Service, owners of Arizona Snowbowl began further destruction and desecration of the Holy San Francisco Peaks. Since then Snowbowl’s crew of a handful of workers has laid over 5 miles of the planned 14.8 mile wastewater pipeline. They have cut a six foot wide and eight foot deep gash into the Holy Mountain.  Snowbowl is currently in the process of clear-cutting more than 30,000 trees and burning slash-piles.

Before the march began Flagstaff Cops kicked protestors out of Hopi Square, demonstrators continued nearby flyering and engaging in a spontaneous community forum about the issue.

Carrying banners that read, “Stop Snowbowl Cultural Genocide” and chanting, “Community Health Over Corporate Wealth!” marchers walked and took the streets for more than two hours distributing flyers.

A member of Youth of the Peaks, an Indigenous youth organization, witnessed Flagstaff Police Department Officer Simpson badge #41 texting “dealing with mother f–kers.” A crowd erupted in protest as he was reprimanded by a superior officer. An “official” report of misconduct was later filed against him.

A 2-story banner reading, “Environmental Degradation, Cultural Genocide, Racism, Public Health Threat. Don’t Regret Today. Destroy Snowbowl,” was hung over the square where hundreds of people were gathered during Flagstaff’s monthly Art Walk.

At approximately 7:30PM, as the crowd of 50 marchers crossed Aspen St., a Flagstaff cop grabbed one person from behind and arrested him for “obstructing a public thoroughfare.”

“Native Rights, Human Rights, Public Health, and respect descend on the heiarchy of social perception; while big brother and businessmen exchange hand shakes, lady liberty smiles oil, uncle sam perpetuates environmental disorder, and effluent water delivers the slope of tears.” stated Ron Thompson, who was arrested and released less than 3 hours later. “I had no descrepancies being selected in the school of fish by the shark to represent the voice of the unheard. That voice is the civic duty of the free society and the fines of tyranny will always cost more than obstruction of public thoroughfare.”

Some protestors creatively contributed political

art to “Art Walk” by hanging signs that read, “I love eating poop snow.”

Messages such as, “Your Silence Doesn’t Stop the Truth” were also projected onto buildings along with images of Snowbowl’s recent clear-cutting of the Holy Mountain.

Indigenous youth also held a “Zombie March” with over two dozen young people dressed as Zombies symbolizing the public health threat sewage effluent snowmaking poses.

From August 4-9, 2011 events are planned in Flagstaff, Arizona to protest Snowbowl ski area and the Obama administration’s US Forest Service sanctioned desecration of the holy San Francisco Peaks.

Upcoming Events:
Sun. 7th – MARCH FOR THE PEAKS! – 12:30PM
Meet and start in Wheeler Park downtown Flagstaff, AZ. Bring banners and signs.

Mon. 8th – RALLY AT USFS OFFICE! – 12:30PM
At Coconino Forest Service Office – 1824 S. Thompson St. Flagstaff, AZ (Near AZ Daily Sun off of Old Rt. 66)  Come on your lunch hour.  Bring banners and signs.

Tues. 9th -PROTEST HIGH DESERT INVESTMENT & CITY HALL!
PROTEST HIGH DESERT INVESTMENT – 12:30PM
504 E Butler Avenue (across from New Frontiers)

PROTEST CITY HALL – 4:00PM
Meet at Flagstaff City Hall on Rt 66 side.  Bring banners and signs, drums and song.

BACKGROUND:

Although a current legal battle is under appeal, Snowbowl owners have chosen to undermine judicial process by rushing to construct the pipeline.

Encampments have been established on the holy Mountain in protest of the destruction and desecration.

All are welcome to camp and bear witness to Snowbowl’s desecration.

For more than a dozen years Indigenous Nations, environmental activists, and concerned community members have worked together to protect the holy site and surrounding area from further ecological destruction, public health threats, and spiritual desecration.

Arizona Snowbowl’s development plans include clear-cutting 74 acres of rare alpine habitat that is home to threatened species, making new runs and lifts, adding more parking lots and building a 14.8 mile buried pipeline to transport up to 180 million gallons (per season) of wastewater to make artificial snow on 205 acres. The Peaks are central to the ways of life of more than 13 Indigenous Nations.  The use of wastewater undermines internationally recognized rights of Indigenous people; rights that the Forest Service and administration is obliged to protect.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Converge on the Mountain!
Join an established base camp or start your own.
More info: www.truesnow.org

Contact Flagstaff City Officials and urge them to RESPECT the environment, Indigenous culture, and protect public health by finding a way out of their contract to sell Snowbowl wastewater!
PHONE: (928) 779-7600
EMAIL: council@flagstaffaz.gov

Contact Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and express concern that there was no meaningful public process when the agency approved wastewater for snowmaking. File a complaint and demand full public review!

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
1110 West Washington Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
(800) 234-5677 – Toll Free

Northern Regional Office
1801 West Route 66, Suite 117
Flagstaff, Arizona 86001
(877) 602-3675 – Toll Free

www.azdeq.gov/function/compliance/complaint.html

Contact the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which heads the Forest Service, and urge them to revoke the Special Use Permit for Arizona Snowbowl for greater public interest.
The USDA has been holding hearings on protection of sacred places due to the Peaks controversy. Urge the USDA to immediately place an administrative hold on all development on the San Francisco Peaks!

CALL CRAIG JOHNSON USFS TRIBAL LIASON IN FLAGSTAFF, AZ AT: 928 525 6578.

Tom Vilsack
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250

Phone: 202-720-3631

Email: TribalSacredSites@fs.fed.us

Send Letters to the Editor of your local papers.
Arizona Daily Sun: rwilson@azdailysun.com

###

How long will we allow the destruction and desecration to continue?
Take action for Sacred Sites, Human Rights, Environment, Public Health, Community, Respect!

PROTECT THE PEAKS!
WEEK OF ACTION
August 4-9, 2011
Flagstaff, AZ

ALL EVENTS RAIN OR SHINE!
(Please come prepared with rain gear)

Thurs. 4th – BANNER MAKING – 5:30PM
At Taala Hooghan Infoshop – 1704 N 2nd St.

Fri. 5th – AWARENESS MARCH – 5:30PM
Meet at Heritage Square downtown Flagstaff. We will walk through downtown and hand out flyers.

Sat. 6th – DAY OF PRAYER – ALL DAY
Organized by Youth of the Peaks. Pray where you are.
A gathering will also be held near Snowbowl parking lot by Humphrey‘s Trail at 11AM.

Sun. 7th – MARCH FOR THE PEAKS! – 12:30PM
Meet and start in Wheeler Park downtown Flagstaff, AZ. Bring banners and signs.

Mon. 8th – RALLY AT USFS OFFICE! – 12:30pm
At Coconino Forest Service Office – 1824 S. Thompson St. Flagstaff, AZ (Near AZ Daily Sun off of Old Rt. 66)  Come on your lunch hour.  Bring banners and signs.

Black & White printable flyer

Tues. 9th -PROTEST HIGH DESERT INVESTMENT & CITY HALL!
PROTEST HIGH DESERT INVESTMENT – 12:30PM
504 E Butler Avenue (across from New Frontiers)

PROTEST CITY HALL – 4:00PM
Meet at Flagstaff City Hall on Rt 66 side.  Bring banners and signs, drums and song.

ADDITIONAL WAYS TO TAKE ACTION:

Join the encampments!
Join a current camp or start your own.
Come camp for a day or more, or just visit to support the encampments.

Donate supplies or funds.

MORE INFO: www.TrueSnow.org
Contact: protectpeaks@gmail.com
(928) 600-0856

Dear friends, family, neighbors, and allies,

The time is now!  We are the people we’ve been hoping for!  Join us in support of protecting the Holy San Francisco Peaks from further desecration and destruction.

A group of us, calling ourselves the Cook Shack, are starting a base camp in support of the current encampment and convergence on the Holy San Francisco Peaks on Friday, July 15th.  We are an affinity based group who believe that the destruction and desecration must end now for the physical, emotional, and spiritual dignity, health and well-being of all people in the present and in future generations.

CookShack goals are very simple:

Join us for a few hours, a day, a week or a month: If you find yourself in affinity with us and would like to join us or support us and other base camps, please stop by Taala Hooghan Infoshop (1704 N. 2nd St. East Flagstaff AZ 86004) or e-mail us at PTPcookshack@gmail.com to drop off supplies and/or get more info.  Connect with us before Friday morning and go with us to the mountain to set-up camp!!!

We remind folks that this is a drug/alcohol/hater free encampment, and we support a diversity of tactics and strategies.  Please come as self sufficient as possible.

We encourage everyone to answer the calls to action and start their own affinity groups and their own base camps!!! Please visit www.truesnow.org for the latest info.

We need the following… please remember we’re camping when making your donations!

To be able to survive:

To be able to camp:

To be able to cook:

To be able to document and communicate:

To be able to support each other:

If you think of something else that isn’t on this list that we or other base camps might need, please don’t hesitate to donate.

We thank you for all your love, support and spirit!

The CookShack Base Camp!

E-mail us – ptpcookshack@gmail.com
Follow us on Twitter – @ptpcookshack
Friend us on Facebook – Peaks CookShack

The treated sewage has been proven to contain contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and hormones. Currently this matter is subject of a lawsuit asserting that the Forest Service, who manages the Peaks as public lands, did not test or seriously consider impacts if humans ingest the fake snow.
Snowbowl started development in May even though the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to make a decision on the current case.

Development of the pipeline was temporarily halted on June 16th when six individuals locked themselves inside the pipeline trench and to construction equipment.
After holding off construction for nearly 5 hours, the direct action ended with the arrests of those involved.

The San Francisco Peaks are held holy by more than 13 Indigenous Nations.

Former Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. made the point clear when the Forest Service initially approved the development in 2004, “When you build on [The Peaks], when you talk about putting wastewater on it, you are desecrating our life. You are chipping away at our way of life and committing genocide”

Please read the statement from the six protesters who literally placed themselves in the trenches: www.indigenousaction.org/statement-from-6-protesters-arrested-for-stopping-snowbowl-pipeline/

*Photo credits: survivalsolidarity.wordpress.com & Dawn Dyer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday June 19, 2011
Contact: Beth Lavely protectpeaks@gmail.com

Protest Halts Snowbowl Waste water Pipeline Construction
End Destruction and Desecration of Holy San Francisco Peaks

“We took every possible measure to ensure our safety.  Our actions were taken to safeguard Indigenous Peoples’ cultural survival, our community’s health and this sensitive mountain ecosystem.  Those who cut us out endangered our well being ignoring the screams to stop.  They treated our bodies the way they’re treating this holy mountain. If they had their way, we wouldn’t even exist.  There is more danger in doing nothing. To idly stand by and allow this destruction and desecration is to allow cultural genocide”, said the other young Dine’ woman who chose to lock down.

“The police’s use of excessive force was in complete disregard for my safety.  They pulled at my arms and forced my body and head further into the machine, all the while using heavy duty power saws within inches of my hand,” said Evan Hawbaker.

“Our only offense was resistance; resistance of the implications that’s Snowbowl’s development exudes. The police’s defense was to implement tactics of fear to reach a goal, essentially to continue construction as soon as possible. Our safety was prioritized second to Snowbowl’s demands.  I was one of the demonstrators in the trench, locked at the neck with a partner. I was not aggressive. My lock was sawed through, inches away from both of our heads, secured solely and recklessly by the hands of a deputy. During the process, we were repeatedly asked to chant to reaffirm our consciousness. The police’s response was hasty, taking about ten minutes in total–it was dehumanizing,” said Hailey Sherwood, one of the last protester to be cut out.

###

Navajo Nation President ‘We’ve Got to Stop the Construction’

FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Local environmental justice organizations, Tribal representatives, and members of Flagstaff community held a media conference on Saturday, May 28 to address threats of Arizona Snowbowl’s ski expansion development and current construction of wastewater pipeline for snowmaking.

On Tuesday May 25th, Snowbowl began construction of a wastewater pipeline on the holy San Francisco Peaks, located in Northern Arizona.

Standing at the base of the Holy San Francisco Peaks, Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly stated, “We’ve got to stop the construction.” President Shelly affirmed his commitment to protecting the Peaks and urged for greater protection of all sacred sites, “We need to make a law… we need larger organizations to protect these mountains.”

Kelvin Long, director of ECHOES stated, “We’re going to protect our mountain, we’re not going to allow snowmaking to happen.”

Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly

Howard Shanker, attorney for the Save the Peaks Coalition and other plaintiffs stated, “Native American’s don’t have first amendment rights when it comes to federal land use decisions. For our federal government to be involved in the desecration of a sacred and holy site that is so important to so many people, for the economic benefit of so few is a tragedy. All people of conscience should be involved in this process, should be fighting this process and should step up and say wait a minute this isn’t right.”

“Snowbowl is proceeding at their own risk, when we prevail in court they’re going to have to take the pipes out of the ground.
The federal government is doing everything it can to make sure snowbowl has a consistent ski season even though they’re attempting to use reclaimed sewer water, which scientifically is not proven safe.” Shanker said.

The wastewater, which would be purchased through contract from the City of Flagstaff, has been proven by biologists to contain harmful contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and hormones. In their Environmental Impact Statement the Forest Service did not consider the impact of ingesting waste water in the form of artificial snow or from the storage pond by humans and animals.

This point is the basis of the Save the Peaks Coalition’s current lawsuit which is currently appealing a District Court decision in favor of Snowbowl’s proposed actions.

Thomas Walker, former Navajo Nation Tribal Council Delegate stated, “The Navajo Nation has historically been opposed to any kind of development on the San Francisco Peaks… this mountain is not to be desecrated.”

Steve Darden of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission and former Flagstaff City Council member sent a message to the youth, “In our Hogans and sweat lodges we are offering our prayers, were relying on you young ones to step up.”

Jihan Gearon of the Indigenous Environmental Network connected her organization’s work to stop the Tar Sands in Canada to Snowbowl’s wasetwater pipeline, “The Tar Sands are the largest industrial project ever in the entire world… pipelines break and pipelines spill, I can pretty much guarantee that they are never safe. Not only us, but everyone if Flagstaff needs to be made aware of. The construction happening on the mountain now is a wake-up call.”

Clayson Benally, a member of the Save the Peaks Coalition and plaintiff in the current suit against the Forest Service stated, “Our youth and our children will potentially be impacted by this snow. This is all for the profit of one business thats outside of city limits that doesn’t pay into the tax base of Flagstaff. They put economic profit over our health, over our own community’s health and well being, that goes too far.”

“This is a pre-emptive strike from Snowbowl… when we win in court what are they going to do?” stated Benally.

Earlier in the day 40 people, including Winifred Bessie Jumbo the current Miss Navajo, gathered in prayer on the San Francisco Peaks. Before and during the prayers, more than a half-dozen armed law enforcement agents from Coconino County Sheriffs and the Forest Service monitored the gathering and patrolled the area.

For more than a dozen years Indigenous Nations, environmental activists, and concerned community members have worked together to protect the holy site and surrounding area from further ecological destruction, public health threats, and spiritual desecration.

Arizona Snowbowl’s development plans include clear-cutting 74 acres of rare alpine habitat that is home to threatened species, making new runs and lifts, adding more parking lots and building a 14.8 mile buried pipeline to transport up to 180 million gallons (per season) of wastewater to make artificial snow on 205 acres.

The Peaks are central to the ways of life of more than 13 Indigenous Nations.

###

Greetings,

As you may have heard the U.S. Forest Service has given Arizona Snowbowl permission to begin construction on the
Holy San Francisco Peaks. On Tuesday, May 24, Snowbowl workers started digging trenches and laying water pipes to
transport wastewater to make fake snow.

We are inviting you to join with others to come join us and pray.

Prayer Gathering at Snowbowl on the Holy San Francisco Peaks (meet at the parking lot).
We will gather at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 28, 2011.

We are calling for our Traditional Elders, Healers, Medicine People, Elected leaders, people who are concerned and re-
spect the Indigenous culture and our environment to come together and pray for healing and protection for the Holy
Mountain. (Snowbowl is located 7 miles north off of Hwy 180, 7.3 miles from the Flagstaff City Hall )

If you cannot make it – We are also asking for people to take some time to pray that Saturday (MST time 9am) morning
from where ever they are in the world.

Again, we are looking forward to seeing you there and praying with you.

By Klee Benally – Indigenousaction.org

Flagstaff, AZ — Owners of Arizona Snowbowl ski area have begun moving pipeline and construction equipment to the base of the holy San Francisco Peaks, located in Northern Arizona. The Peaks are central to the ways of life of more than 13 Indigenous Nations.

Snowbowl owner Eric Borowski plans on starting the development today.

Although currently challenged by a legal appeal in the 9th Circuit Court, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has permitted the ski area to begin development.

The Coconino National Forest, headed by the USDA,  manages the Peaks as public lands. Snowbowl has operated under a special use permit since the 1980′s, which was initially challenged by Indigenous Nations and environmentalists all the way up to the Supreme Court.

According to the Forest Service, “Construction is anticipated to begin this month along a segment of Snowbowl Road. . . Snowbowl Road will remain open; however, delays and temporary closures will occur throughout the duration of construction, approximately five months.”
The Forest Service also stated that Snowbowl Road will be closed each day from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

For more than a dozen years Indigenous Nations, environmental activists, and concerned community members have worked together to protect the holy site and surrounding area from further ecological destruction, public health threats, and spiritual desecration.

Snowbowl’s development plans include clear-cutting 74 acres of rare alpine habitat that is home to threatened species, making new runs and lifts, adding more parking lots and building a 14.8 mile buried pipeline to transport up to 180 million gallons (per season) of wastewater to make artificial snow on 205 acres.

Snowbowl Construction Equipment located at Hwy 180 and Snowbowl Rd

The wastewater, which would be purchased from the City of Flagstaff, has been proven by biologists to contain harmful contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and hormones. In their Environmental Impact Statement the Forest Service did not consider the impact of ingesting waste water in the form of artificial snow or from the storage pond by humans and animals.

This point is the basis of the Save the Peaks Coalition’s current lawsuit which is currently appealing a District Court decision in favor of Snowbowl’s proposed actions.

On April 1, 2011 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied an emergency motion by the Save the Peaks Coalition to stop Snowbowl ski area and the U.S. Department of Agriculture from cutting down approximately 30,000 trees.

In 2002, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, with no real public process, quietly decided to allow wastewater to be used for snowmaking purposes. Later that same year the Flagstaff Mayor and City Council signed a contract to allow the sale of sewage effluent for snowmaking on the holy mountain. The contract has since been renewed administratively, behind closed doors without any public input.

Snowbowl would be the only ski area in the world to use 100% wastewater for snowmaking purposes.

In 2010 Flagstaff City Manager Kevin Burke revealed a plan, secretly negotiated with the USDA, for use of Flagstaff’s drinking water instead of the sewage effluent. Snowbowl was offered 11 million tax payer’s dollars to subsidize the increased costs of using potable water. Stating that the US government believed drinking water snowmaking to be “less offensive” to Indigenous Nations, the plan was pushed without the consent of or any consultation with Indigenous Nations.

Facing overwhelming community and Tribal opposition, City of Flagstaff officials ultimately rejected the plan.

Following the failed attempt to use drinking water the USDA, while still aggressively battling the Save the Peaks Coalition in court, began listening sessions to hear Indigenous Peoples concerns on the protection of sacred places. Ironically, the sessions were initiated in part due to the Peaks controversy.
The USDA is expected to issue a report for policy changes sometime this year.

In response to threat of development, more than 150 people rallied outside of Flagstaff City Hall and held a march for protection of the holy San Francisco Peaks on April 16th.

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Web site: www.TrueSnow.org

NEWS RELEASE

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Court Denies Injunction to Halt Snowbowl Development

FLAGSTAFF, AZ — The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today denied an emergency motion to stop Snowbowl ski area and the U.S. Department of Agriculture from cutting down thousands of trees on the San Francisco Peaks, outside of Flagstaff, Arizona.

The Save the Peaks Coalition and other plaintiffs filed an appeal to the Ninth Circuit and sought an emergency injunction that would stop all tree cutting and construction in furtherance of snowmaking pending the outcome of the appeal.

Judge Murguia, at the District Court level, previously denied the Coalition any injunction pending appeal.

“The ski resort can start their destruction tomorrow and there isn’t a legal recourse that can be taken.” stated Jeneda Benally, a plaintiff in the case. “The legal system has failed to protect citizens and the delicate ecosystem of the San Francisco Peaks and instead compromised it’s ethics by protecting a single for profit business that has blatant disregard for our children’s health.”

According to Howard Shanker, the attorney for the Save the Peaks Coalition and other plaintiffs, “We are gravely disappointed in the decision not to grant an injunction but will vigorously pursue our appeal in any event.”  According to Shanker, “we remain hopeful that, at some point, the courts will properly apply the law to the facts of this case.”  Shanker previously represented a number of the Tribes and environmental organizations in the first round of litigation opposing snowmaking with reclaimed sewer water.

The Justice Department under the Obama Administration continues to vigorously fight to cut down trees and to spray reclaimed sewer water to make snow on the San Francisco Peaks while the Administration has held ‘listening sessions’ on sacred sites protection, including the San Francisco Peaks, across the country.

Snowbowl threatens to clear-cut approximately 28,994 trees from 76.3 acres for construction of water impoundments, buildings, and trails. They would also begin cutting down 167 trees along the 14.8 mile snowmaking transmission line and approximately 800 trees in approximately 47.4 acres within the Agassiz and sunset trail areas.

In 2006, the Snowbowl Ski area, which operates under a permit on federal land, was granted permission by the U.S. Forest Service, part of the Department of Agriculture, to make snow using 100% reclaimed sewer water.  Something that is not done anywhere else in the world.  The project would use sewer water treated to Arizona A+ standards – A+ water in Arizona is known to contain endocrine disruptors, which block or mimic normal hormone activity.  It also contains a host of personal care products and pharmaceuticals, including things like steroids, antibiotics, and caffeine, which are neither tested for, nor adequately removed from the water during the treatment process.

The San Francisco Peaks, including the area used by Snowbowl, are sacred to 13 of the Native American Tribes in the southwestern United States.

In 2006, the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Yavapai-Apache Nation, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the Havasupai Tribe and the Hualapai Tribe filed suit to stop the project which, they asserted, amounted to federally approved and sanctioned desecration of one of the best documented Native American sacred sites on record.  The tribes were joined by a number of individuals and organizations, including the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity.  After a unanimous ruling by a three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of the tribes and environmental groups, the Ninth Circuit, however, agreed to re-hear the case en banc – something they only do about one or two percent of the time.  In an eight to three decision, the en banc panel reversed the prior panel decision and allowed Snowbowl and the Forest Service to go forward with the planned desecration of the area.

Shortly thereafter, a group of concerned citizens from the Flagstaff area, including the Save the Peaks Coalition, filed suit under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) challenging the Forest Service’s review of the impacts associated with the potential ingestion of snow made from reclaimed sewer water.  The prior three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit unanimously found that the Forest Service failed to adequately consider such impacts.  The en banc panel, however, vacated that decision without addressing the merits of the claim.  On review of the issue in the current litigation, District Court Judge Mary Murguia found, contrary to the prior Ninth circuit ruling, that the Forest Service review was adequate and that the case should not be allowed to go forward.

Initial approvals for the controversial project were made under the administration of George W. Bush.  It was initially the Bush Justice Department and Department of Agriculture that vigorously fought to spray potentially unsafe reclaimed sewer water onto the sacred site.  The Obama Administration, which has made a public show of respecting tribal sovereignty and sacred sites, was however, quick to pick up the mantle. Judge Murguia was nominated by Obama to go to the Ninth Circuit.  Shortly after ruling against the Save the Peaks Coalition, her appointment was confirmed.

It appears that the prior three-judge panel consisted of Democratically appointed judges.  The en banc panel appears to have split in its eight to three decision largely on political party lines.  With the three dissenting judges having been appointed by Democratic Presidents.  In any event, the Administration continues to expend resources and time fighting to disrupt a unique and sensitive ecosystem, which also happens to be sacred land to Native Americans.  All to provide Snowbowl, a private, for profit company that operates on federal land, a consistent and reliable operating season.

###

Protesters: NAU Get Off Mount Graham!
Winona LaDuke, ‘It’s Time to Say No.’

Written by Klee Benally and MT Garcia

FLAGSTAFF, AZ — On Tuesday, February 1, a dozen people including students and community members gathered at Northern Arizona University to protest the college’s partnership with a telescope development located on a sacred site.

NAU is listed on the telescope project’s website as a “project partner” along with University of Arizona and Arizona State University at 25% of the development’s partnership.

Mount Graham, located near Tucson, Arizona, is holy to San Carlos Apache, White Mountain Apache, Pascua Yaqui, Chiracahua and other Indigenous Nations who have struggled for years to stop the development with support of environmental groups.

The protest started at 5pm on the corner of Butler and Milton. The demonstrators held banners that read, “Stop desecration and extinction on Mount Graham,” and “Protect sacred sites, defend human rights.”

At the Highcountry conference center parking garage, a banner was dropped that read, “NAU off Mount Graham, protect sacred places”.

At 6pm the group started marching to Ardry Auditorium where it planned to support prominent Indigenous activist and author, Winona LaDuke’s speech for Holocaust Remembrance Day. On the way to the Auditorium, the protesters marched and chanted through the Union surprising NAU students.

The march grew to more than 30 people, who at times took to the streets and were chanting, “NAU off Mount Graham,” and connecting the struggle to protect the San Francisco Peaks with “Save the Peaks, save Mount Graham.”

“This is an issue of Indigenous People’s religious freedom and protection of sacred places. We’re here to address NAU’s complicity in desecrating a very sacred site.” said Bobby Lynn, a student at NAU who was part of the protest and march, “NAU should know better than to partner with the Mount Graham telescope. Here in Northern Arizona, Snowbowl ski area is attempting to further it’s desecration by expanding and making snow from treated sewage. This issue has divided our community and caused so much harm. We are in solidarity with those struggling to protect Mount Graham!” said Lynn.

Winona LaDuke urged everyone in attendance to “deconstruct empire” and addressed issues in Arizona, such as the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort, Mount Graham telescope, uranium mining, and copper mining. “I wanna encourage you all, to do good work, to make things better. I want to encourage you, whether it is the uranium mining at the Grand Canyon, leave it in the ground. Whether it is the Snowbowl. Whether it’s the copper mining, and the sacred lands of the Apache or the telescope project that this University here became complicity in. Its time to say no.”

TAKE ACTION TODAY:
Contact NAU President Haeger and urge him to respect the Apache, to save the Mount
Graham red squirrel and to get NAU out of the Mount Graham telescope project.
Phone: (928) 523-3232
Email: John.Haeger@nau.edu

More information about the issues:
www.mountgraham.org
www.savethepeaks.org
www.truesnow.org
www.stopuraniummining.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE:            Wednesday December 1, 2010

NOTE TO EDITORS: For a background, legal documents, photos, updates, and further information please visit: www.TrueSnow.org . Interviews can be arranged.

District Court Rules For USFS in Save the Peaks Case

Plaintiffs will Appeal the Court’s Decision to the Ninth Circuit Court

FLAGSTAFF, AZ — The case known as The Save the Peaks Coalition, et al. v. U.S. Forest Service (USFS) was heard before Honorable Judge Mary H. Murguia and today a decision was made.

The Court ruled against the plaintiffs claims that the final FEIS prepared by the USFS ignores thorough consideration of a number of critical health issues. The plaintiffs contend that a new and thorough FEIS should be filed by the USFS. If this reveals that the use of reclaimed sewage water is a public health risk then snowmaking should not be permitted for the Arizona Snowbowl on the San Francisco Peaks.

Howard Shanker, representing the Save the Peaks Coalition and additional plaintiffs, will file an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court. According to Shanker, “ the decision misstates the facts of this case and misapplies the law.  That’s why there is an appeal process.” Further, according to Shanker, “it is remarkable that the Obama Administration is complicitous in this effort to put treated sewer water on the San Francisco Peaks.  Not only is the site sacred to Native Americans in the Southwestern United States, the Forest Service has, at best, no idea what the long term health impacts will be on people who ingest this snow made from treated effluent.  Who figured the Snowbowl ski area was ‘too big to fail’”.

Judge Mary Murguia ruled that plaintiffs were barred from bringing this action by the doctrine of latches largely because of the “near completion of the project”.

“This is remarkable in light of the fact that there was a stipulation in place until yesterday barring any ground clearing activities in furtherance of snowmaking and no final approvals were provided by the government until recently – none of which have been implemented on the ground.  That is the project is not “near completion” but rather has not even begun.” stated Shanker.

Judge Murguia also ruled that the Forest Service adequately considered that people would ingest snow made from reclaimed sewer water in the EIS.  “Notwithstanding that the only other court to rule on this issue substantively was the three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit, which found that the Forest Service failed to comply with NEPA and the fact that the EIS does not contain a discussion of the impacts.” stated Shanker.

The suit asserts, among other things, that the FEIS ignores the possibility of human ingestion of snow made from treated sewage effluent. Snowbowl would be the only ski area in the world to use 100% wastewater to make snow. They would use 1.5 million gallons per day, storing and spraying this wastewater on a mountain that is holy to more than 13 Indigenous Nations.

“This case was filed because we insist that our children not be used as guinea pigs for the profit of a single private business operating on our public lands,” stated Jeneda Benally, a complainant in the lawsuit. “The Forest Service already has admitted that there was no consideration of the impacts if children consumed wastewater snow that they acknowledge contains untreated contaminants.”

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality regulations allow A+ class treated sewer water to contain fecal matter in three out of seven daily samples (R18-11-303 2a). Moreover, studies done by Dr. Catherine Propper, Professor of Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University, on this same treated sewer water have concluded the waste water contains pharmaceuticals, hormones, endocrine disruptors, industrial pollutants such as pesticides and herbicides, and narcotics. David Norris, PhD, an integrative physiology professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, found that pharmaceutical ethinylestradiol (an orally active semisynthetic steroidal estrogen) made it through the Boulder Wastewater Treatment Plant and into Boulder Creek. He reported that the percentage of native male fish in Boulder Creek decreased and that numerous intersex fish were found downstream of the wastewater treatment plant. He stated “the fish are a wake-up call; our bodies and those of the much more sensitive human fetus are being exposed everyday to a variety of chemicals that are capable of altering not only our development and physiology but that of future generations as well.”

In addition, according to biologist Dr. Paul Torrence, the treated sewage effluent may also contain antibiotics such as triclosan and triclocarban which break down into bio-accumulating cancerous dioxins when exposed to high altitude sunlight. Plaintiffs involved in this ongoing lawsuit have consistently insisted that the USFS take a hard look at what might happen to the people when they come in contact with or ingest snow made from treated sewage effluent. Under the National Environmental Policy Act, the USFS is obligated to consider these types of potential impacts on the quality of the human environment.

In 2007, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court found that the USFS failed to adequately consider the possibility of human ingestion of snow made from treated sewage effluent. In Judge William Fletcher’s opinion, he concludes that “the FEIS does not contain a reasonably thorough discussion of the risks posed by possible human ingestion of artificial snow made from treated sewage effluent, and does not articulate why such discussion is unnecessary.” While the decision of the three-judge panel was later overturned on a technicality by an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit, issues surrounding the completeness of the FEIS were left unresolved.

# # #

IMPORTANT: We have a critical opportunity to stop Snowbowl’s attempt to desecrate the Holy San Francisco Peaks on August 30th. Please join us for a VERY IMPORTANT public meeting on August 30th at 5:30PM at Sinagua High School in Flagstaff, AZ. The Flagstaff City Council will be voting on whether or not they will amend Snowbowl’s contract to sell drinking water for snowmaking.

Sinagua High School is located at 3950 East Butler Avenue Flagstaff, AZ.

Visit www.truesnow.org for more info.

If you cannot make it to this meeting (even if you can) please TAKE ACTION NOW:

URGENT: CALL FLAGSTAFF CITY COUNCIL TODAY! (928) 779-7600

To contact members of the City Council:

To email all: council@flagstaffaz.gov

For more information about your Mayor and Councilmembers or to contact individually click on one of the names below:

Mayor Sara Presler                      spresler@flagstaffaz.gov
Vice Mayor Celia Barotz              cbarotz@flagstaffaz.gov
Councilmember Art Babbott        ababbott@flagstaffaz.gov
Councilmember Karla Brewster    kbrewster@flagstaffaz.gov
Councilmember Coral Evans        cevans@flagstaffaz.gov
Councilmember Scott Overton     soverton@flagstaffaz.gov
Councilmember Al White             awhite@flagstaffaz.gov

To make an appointment with the Mayor or a Councilmember call (928) 779-7600.

Send Letters to the Editor of the Arizona Daily Sun:

Randy Wilson

Please spread the word. If you cannot make it to Phoenix or Flagstaff please consider organizing a vigil, rally or event in your community!
If you would like to help with outreach you can pick up posters at Taala Hooghan infoshop in Flagstaff (1700 N 2nd St. near Rt 66 and 4th St.) or you can print your own from www.truesnow.org. Volunteer support is also needed, contact phxrally@TrueSnow.org.

SAVE THE PEAKS!
July 15th – 16th, 2010
PHOENIX, AZ
Prayer Vigil • March • Rally

Arizona Snowbowl is attempting to expand development on the San Francisco Peaks and make fake snow out of treated sewage effluent on our public lands. This wastewater has been proven to contain harmful contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, hormones and cancer causing agents.

The US Forest Service has ignored public health concerns and approved this development without any tests to determine the health effects if our children eat the wastewater snow.

Snowbowl would be the only ski area in the world to use 100% wastewater to make snow. They would use 1.5 million gallons per day, storing and spraying this wastewater on a mountain that is holy to more than 13 Indigenous Nations. Read the rest of this entry »