Oak Flat Still Needs Our Voice: Pray, Call, and Sign Today
Oak Flat is still not a done deal — and people of faith are being asked to act again.
Earlier this summer, LAMA shared why Lutherans should care about Oak Flat, known to many Apache people as Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, a sacred place of prayer, ceremony, coming-of-age traditions, and connection to Creator, land, and community. The threat remains urgent: Resolution Copper’s proposed mine would eventually cause the surface of Oak Flat to collapse, while the company’s mining plan also relies on access to Arizona state trust land for the proposed Skunk Camp tailings facility, where massive amounts of mining waste would be stored in Dripping Springs Valley.
Since LAMA’s post on June 2, the project has continued moving forward. The federal land transfer to Resolution Copper was completed in March, after court challenges failed to stop the exchange. Resolution Copper has also announced new contracts to advance exploration and underground mine development, underscoring that this is not a distant or theoretical concern.
But Arizona still has a choice.
Resolution Copper’s plan depends not only on federal land, but also on the use of Arizona state trust land for toxic tailings — mining waste that would remain for generations. That puts Governor Katie Hobbs and the Arizona State Land Department in a position of real responsibility. Advocates are urging the governor to say no to any sale, lease, permit, or transfer that would allow state trust lands in Dripping Springs Valley at Skunk Camp to be used as a permanent dumping ground for mine waste.
For Lutherans, this is a matter of religious freedom, care for creation, public stewardship, and solidarity with Indigenous neighbors. Oak Flat is not simply a parcel of land to be weighed against economic promises. It is sacred ground. The question before Arizona is not only whether copper can be mined, but whether sacred places, desert water, Tribal sovereignty, and future generations will be protected.
We know there are complex conversations about energy, infrastructure, jobs, and the materials needed for modern life. But development that destroys what others hold sacred requires deeper moral scrutiny. State trust land should not be treated as a convenient place to store toxic waste. Public decisions should honor the people and communities who bear the greatest risk.
People of faith and conscience are being asked to take three actions now:
PRAY for Governor Hobbs, that she might find strength and courage to protect sacred land, water, and state trust lands from destruction.
CALL Governor Hobbs at 602-542-4331 and leave a message urging her to protect state trust lands in Dripping Springs Valley from Resolution Copper’s toxic tailings plan.
SIGN the letter to Governor Hobbs urging her to protect state trust lands in Dripping Springs Valley.
Arizona residents: sign the Arizona letter.
Non-Arizona residents: sign the non-Arizona letter.
Here is a sample message you can use when calling:
Governor Hobbs, I am calling as a person of faith and conscience to ask you to protect Arizona state trust lands in Dripping Springs Valley at Skunk Camp. Please say no to any sale, lease, permit, or transfer that would allow Resolution Copper to dump toxic mine tailings on state trust land. Oak Flat is sacred, water is precious, and Arizona should not sacrifice Indigenous religious practice or future generations for this project.
LAMA encourages congregations, pastors, deacons, LAMA liaisons, and ministry partners to share this alert in newsletters, adult forums, prayer concerns, and community announcements. This is a critical time in the fight to protect the sacred at Oak Flat.
Oak Flat is still not a done deal. Arizona still has a choice. And people of faith still have a voice.
This Action Alert comes to LAMA from our partners at Arizona Interfaith Power and Light and The Mobilizing Spiritual Communities for Oak Flat Working Group.