13 Native American nations have joined forces to try and stop plans to develop the Snowbowl ski resort in Arizona. They claim that the resort already desecrates their sacred mountains, and that the plans will make it worse. Tomorrow, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in a legal battle that, many believe, could decide the future of Native American Indian religious freedom and the ecological integrity of the San Francisco Peaks....Tribes and environmental groups have formed a coalition to halt development plans to expand the current ski resort, and to use treated sewage effluent to make artificial snow on the sacred Peaks.
The coalition has filed lawsuits against the Coconino Forest Service, which leases the public land to the Snowbowl, to stop the proposed development. Plaintiffs represented in the case are; the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the Yavapai-Apache Tribe, the Havasupai Tribe, the Hualapai Tribe, the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Flagstaff Activist Network, Rex Tilousi, Dianna Uqualla and other tribal individuals.
Those in favour of the developments point out that the land is public, and that the tribes will still have access to it, regardless of the outcome in court tomorrow. The resort, one of two in Arizona, has recently suffered erratic snow conditions, allowing only 15 days of skiing last year. The resort is hoping that the upgrades will lead to more than 100 days of skiing per season.
There will be various events tonight run by the protesters, including a ceremonial gathering. And tomorrow there will be a morning prayer vigil followed by a march to the 9th Circuit Courthouse, and a vigil outside of the proceedings. At 12pm, there will be a press conference outside of the courthouse, at 95 Seventh Street.
Find out more about this issue and the Save the Peaks Coalition on
http://www.savethepeaks.org/.
Meanwhile Victoria’s Mount Hotham in Australia is to become the first ski resort in the world to recycle its own sewage to produce artificial snow
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=16190