Preparing to Advocate for Better Bills at the AZ Legislature

Time to prepare for our vital work advocating at the State Capitol. 

After the Arizona Legislature resumes on January 12th, we will have regular Calls to Action on bills that impact our water and the environment. Unfortunately, they are usually bad bills. You can weigh in on them through the Request to Speak online system while they are still in committee. If these bad bills make it through anyway, our RTS responses support the Governor's vetoes on those bills. 

If you haven't already, please sign up for the Request to Speak system so you are prepared for these important actions. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdjBMoAJrjHD57GGegmdUCKAowcr93K4vQA6a7_AjyElBtrQ/viewform

Another way to advocate for the environment is to attend Environmental Day at the Capitol on  Wednesday, February 11, 2026; 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM. This is your opportunity to express your concerns with your Reps or be there to support other advocates. (For instance, I always advocate for water.) The Sierra Club has simple online training and one-sheets on bills they promote. This rewarding event is a great way to meet other like-minded people who also care about the environment. Transportation and lunch is provided.  

And be sure to register now - especially if you want a ride on the bus (as the bus fills up.) 

 https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po000019vMfuIAE

One way to become better advocates is by staying abreast of what is happening at the state legislature. Towards that end, Sustainable Tucson will be hosting The Environment in 2026: At the State Capitol & Beyond. 6pm, Tues, January 6th on Zoom. Please mark your calendar. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87556154931?pwd=56TlanklJnNjKt628HE2fa523Acy5D.1  

The program will look at what can be expected in coming months from state (and some national) legislative and administrative actions, with a focus on what will have particular impact on Tucson and Southern AZ – and what we can do.

The panel includes State Senator Priya Sundareshan (LD 18), Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter, and Kirsten Engel, Chief, Environmental Protection Unit of the AZ Attorney General's Office. They will preview the policies, places, and programs that Arizonans will need to protect and promote. Their perspectives will give us a full picture of what we can and should do – as individuals and as an organization – to support an agenda of environmental protection and justice as we work for a sustainable future.

Following our guests’ comments, expect a lively question & answer session, with a shared conversation on how to advance momentum on this work. Please look out for more opportunities to learn about the bills that are coming up and how to advocate for our water and the environment by participating in Sustainable Tucson's Request to Speak actions.

Urgent Action: Urge your Rep to Oppose Bad Mining Bill TODAY

Artist rendition of Copper World mine 

Tomorrow the House's Natural Resources Committee will be voting on H.R.1366 - Mining Regulatory Clarity Act. Earthworks is sending out a letter opposing the bill that several environmental organizations have signed onto including Sustainable Tucson.

Currently the 1872 Mining Law makes hard rock mining the most important use of public lands - allowing mining companies to use as much water as they want to mine (while poisoning our waterways with toxic tailings) and not paying royalties to the American people - who end up cleaning up the closed mines.  Rep. Raul Grijalva fought for years to repeal this outdated law.

But instead of repealing this antiquated law, H.R.1366 will give even more control over our public lands to the mining industry. If passed, this bill’s provisions will have a devastating impact on frontline communities, cultural resources, and sensitive ecosystems.

Here is the main reason this bill is dangerous:

The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act amends the 1993 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act to address the Rosemont judicial decision. The Rosemont ruling held that public lands used for mining-support activities—such as waste storage, processing, and infrastructure—must contain economically valuable minerals. This ruling was a significant departure from the 150-year precedent set under the 1872 Mining Law. Overturning Rosemont will mean that mining operations will be able use a virtually limitless area of public lands for tailings, support structures, roads, pipelines, powerlines, etc. It would also free the Copper World mine from current litigation. This would impact the Sky Islands and our groundwater quality and quantity.

Please contact your representative today and urge them to vote "no." You can look them up using the link below. Be sure to include your zip code and that you are their constituent. 

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

You can also use Earthwork's action alert to easily email your representative.  

https://act.earthworks.org/page/89807/action/1?locale=en-US

Feel free to share widely!

"The Colorado River - Our Over-Stressed Lifeline" presentation

As you know if you've been following our actions for a while, we often advocate for better water bills at the state legislature. I believe it is helpful to understand our unique water issues to better advocate for it.  

Sustainable Tucson's Water Committee (that I affectionately call Team Agua) will be hosting brief educational presentations on important water topics every month before our regular meeting. You're invited to attend the presentation and discussion to follow. You're also welcome to stay for the meeting if you would like to learn more about what we do. 

At the October 27th meeting, we'll start off the series with The Colorado River - Our Over-Stressed Lifeline. This talk will cover the current and projected state of the Colorado River, along with ongoing negotiations over future water rights, and what a reduced water allocation could mean for us here in Tucson.

The meetings are open to all. Please join us!

 

Sustainable Tucson Water Committee Monthly Meeting

The Sustainable Tucson Water Committee meets virtually on the last Monday of every month from 7:00-8:30pm.

Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ani-wqxn-jat

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 916-905-1996‬ PIN: ‪879 450 407‬#

For more information about the Water Committee, please email jana@sustainabletucson.org.

Urge your Rep to Oppose the SPEED ACT that guts NEPA

Urge your representatives to oppose the SPEED Act and other attempts to dismantle  our bedrock environmental protections today.

The Proposed "SPEED Act" currently in Congress prioritizes the interests of fossil fuel, mining, and other corporate polluters at the expense of our families and communities. 

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a bedrock environmental law that has long been an essential tool to ensure that taxpayer dollars and public infrastructure serves the public interest and ensures a healthy environment for present and future generations. 

Trump has already signed executive orders changing the way that agencies conduct their NEPA review, limiting our participation. 

Now legislation in Congress like the SPEED Act would gut further NEPA, limit reviews, weaken science, and eliminate government accountability when agencies fail to adequately consider the health, environmental, or economic impacts of their decisions. Instead of speeding clean energy development, this bill would create conflict and delay by prioritizing corporate profit over the public interest.

We can not sit back and be silent while billionaire corporations try to sacrifice the air we breathe, water we drink, and climate we rely on for even larger profits. 

Will you take action to protect our health, climate, and future? Urge your representatives to oppose the SPEED Act and other attempts to dismantle  our bedrock environmental protections today. You can use the Sierra Club's form or call your representative. Find the script below. 

1-202-601-3839

(You will need the name of your representative. Mine is Rep. Juan Ciscomani.)

And you can also write your Reps here: sc.org/Protect

Learn About the Arizona Legislature to Better Advocate with It

Sandy Bahr speaking at a committee meeting at AZ legislature

In addition to advocating for water conservation, climate action and environmental policies on the local  level, a big part of our work is weighing in on bills at the state legislature using the online Request to Speak system when the session starts up again January 12th. 

It only improves our advocacy to learn more about how the legislature works. In fact, I was inspired to start this group after attending the Sierra Club's Volunteer Lobby Workshop and Environmental Day at the Capitol. I would greatly encourage you to attend their upcoming Volunteer Lobby Workshop.. 

Volunteer Lobby Workshop! Learn About the Legislature

Date and Time:
Tue, Oct 7, 2025; 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM  (Arizona)

Organized By: Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter

Join the Sierra Club for this workshop to learn more about Arizona government, focusing on the Arizona Legislature, and how to lobby/advocate for change at the Capitol. They will cover the basics, including how a bill goes through the process, plus hear from people who have testified in committee and possibly from one of our legislators. They have allowed extra time for questions and answers.

Register to get the Zoom link:

https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po000019073pIAA

Additional Directions: Send any questions you would like them to address ahead of time, but you will have time to ask during the workshop, too. sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org

Take Action: Protect the San Pedro River and Our Climate

Your voice is needed to defend the Sky Islands on two fronts — one local, the other national.

 

1) The San Pedro River, a life force in our region, is at risk from an aluminum melting plant proposed for Benson, Arizona. The 200-acre facility would be located right next to the river and has raised concerns about water usage, air pollutants, and toxic run-off, especially worrisome given the company’s track record of violations. Get more details and sign a coalition petition opposing this project.  

https://www.change.org/p/save-our-health-our-river-from-industrial-harm-in-benson-az

 

2) The Trump administration recently proposed to repeal the EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding, in which the agency formally acknowledged decades of science showing how greenhouse gases harm the climate and our health. The finding set the stage for crucial regulatory actions, as well as emission limits on factories, power plants, vehicles, and agriculture. If the finding is revoked, it’ll eliminate the legal basis for the EPA to rein in pollution under the Clean Air Act, harming people and our climate and pushing species closer to the brink. Learn more and take action with our allies at the Center for Biological Diversity (comments due Sept. 22).

https://act.biologicaldiversity.org/cMe-8_08KUGelloWGdcskw2

- Action by Sky Island Alliance 

Oppose the 2001 Roadless Rule Rescission proposal

Roadless Inventoried Areas in the Coronado National Forest

Please oppose the 2001 roadless rescission proposal. The science behind the proposal is flawed and this really is just another step to destroying our environment, local communities, clean water, etc all for fossil fuels and big industry profits. Please comment before the comment period ends September 19th using the link below.

https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FS-2025-0001/document?withinCommentPeriod=true&fbclid=IwY2xjawMiwitleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF2cEp5T1dGMXZPdFdSdUVPAR4-p1TYfn-Xi1prywXhbP1VGIV7sgOPXut6FS1tJA9-oUHBINMFMwf_RKsUlA_aem_cODZZS2nqICUIgnCmbVoRQ

Below is a sample comment specifically tailored towards AZ. It is always good to personalize the comment if you can.

Subject: Comment Opposing the Proposed Rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to strongly oppose the proposed rescission or weakening of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule(Roadless Rule), particularly as it applies to roadless areas in Arizona’s national forests. These areas are among the last remaining intact ecosystems in our state and play a vital role in safeguarding biodiversity, water quality, climate resilience, and cultural heritage.

Arizona’s approximately 1.2 million acres of roadless national forest lands—including parts of the Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott, and Tonto National Forests—represent some of the most ecologically sensitive and scenic landscapes in the Southwest. These lands support critical habitat for imperiled species such as the Mexican spotted owl, Gila trout, and jaguar, as well as providing essential ecosystem services like water filtration for millions downstream.

The original 2001 rule was based on the most extensive public comment process in Forest Service history, receiving over 1.6 million comments—with more than 95% in favor of protecting roadless areas. There is no new compelling scientific, legal, or democratic rationale for undoing this policy. Instead, a rescission would undermine public trust and jeopardize decades of bipartisan conservation progress.

Road-building in these fragile areas would increase the risk of:

* Wildfire ignition and spread, especially in Arizona’s arid forests already suffering from drought and climate stress;

* Habitat fragmentation, leading to the decline of native wildlife populations;

* Cultural resource damage, including impacts on sacred Indigenous sites and traditional uses;

* Loss of recreational opportunities that depend on solitude and natural integrity.

The Roadless Rule does not prohibit fire prevention, forest restoration, or community safety projects—it only restricts unnecessary road construction and industrial development in the most ecologically valuable areas. Arizona communities value these lands not for extractive development but for clean water, wildlife, and quiet recreation.

I urge the Forest Service to retain the full protections of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule and reject any proposal that would erode the ecological and cultural legacy of Arizona’s national forests.

Thank you for considering my comment.

Sincerely,�[Your Full Name]�[Optional: Title / Affiliation / Tribe / Organization, if applicable] More information:
Repealing 'Roadless Rule,' Trump rolls back protections for 58M acres of forests & wildlands