About The Coalition

The Defend the Sacred Peaks Coalition is an alliance of concerned community members, Tribal leaders, nonprofit organizations, businesses, researchers, and faith communities working together to protect the sacredness, health, and future of the Sacred “San Francisco” Peaks, outside of “Flagstaff, AZ”. This website is a place to house information and resources about the Sacred Peaks. To learn more about or join the Coalition, please reach out on the contact page. 

Our Demands

  • The City of Flagstaff must terminate its contract supplying reclaimed wastewater to Arizona Snowbowl for artificial snowmaking on the San Francisco Peaks. For decades, Tribal Nations and environmental groups have opposed the use of treated sewage water on a mountain held sacred by Indigenous peoples throughout the Southwest. At a time of worsening drought, wildfire risk, and climate instability across the region, millions of gallons of water should not be used to artificially extend or create ski seasons for private profit. Arizona Snowbowl is currently permitted to use up to 180 million gallons of reclaimed wastewater annually, further industrializing a sacred and ecologically sensitive landscape.

  • Arizona Snowbowl operates on public land through a Special Use Permit issued by the U.S. Forest Service. That permit expires in 2032 and must not be renewed. For generations, Indigenous Nations and local advocates have made clear that continued ski resort expansion and development on the Peaks causes cultural, ecological, and spiritual harm. The Forest Service has a responsibility to protect sacred sites, honor tribal concerns, and prioritize the long-term health of the mountain over private corporate interests.

  • The Peaks deserve long-term protection and restoration after decades of expansion, development, and ecological damage. Sacred to more than 14 Indigenous Nations, the Peaks are also at the heart of the Flagstaff community, shaping the region’s identity, economy, recreation, and sense of place. People move here for these mountains, businesses and organizations center them in their logos and identities, and they remain one of the most recognizable landscapes in Northern Arizona. The health of the Peaks is critical for regional climate resilience, forest health, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and the future of our community in a warming Southwest. Restoring the mountain means ending further industrialization and protecting the Peaks for future generations.

Our Goals

  • Educate and Mobilize the Community to Defend the Peaks:

    • Create and share accessible educational materials, public gatherings, and story-based community conversations that teach the sacredness of the mountain, expose ongoing harms (ecological, spiritual, and cultural), and strengthen public understanding of policy, water protection, and respectful relationships with the land.

  • Elevate Community Voices in Policy and Public Decision-Making:

    • Advocate for ecologically focused and culturally respectful policies at the Flagstaff City Council, with the U.S. Forest Service, congressional actions, and other public forums concerning Arizona Snowbowl. Use stories, and non-violent communication to shape advocacy, actions, challenge harmful developments, and hold agencies accountable for agreements and infractions.

  • Protect Water as a Sacred and Finite Resource:

    • Advocate for the sustainable, respectful use of all water in Northern Arizona. Oppose the commodification of and unnecessary use of water resources, defend natural hydrological pathways, and support policy actions that uphold water as life.

  • Follow Indigenous Leadership:

    • Center Indigenous leadership, lived experience, and spiritual relationship to the Peaks. Build trust through transparency, honoring agreements, sharing information openly, and grounding decision-making in the concerns Tribes, Nations, and individuals have repeatedly raised about desecration, expansion, and harm to the land.