Welcome to the Lobby Center!

Thank you for helping to make some noise to save Oak Flat. There are currently two bills that we need folks to call their senators and representatives about. No lobbying experience? No problem! You’ll find everything you need to know below. If you have any questions, just shoot us a message.

The HOUSE bill: the Save Oak Flat Act can be found here. Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) introduced to the House a new Save Oak Flat Act on 1/17/19. Please contact your representative in the House and ask them to cosponsor the bill. Our main goal right now for the Save Oak Flat Act is to have a hearing so that the bill can move along in the process.

The SENATE bill: the Save Oak Flat Act. Senator Bernie Sanders has taken the task to submit a companion bill in the Senate.

Contacting your Congresspeople.

Whether this is your first time talking to your Congresspeople or you have done it before, there is no reason to feel intimidated. Our democracy is meant to be “for the people, by the people” which means that your voice matters. You have a right to tell your representative and senators what you think.

Remember that there are two separate Save Oak Flat bills in Congress: one in the House and one in the Senate.  These bills must both be passed in order to get the bill to the president’s desk.

1. Get oriented. Do you know who your representative and senators are? If not, click here to enter your zipcode and find the email and phone number of your elected officials.
2. Set up an appointment. If possible, meet with your representative and senators in person. You can set up a meeting by calling or email them using the contact info found in step 1. Check out our resource on how to lobby effectively.
3. Come prepared. Print out this one-page flyer, fact sheet, and list of supportive groups to give to your Congressperson or staffer when you meet with them or to send it to them in the mail.
4. Write or email. If you can’t meet with your representative in person, sending a letter or email is another way to help. We’ve written a sample letter that you can easily use. We encourage you to add your personal story to this letter. Why does Oak Flat matter to you? A more heartfelt story is more likely to grab a legislator’s attention.
5. Follow up. If you are able to, check in with your legislators a few weeks after you contact them. No matter how you reached out to them, following up via phonecall or email is a good way to keep Oak Flat at the top of their agenda.

Other helpful resources.

• Click here if you’d like to know how the representative you plan to lobby voted on Oak Flat in the past. (We’ll look up the answer and send it to you. Please let us know your zip code when you write.)
• To find out which representatives are on the Natural Resources Committee (where the House Save Oak Flat bill currently resides) click here. To find out which senators are on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (where the Senate Save Oak Flat bill currently resides) click here.
• If you want to help us by doing online research or organizing lobbying efforts in your community, please contact us.
• If you have a question or need help, please contact us.

 

Together we will save Oak Flat!

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Here are a few other ways you can help to Save Oak Flat:

SPREAD THE WORD about Oak Flat by sharing the Oak Flat story with your friends and family. Social media is a powerful tool for raising awareness, and we encourage you to like our Facebook page to stay updated.

GET INFORMED by checking out our FAQ and Media Clips sections.

RAISE AWARENESS in any way you can. Organize a walk in your hometown; do a chalk mural promoting the cause; write a letter to your local newspaper. Let us know if you need ideas and we will help you in any way we can.