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    • HOME
    • TAKE ACTION!
    • Learn More
      • Maps. Documents, Etc.
      • Videos
      • Guest Speakers
    • Latest News
    • CONTESTS
    • Other Initiatives
      • The Right to Night
    • CONTACT
    • MERCH
    • DONATE
  • HOME
  • TAKE ACTION!
  • Learn More
    • Maps. Documents, Etc.
    • Videos
    • Guest Speakers
  • Latest News
  • CONTESTS
  • Other Initiatives
    • The Right to Night
  • CONTACT
  • MERCH
  • DONATE

Out-of-State Residents Encouraged to Participate in All Steps!

The Porcupine Mountains and Lake Superior don't just belong to a single township, county or state — they belong to all of us, and they belong to no one but themselves.

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

Fast action form: Urge lawmakers to DENY the taxpayer-funded grant to Copperwood! Takes two minutes!

STEP ONE: Sign and Share!

Sign-On Letter for Residents of Gogebic and Ontonagon CountiesSign-On Letter for OrganizationsSign the Petition!

STEP TWO: Resist the $50 million taxpayer-funded grant!

***HIGH PRIORITY ACTION!***

After being twice defeated in 2024 due to pushback from around the state and nation, a grant of 50 million Michigan taxpayer dollars to the proposed Copperwood Mine has been reintroduced as a Legislatively Directed Spending Request in the Michigan House.


Seeking to obfuscate all connection to the controversial mine, the new grant also requests 50 million taxpayer dollars for the very same purpose, this time thinly veiled as "community infrastructure."


Rolling out the power grid, cell towers, and heavy industrial roads into a remote, uninhabited region will NOT benefit the community, especially when it's mainland Michigan's largest old growth wilderness preserve. To the contrary, this "preliminary infrastructure" would serve exclusively to enable the development of the proposed Copperwood Mine.


If approved, the company is sure to cite it as a "Michigan endorsement" (a phrase used by the CEO), thus triggering an avalanche of fresh investment and potentially the capital to at last start construction


We the People won’t be fooled, but we need massive collective outreach to break through the noise and ensure that our busy lawmakers get the real story before they craft the 2026 budget proposals in May, June, and July of this year!

Reach out to the Appropriations Committees today!

Here you will find a sample letter, which you may copy directly or use as inspiration for your own message.


Below you will find all the contact information for the targeted politicians who urgently need to hear from you. They include House Speaker Matt Hall and all the members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.


Please be sure to communicate clearly: "I urge you to deny the Legislatively Directed Spending Request, introduced by Rep. Markkanen on Aoril 23rd, for $50 million for Wakefield Township to enable the Copperwood Mine."

Email Addresses

Copy and paste the full list! Depending on your email service, you may need to divide the list into two or three messages.


MattHall@house.mi.gov, 

AnnBollin@house.mi.gov, 

MattMaddock@house.mi.gov, 

AlabasFarhat@house.mi.gov, 

RepPhilGreen@house.mi.gov, 

NancyJenkinsArno@house.mi.gov, 

TimKelly@house.mi.gov, 

GregMarkkanen@house.mi.gov, 

MikeMueller@house.mi.gov, 

BradleySlagh@house.mi.gov, 

GregVanWoerkom@house.mi.gov, 

TimothyBeson@house.mi.gov, 

KenBorton@house.mi.gov, 

JohnRoth@house.mi.gov, 

CamCavitt@house.mi.gov, 

JamesDeSana@house.mi.gov, 

TomKuhn@house.mi.gov, 

DonniSteele@house.mi.gov, 

RonRobinson@house.mi.gov, 

AmosONeal@house.mi.gov, 

JulieRogers@house.mi.gov, 

SamanthaSteckloff@house.mi.gov, 

caglanville@house.mi.gov, 

KimberlyEdwards@house.mi.gov, 

JasperMartus@house.mi.gov, 

DonavanMcKinney@house.mi.gov, 

JasonMorgan@house.mi.gov, 

NataliePrice@house.mi.gov, 

WillSnyder@house.mi.gov, 

MattLongjohn@house.mi.gov

SenSAnthony@senate.michigan.gov

SenSMcCann@senate.michigan.gov

SenJCherry@senate.michigan.gov

SenRBayer@senate.michigan.gov

SenSSantana@senate.michigan.gov

SenJIrwin@senate.michigan.gov

SenKHertel@senate.michigan.gov

SenDCamilleri@senate.michigan.gov

SenVKlinefelt@senate.michigan.gov

SenMMcMorrow@senate.michigan.gov

SenMCavanagh@senate.michigan.gov

SenJBumstead@senate.michigan.gov

SenTAlbert@senate.michigan.gov

SenJDamoose@senate.michigan.gov

SenMHuizenga@senate.michigan.gov

SenROutman@senate.michigan.gov

SenLTheis@senate.michigan.gov 


Phone Numbers

TOP TARGETS


Matt Hall (517) 373-1784

Ann Bolin (517) 373-7515

Nancy Jenkins Arno (517) 373-8808


SECONDARY TARGETS (also very important!)


House Appropations Committee

Matt Maddock (517) 373-1780

Alabas Farhat (517) 373-0144

Phil Green (517) 373-0587

Tim Kelly (517) 373-1778

Greg Markkanen (517) 373-0850

Mike Mueller (517) 373-0840

Bradley Slagh (517) 373-0841

Greg Van Woerkom (517) 373-1830

Timothy Beson (517) 373-0158

Ken Borton 517-373-0829

John Roth (517) 373-1766

Cam Cavitt (517) 373-0833

James De Sana (517) 373-0475

Tom Kuhn (517) 373-1706

Donni Steel (517) 373-1771

Ron Robinson (517) 373-1794

Amos O'Neal (517) 373-0837

Julie Rogers (517) 373-1783

Samantha Steckloff (517) 373-3920

Carol Glanville (517) 373-0476

Kimberly Edwards (517) 373-0852

Jasper Martus (517) 373-1786

Donavan McKinney (517) 373-0849

Jason Morgan (517) 373-0855

Natalie Price (517) 373-0823

Will Snyder (517) 373-0842

Matt Longjohn (517) 373-8670


Senate Appropations Committee

Sarah Anthony 517-373-6960 

Sean McCann 517-373-5100 

John Cherry 517-373-0142 

Rosemary Bayer 517-373-2417 

Sylvia Santana 517-373-0990 

Jeff Irwin 517-373-2406 

Kevin Hertel 517-373-7315 

Darin Camilleri 517-373-7918 

Veronica Klinefelt 517-373-7670 

Mallory McMorrow 517-373-2523 

Mary Cavanagh 517-373-7748 

John Bumstead 517-373-1635 

Thomas Albert 517-373-1734 

John Damoose 517-373-2413 

Mark Huizenga 517-373-0797 

Rick Outman 517-373-3760 

Lana Theis 517-373-2420

Talking Points

See the Homepage for inspiration. 


More elaboration can be found here.


If the project is to advance, may it do so on its own two feet along with the rest of us, through the forces of the free market without the interference of a corporate welfare handout from our pockets. Why should the taxpayers bail out a failing foreign company who wants to ship our copper abroad? This is a message politicians on both sides of the aisle can get behind. Tell our elected officials this is a controversial and divisive use of taxpayer dollars!

STEP THREE: Put Pressure at the Top!

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel

The Governor has the power to intervene with Michigan's environmental regulators and halt permitting to the proposed Copperwood Mine. Contact the Governor today and demand a formal state review of the Copperwood Mine.  Find talking points here.

Contact the Governor

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel

The Attorney General also has the power to influence Michigan's environmental permitting regulators. Contact the A.G. today and demand a formal state review of the Copperwood Mine. Find talking points here.


Contact the A.G.

Michigan's Environmental Regulators

Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) continues to approve permits to the proposed mine, despite significant environmental concerns, disruptions to outdoor recreation, and public pushback. Urge them to stand with the people of Michigan by denying all additional permits!

COntact Egle

Gogebic County Board of Commissioners

The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners continue to approve Resolutions of Support for the mine, despite pushback from the community, the local Tribe, and folks from around Michigan and beyond. Contact the Commissioners and tell them: 1) your tourist dollars are on the line; 2) the County's reputation is on the line; 3) Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains belong to all of us!

Contact the Commissioners

STEP FOUR: Be Creative!

Every single person has unique skills, resources, and time allowance to commit to this important cause. As a campaign based in a remote and scarcely populated area, we will only be successful if we have the help of many thousands of passionate individuals.

 

Please consider contributing by:

  • Writing blog posts / videos / your own social media content
  • Reaching out to media and request coverage
  • Submitting letters to the editor of a local or non-local newspaper
  • Designing and/or distributing flyers and stickers in your neighborhood
  • Host a table at a farmers market
  • What else? Use your imagination!

We are just the messenger!

Now that you've got the message, what will you do?

Help Our Cause

ProtectThePorkies is run entirely by volunteers dedicating considerable time and energy to this important cause. As a small team, we strive to make efficient and constructive use of funding. Your contributions assist greatly with our mission. 


  • PayPal (click the button below)
  • Venmo: @ProtectThePorkies (if asked for last four digits, 6667)


You may also mail checks to this address:


PO Box 6

Wakefield, MI

49968

Pay with PayPal or a debit/credit card

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