URGENT ACTION to stop MICHIGAN FUNDING of COPPERWOOD!

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On August 26th the Michigan House approved the $50 million earmark to Wakefield Township to fund infrastructure to enable the proposed Copperwood Mine. Now the conversation passes over to the Senate, which will decide whether to include or exclude the grant from their 2026 budget proposal.

Hope is far from lost: last year we mobilized tens of thousands to defeat a nearly identical grant, twice. The third time will be the charm — but for them or for us? That depends on you.

The ultimate budget deadline is October 1st, but sources tell us that the process may move very quickly, which is why it's crucial we make our voices heard as soon as possible. 

Remember, Protect the Porkies is just the messenger — now that you’ve got the message, what will you do?

Out-of-state participation is crucial! Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains are entities whose tremendous collective importance far transcends imaginary map lines. Michigan needs to know that the world is watching.

• Contact Form: Reach out to Governor Gretchen Whitmer TODAY
• E-mail: Gretchen.Whitmer@michigan.gov
• Leave a Phone Message: 517-335-7858 (Constituent Services)

Sample message below. Make sure to include the language: "I urge you to exclude the $50 million earmark to Wakefield Township for Copperwood Mine infrastructure from the 2026 budget."

The next phase of decision-making is occurring in the Michigan Senate. Depending on your residency, you'll find the best options to make your voice heard — but no matter where you live, please proceed to STEP THREE to contact our top priority targets. Please save a copy of any written message for future use!

MICHIGAN RESIDENTS: reach out to your local state senator via phone call, in-person visit, hand-written mail, and the contact form on their website. Note that the contact form is superior to email. Please also contact the top-priority targets below. FIND YOUR SENATOR.

U.P. RESIDENTS: Don’t waste time with Ed McBroom — he won’t change his tune on this one. Please reach out instead to the top targets below.

OUT-OF-STATE RESIDENTS: Reach out directly to the top-priority targets below.

ORGANIZATIONS: Please send an official letter / email on behalf of your organization to the top-priority targets in STEP THREE.

In all messages, urge the Senators to “exclude the $50 million in infrastructure funding for Wakefield Township from the 2026 budget.”

This short list includes all of the most powerful decision-makers in this phase of the process. Please save a copy of any written message for future use!

Sen. WINNIE BRINKS -- Senate Majority Leader

517-373-1801 SenWBrinks@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. ARIC NESBITT -- Senate Minority Leader

(517) 373-0793 SenANesbitt@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. SARAH ANTHONY  -- Senate Appropriations Chair

517-373-6960 SenSAnthony@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. SEAN MCCANN -- Senate Appropriations Majority Vice Chair

517-373-5100 SenSMcCann@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. JOHN BUMSTEAD --  Senate Appropriations Minority Vice Chair

517-373-1635  SenJBumstead@senate.michigan.gov

Rep. MATT HALL — House Speaker

517-373-1784 MattHall@house.mi.gov

Rep. ANN BOLLIN — House Appropriations Committee Chair

517-373-7515 AnnBollin@house.mi.gov

All top target email addresses for copy/pasting convenience:

SenWBrinks@senate.michigan.gov, SenANesbitt@senate.michigan.gov, SenSAnthony@senate.michigan.gov, SenSMcCann@senate.michigan.gov, SenJBumstead@senate.michigan.gov, MattHall@house.mi.gov, AnnBollin@house.mi.gov

Full list of primary and secondary targets:

SenWBrinks@senate.michigan.gov

SenANesbitt@senate.michigan.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 

AnnBollin@house.mi.gov

MattHall@house.mi.gov

EXAMPLE SCRIPT:

Here's an example script you can use to inspire your own, if needed. Whether you use the script or not, be sure to urge legislators to "exclude the $50 million earmark in infrastructure funding for Wakefield Township from the 2026 budget". If you get a staffer on the phone, you can try to break it up into a few pieces to be more conversational:

_____________________________________________________________________

"Hello, my name is _______ and I am a resident of  ________. I'm calling to urge ___________ to exclude the $50 million earmark in infrastructure funding for Wakefield Township from the 2026 budget. 

Far from serving the community, this funding would enable the establishment of the Copperwood Mine, an extremely controversial and devastating project for the UP and an incredibly inappropriate use of taxpayer money.   

Not only would Copperwood be the closest sulfide mine to Lake Superior in history, posing numerous catastrophic environmental risks, but it is being pushed by an inexperienced Canadian company that has never before operated a mine. 

Furthermore, the project would share a border on two sides with Porcupine Mountains State Park, mainland Michigan's largest virgin forest, which proud Michiganders fought for decades specifically to protect from industrial interests. The preliminary infrastructure alone would forever change the iconic character of this beloved area.

This handout is the same proposal twice rejected by the Senate in 2024, now thinly veiled as funding for "community infrastructure." This is effectively a corporate handout to accelerate a risky project for a foreign company to extract our mineral wealth and ship it out of the country with no guarantee of return. The mining company also won't commit to hiring majority local or even Michigan residents. 

This is a short-sighted project which will have devastating long-term consequences for communities in the UP, as well as potentially catastrophic consequences to Lake Superior, which holds 10% of earth's surface freshwater. Funding such an operation is antithetical to the spirit of Pure Michigan.  

Again, please exclude the $50 million earmark for Wakefield Township from the 2026 budget. Thank you."

Please save a copy of any written message for future use! Then, repeat these steps as frequently as possible — everyday or every week — until we achieve our desired outcome.

You only know about these actions because somebody told you — please pass the ball on to friends, family, and others in your network!