Please Help Finance a Final Legal Review of the Prospects of Successful Legal Action –
Dear Big Park Council Newsletter Subscriber,
The United States Forest Service (USFS) process for objecting to the above ground transmission line near and into the Village of Oak Creek (VOC) is complete. One next step is to evaluate the prospects of success of legal action.
In July 2023 the Big Park Council (BPC) engaged with EarthRise Law Center to analyze the prospects in federal court for successfully challenging the USFS decision on the APS Powerline Project. Due to the lack of the final USFS documents and a response to our Freedom of Information (FOIA) request, their assessment was inconclusive.
The final Earthrise assessment memo is still being held confidential as privileged attorney-client communication. Although the memo takes no clear position regarding the likelihood of success in a lawsuit challenging the Forest Service, it should be said that the memo is neither overly positive nor hopeless.
Now that the final USFS documents have been published, an updated legal analysis is needed. The Big Park Council approved a motion that in part states: That Big Park Council supports research by Gallagher & Kennedy, P.A. to analyze the prospects in federal court for successfully challenging the USFS decision on the APS Transmission Line Project based on the previous Earthrise memo and the final USFS documents. Funding for this research would come from voluntary contributions and not from any special dues assessment of Council members.
This recognizes that the citizens of VOC have voiced their opposition to the above ground transmission line in community forums, demonstrations and petitions, and deserve to know the true prospects of a legal challenge.
The cost of this legal research is $6,000. This work needs to be completed quickly, ideally this month, so that the Big Park Council has the information they need to evaluate whether to bring legal action against the Forest Service.
Please consider contributing to this important legal research. Your donation is tax deductible.
Contributions to this effort can be made via check, made out to the Big Park Council. Memo: BuryPowerline Fundraising
Big Park Council
P.O. Box 21021
Sedona, Arizona 86341
or online via PayPal or Venmo using buryvocpowerline@gmail.com
Note: A separate email has been sent to change.org petition signers of Stop APS’ Planned Above Ground High Voltage Lines into Sedona’s VOC. Our apologies if your name is on both lists and you are receiving this request twice. Big Park Council will receive all contributions sent to our physical mailbox or via PayPal or Venmo using buryvocpowerline@gmail.com regardless of the source of the original email.
You are welcome to share this important fundraising effort with others.
Many thanks and much appreciation
Big Park Council
A 501 (c) 3 nonprofit corporation. |
