Arizona Religious Leaders Urge Senator McSally to Champion Land and Water Conservation Fund

Phoenix – March 10, 2020 – In response to her recent co-sponsorship of Senate Bill 3422, legislation that would provide permanent, dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Arizona Faith Network and Creation Justice Ministries released a letter to Senator Martha McSally. Signed by more than 30 Arizona religious leaders, the letter not only expresses gratitude for Senator McSally’s step to protect public lands; it urges her to take become a vocal champion for a properly resourced Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The letter highlights religious leaders’ reasons for valuing public lands as “places of sabbath,” and spaces where “veterans can experience a homecoming… of solace and healing.” The letter expresses the religious leaders’ desire “to support your efforts to use your leadership role in the US Senate to champion the freedom, beauty, and bounty of God’s creation through good stewardship of our public lands.”

Arizona Faith Network Executive Director Rev. Katie Sexton said of the letter, “As Arizona faith leaders, we see Senator McSally’s genuine connection with our public lands in action. Whether she’s out on our Arizona hiking trails with her dog Boomer, or showing her support of the Land and Water Conservation Fund in the Senate, we want her to know how vital her voice is.”  

Creation Justice Ministries Executive Director Shantha Ready Alonso said of the letter, “When I observe who in Congress is championing public lands, I see a great opportunity for moral leadership out of Senator McSally’s office. Arizona has some of the most treasured public lands in our country. Senator McSally is well-positioned to be a respected consensus-builder in Congress who can advance the cause of conserving God’s creation for generations to come.”

Arizona Faith Network is a Multi-faith Organization dedicated to bringing people together to promote peace and understanding through interfaith education and dialogue as well as healing of the world through collaborative social action. We are made up of people of different faiths who covenant with each other in solidarity and mutual respect. We recognize that our diversity makes us stronger and while we seek to find common ground, we also lift up our differences as unique individuals and communities. Together we are committed to both civil dialogue and transformational action while we seek to keep our faiths and beliefs as an inspiration and direction for all that we do.

---

Creation Justice Ministries represents the creation care and environmental justice policies of major Christian denominations throughout the United States. We work in cooperation with 38 national faith bodies, including mainline Protestant, historically Black Church, Baptist, Peace Church, and Orthodox communions.

---