Save the Scenic Santa Ritas

Fighting to protect the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains from the devastating impacts of mining.

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Board of Directors and Staff


Thomas Nelson, Ph.D., President – Taught secondary school science in northern California before earning an M.A. in Science Education at Sacramento State University, and then a Ph.D. in the College of Education/School of Natural Resources at the University of Arizona, where he fell in love with the Sonoran Desert.

He was an active member of the Arizona Association for Learning in and about the Environment served on the Arizona Governor’s Task Force on Environmental Education, and was a Visiting Professor at the University of Montana. He is Professor Emeritus, School of Education at the University of the Pacific, where he served as Director of the Doctoral Program.

He has published widely across various fields of study, including eco-justice, environmental education, curriculum studies, teacher education, social justice, place-based learning, politics of education, and critical theory and pedagogy. He has served as faculty chair, sitting on numerous academic boards, and spent twelve years as editor of Teacher Education Quarterly, and twelve years on the Board of Directors of the California Council on Teacher Education, was an active member in the American Educational Research Association, and continues to provide educational consulting services. He lives with his wife, Teri, in the Empire Mountains.


Steve Brown, Vice President – Born in the Sonoran Desert, grew up in the Santa Rita Mountains, and resides in Tucson. For many years, he and his wife Alice owned a meat market in Vermont, where he became a skilled meat cutter. He also helped establish a publicly-funded alternative high school, also in the Green Mountain State. Steve received his master’s degree from Boston College and worked as a community organizer for public health and international human rights. In 2014, he returned to Tucson and was an  instructor with Tucson Unified School District in Spanish and track & field at an “A+” K-5 school. Steve is founder of Commonwealth Solutions, a consulting firm that seeks to foster healthy and positive communities.


Lynn Harris, Secretary – Born and raised in Tucson, is a retired architect.  She attended Tucson Unified Public Schools and graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Architecture degree.  She worked as a project designer and project manager for local and national architectural firms, primarily in the field of healthcare.  She and her husband raised, trained and showed American Quarter Horses, and also owned and operated a farm where they raised grass-fed beef.  Her family members first came to Tucson in the 1850s and were involved with many occupations including mining, ranching, education, retail lumber/hardware sales, journalism, and aerospace engineering/manufacturing. 

 In addition to working with SSSR since 2003, she has done volunteer work for the Arizona Land and Water Trust, Pima County Environmental Education, Tucson Wildlife Center, Southern Arizona Quarter Horse Association, Therapeutic Riding of Tucson, and the Arizona Historical Society.


Carol Shinsky, Treasurer – Lived in the Arizona desert from 1973 through 2022. She worked for Tucson Unified School District and Vail School District until her retirement in 2003. She and her husband spent many years hiking, biking, and camping in our beautiful Sonoran desert while working with conservation organizations to help preserve this unique and fragile environment. She has been Board Treasurer for SSSR since 2014 and continues in that position from her new home in Washington State.


Gregory C. Shinsky – Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.  Six years service in the United States Army and twenty-three years service in the Tucson Fire Department.  Retired at the age of 48, volunteering and working on the SSSR Board for 14 years. 

“My passion for the right to clean air and clean water drives my commitments.”


Gayle Hartmann – Worked as an archaeologist and archaeological editor for the Arizona State Museum, the University of Arizona, and several environmental consulting firms in Tucson. She has authored or co-authored several journal articles and books and has served as editor of Kiva: The Journal of Southwestern Anthropology and History. She has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for Pima County and as member of the steering committee of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. She also served two terms on the Board of Trustees of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Gayle is currently a research associate at the Arizona State Museum.


Stan Hart, Ph.D.– Grew up in Lynn, MA 1935-1956. Educated at MIT and Caltech. Career in geochemistry and marine geology at Carnegie Institution of Washington; U. California, San Diego; MIT; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (now Emeritus). Resident of Green Valley AZ since 2009. Member, National Academy of Science; American Academy of Arts and Sciences. (See also Stanley Robert Hart, Wikipedia).


Jeff Herr – A fifth-generation southern Arizonan born in Douglas. He grew up in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona with a journalism degree. He worked at both dailies in Tucson, Nogales, in Phoenix (Republic Media), and then ventured into digital media in the mid-90s (Starwave, ABCNews.com, Outside Online, TheStreet.com). He also worked at the national and regional level driving national digital reporting and sales at Lee Enterprises (co-owner of the Star) and all digital for Media-News Group in California (HQed at the San Jose Mercury News).

From there, he and three colleagues started a software company (TapClicks) in San Jose that continues its rapid growth in digital-marketing analytics. He then lead digital for the Durango Herald and was publisher of a group of newspapers in Missouri before returning home. He is now the owner and publisher of a Tucson-focused magazine. He is married to his college sweetheart and is unbearably proud of this three daughters.


John Michael Kozma – holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, and a Masters in Business Administration from Pepperdine University, Los Angeles, CA.  He served as a decorated junior naval officer during the Viet-Nam campaign and was employed during his professional materials management career with a variety of companies in the metal turning industry.  His latest position was as Materials Manager for New Hampshire Ball Bearing’s Precision Division in Chatsworth, CA.

John has been married to his wife Patty for 54 years and they enjoy a variety of activities together, including their older grandchildren in Oklahoma and their younger grandchildren in Southern California.

Jointly retiring in 2008 and moving to Green Valley in 2009, John became involved with several community groups.  These included (a) the Green Valley Council Environmental Committee, (b) the Pima County Environmental Quality Advisory Council, (c) the Volunteers In Police Service for the Town Of Sahuarita, (d) the AARP Tax-Aide Assistance Program and (e) a current board member of Save The Scenic Santa Ritas.  It is through his association with the Green Valley Council that he became involved with and knowledgeable in local and regional water issues.


Edward D. Buster – Security Program Manager for the City of Tucson’s Tucson Water Utility. He overseas, administrates, and directs total security throughout Tucson water’s critical infrastructure including $80 billion in assets, the safety of 2000+ employees, and risk management of Arizona’s second largest municipal utility encompassing 4,600 miles of pipeline transferring 30 billion gallons of drinking water serving 1 million customers throughout Pima County daily.  Ed is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Business Management.

He is a United States Air Force veteran, retiring as the Chief of Operations and Personnel. Ed is a member of the Vail Unified School District Governing Board, Corona de Tucson Community Alliance, Corona Cares, Southeast Regional Council, and serves on multiple public and private organization boards.


Thomas F. Purdon, MD – Born and raised Waterloo, Iowa, – Matriculated at the University of Iowa, with BA in ’59, Doctor of Medicine in”62 and Residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology also Univ. of Iowa. During this time, he married his wife, Kathryn. They have one daughter, Jennifer, who lives in Phoenix, AZ.  He served two years in the US Army Medical Corps and then joined a large multi-specialty group practice in Colo. Springs, CO, where he practiced for 20 years.

In 1988, He moved to Tucson, AZ where he was Medical Director for CIGNA Health Plan. In 1989 joined the faculty of the University of Arizona, (UA) College of Medicine, and University Medical Center where he held various positions. In 2002, they moved to Green Valley, AZ, where he served as Gyn Consultant for United Community Health Centers. He retired as Clinical Professor of OB-GYN from the UA in 2008.

            While living in Green Valley, he became active with the Friends of Madera Canyon and served as President for four years. He has been a board member of SSSR since 2009. During the Rosemont mine EIS process for the USFS, he served as sub-committee leader for the Health and Public Safety group. He was also active on the Green Valley Council Health and Human Services and Environmental committees, and as a Vice- President of the GVC. He and his wife moved from Green Valley in Dec. of 2017 and now live in Peoria, AZ.


Sarah Truebe, Ph.D. – Works for Sky Island Alliance as a Habitat Conservation Manager focused on restoring natural springs in southern Arizona and Northern Mexico. She was born in Tucson, and after a roundabout path through academia and various jobs including Cave Resource Manager at Kartchner Caverns State Park, she is delighted to be back in the Sonoran Desert, working with volunteers and other like-minded individuals who care for these lands. In her free time, Sarah volunteers with the Southern Arizona Rescue Association and the National Cave Rescue Commission and enjoys music and dance in various forms.


Sheila L. Dagucon, Esq. – Lives in Sonoita and has served on the SSSR board for over 12 years.  She is a partner in the law firm of Kramer & Dagucon, LLP also located in Sonoita.  Her legal focus was representing children in either foster care or involved in difficult domestic relation cases.  Sheila now serves as a part time Judge Pro Tempore for the Superior Court of Santa Cruz County.  

Sheila received a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.  She was awarded a Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Sheila enjoys playing golf, reading, cooking, birdwatching, and sitting on her front porch enjoying the beautiful view of the Santa Rita mountains.


Roger E McManus – grew up in Tucson and the Sonoran Desert, and this ecosystem is the home he returned to from much of his career in Washington D.C.  He worked in the first Endangered Species Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in two Administrations of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, and in the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior.  He was the CEO of the Center for Marine Conservation for twenty years, and was a senior staff member for Conservation International. 

He is fervent in his support of the Save the Scenic Santa Ritas as the most effective advocate for the region’s biological and human communities.


Morris Farr, Ph.D.


Advisory Committee

Ann Audrey
George Binney
Phil Caputo
Anne Gibson
Fergus Graham
Bob Sharp
Steve Strom, Ph.D.
Tai Kondo Koester
Julia Fonseca


Contact information

You can contact us at (520) 246-3622. Please be patient if you don’t receive a call back right away…or feel free to send us an email using our contact form.

Mailing address

Save the Scenic Santa Ritas
8987 E. Tanque Verde #309-157
Tucson, AZ 85749

Recent Posts

  • LENS ON THE LAND May 16, 2023
  • 1872 MINING LAW May 16, 2023
  • SENATE BILL FAVORS HUDBAY May 16, 2023
  • HUDBAY LEGACY May 16, 2023
  • “DIRTY MINING TRUMPS ALL OTHER USES” ACT May 8, 2023
  • See Our detailed letter to the Arizona State Land Department April 18, 2023
  • HUDBAY’S NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO ALL OUR BACKYARDS  April 18, 2023
  • Guardians of The Santa Ritas April 18, 2023
  • Pima County Urges Arizona State Land Department To Deny Hudbay’s Request To Purchase 200 Acres For Tailings And Rubble  April 11, 2023
  • Federal Memo May Bolster Hudbay’s Position on Rosemont Mine Site March 16, 2023

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COPPER MINE TOXINS

In this video Dr. Hart describes how copper mines fail to prevent toxins concentrated in tailing piles and ponds from polluting our air and water. WATCH NOW video by John Grahame

Copper Mines and Aquifers

Dr. Stanley Hart describes the impact of copper mining on underground aquifers, both how much groundwater is used and where it ends up. WATCH NOW video by John Grahame

Why Mine the Santa Ritas? – Dr. Stanley Hart

Dr. Stanley R. Hart, Scientist Emeritus at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, talks with a group from Save the Scenic Santa Ritas about the factors that are causing HudBay Corporation to pursue development of a large open pit mine (“Copper World”) in the Santa Rita Mountains near Sahuarita in southern Arizona. WATCH NOW video by John Grahame

Geology of the Santa Ritas — Dr. Stanley Hart

Dr. Stanley R. Hart talks with a group from Save the Scenic Santa Ritas about the geology of this Sky Island mountain range near Sahuarita in southern Arizona. Dr. Hart is Scientist Emeritus at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. WATCH NOW video by John Grahame

Rosemont/ Copper World Mine Complex News

LENS ON THE LAND

1872 MINING LAW

SENATE BILL FAVORS HUDBAY

HUDBAY LEGACY

“DIRTY MINING TRUMPS ALL OTHER USES” ACT

See Our detailed letter to the Arizona State Land Department

More Posts from this Category

Update on Lake Mead and Lake Powell water levels

Watch the April video update about Lake Mead, new water restrictions in Las Vegas, and news from Lake Powell.
WATCH NOW

Copper World Flyover January 6, 2023 by David Steele

Another shocking sight of the incredible destruction happening on our beautiful Santa Ritas.WATCH VIDEO NOW

Russ McSpadden’s recent fly-over showing mine activity

In Nov 2022 Russ captured recent bulldozing in the Santa Rita Mountains. His video starts over the Rosemont mine project on the east side and then swings over the Copper World project on the west side. WATCH VIDEO NOW

Explore the proposed Rosemont and Copper World projects virtually

Check out Pima County’s updated map of the proposed mine site. Click on any spot on the map for ownership/status information. Mapping details are based on Hudbay’s PEA dated May 1.

Proposed Rosemont/ Copper World Mine Complex

Image compilation of the area

LENS ON THE LAND

Sign the Petition

Please ask Commissioner Arizona State Land Department Ms. Robyn Sahid to deny request by Rosemont Copper Company for the department to sell at auction two noncontiguous parcels of State Trust land totaling 200 acres.

SIGN HERE

Recommended Reading List

Browse HERE over 30 titles of carefully selected books in various categories including: copper, water, mining, wilderness, exploration, and more. Your purchase supports the efforts of the SSSR

January 2023 Powerpoint Presentation

Click here to download (PDF)

Litigation Update

There have been two recent judicial rulings on the Rosemont Copper Company projects — one favorable and one unfavorable.

Click here to learn more

The latest on Hudbay’s Copper World project in the Santa Rita Mountains

Click here to download (PDF)

Where is the Rosemont/Copper World Mine Complex?

Click here for directions

HELP US PROTECT THE SANTA RITAS

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