Arkansas is the Natural State, renowned for its nature and diverse ecosystem. Northern Arkansas has the ever-beautiful Boston Mountains; Central Arkansas has food and live music; and Southern Arkansas has outdoor recreation (i.e., hunting, fishing, canoeing).  I grew up in many places in Arkansas, but the woods of southern Arkansas will always be home.

The swampy pines mixed with hardwood are a staple and are at risk. With constant mining, fracking, and drilling for pollutive resources, the water has gone black. I have gotten sick from drinking the water, and with the announcement by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, this will no doubt be the final nail in the coffin.  The governor of Arkansas has sold the right to over 100,000 acres of land to ExxonMobil, which has a history of misinforming the public and leaving ecosystems in ruins. ExxonMobil is planning on using this land to drill for lithium, a prime ingredient in lithium-ion batteries.

The effects of lithium mining have been shown to pollute waterways, kill off native fish species, and have a serious toll on human health. Lithium mining leads to serious water loss due to mining practices, bio-diversity loss, and the creation of 'dead rivers' due to leakage from these mines.  If this mine is to continue, it will no doubt destroy my home and the fragile ecosystem that is Arkansas.

 I implore you to do research on this topic and to not let Sarah Huckabee put a price on the natural state.