Our Public Land

“A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” ― Aldo Leopold
Today, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced that out of 27 national monuments marked for review and possible elimination by Trump none would be closed. The national monuments marked for review included areas like Bears Ears in Utah, Giant Sequoias in California, and Katahdin Woods and Waters in Maine.
2.5 million comments by citizens sent a clear message that our public lands should remain public and protected, but Zinke ignored them, aligning himself with fossil fuel interests who backed the review. Though he announced no monuments would be eliminated today, he offered the recommendation that a number of monuments be reduced in size.
These national monuments collectively hold millions of acres of protected land, land noted for its beauty, for its tribal significance, and its wildlife diversity. To lose any part of these protected areas would mean losing a vital part of our nation and heritage, and only further harm the ecosystems that rely upon the land.
Zinke has made it clear that he is not here to protect the lands his department is employed to manage ― he is here to weaken our parks and serve fossil fuel interests. For the sake of protecting the national monuments that preserve the history and natural wonder of this country, please contact the White House or use the link to 314 Action (goo.gl/KLYAtq), to tell them our national monuments are for the public, and that we will not tolerate their destruction for the benefit of business.
