A Letter to the Editor from the Denver Post by a former Broads' board member:
"On Monday, President Donald Trump chose, at the whim of out-of-step Utah politicians, to make a decision that will be remembered as historically unpopular among Utah residents. Arguing that Utahns supported his drastic reductions of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, he ignored the data indicating Utahns supported leaving both national monuments unchanged by a margin of two to one. Using the bogus argument that people in Utah know better than "distant bureaucrats" how to manage their spectacular public lands, Trump also demonstrated his ignorance of the original monument proclamation which granted a managerial role, based on their "tribal expertise" and "traditional history and knowledge," to the Bears Ears Commission composed of local Native Americans who fought for this monument. Bears Ears was to be the beginning of healing. But in this administration, “healing” is anathema. Now it's up to the courts to make this right."
Susan Jacobson, Denver
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More info:
Lies Told About Nat'l Monuments
Background on Trump's Boundaries at Bears Ears
Salt Lake Tribune article with maps of Shrinkage
Interactive Map showing boundary changes
"One person can make a difference, and everyone should try."
- John F. Kennedy
We're Fighting Mad and We're Taking it to the Courts!
Broads has filed two lawsuits in response to Trump's illegal action to reduce Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. We will use the clout of the law to strike down this abuse of power by a scofflaw administration with no regard for our wildlands, wildlife, clean air, and clean water.
These lawsuits are critical to protect the Antiquities Act and the power of the president to PERMANENTLY protect natural, cultural, and scientific features through national monuments.
From the New York Times: "If this unprecedented and unlawful action is allowed to stand, the 129 national monuments across the United States will be at risk."
And, the administration has already set its sights on reducing Gold Butte and Cascade-Siskiyou NMs--likely more are in the works.
If Trump and his cronies succeed, it will give him and future presidents free rein to slice out chunks of protected monuments for logging, mining, and oil and gas development--making monument designations to protect our natural and cultural resources completely meaningless.
What YOU Can Do
There is a lot of misinformation put forth by the administration on this. Here are KEY TALKING POINTS to set the record straight!
Letters to the Editor (LTEs)
Show your support by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper. Share the importance of the Antiquities Act, the value of public lands, and personal experiences that connect you to these treasured landscapes. Here are helpful tips for LTEs & Letters to CongressSpread the Word
Don't forget to talk with friends and family who may be confused by misinformation to help them see the whole picture.Stand strong and stay public!
Contact your senators and representatives. For those that called Trump out for his illegal actions, thank them for standing by public land protections. Conversely, express your displeasure to those who have remained silent. Tell them you are fired up and will hold them accountable.Join with your local Broadband to organize protests and publicly respond--or start a Broadband if there's not one in your area. (We'll help--contact us at [email protected])
Support Broads’ national efforts
We have and will continue to incur costs for our involvement and are in this fight for the long haul. Broads needs your help. Please contribute to support our efforts.
This is just the beginning. Be prepared to stay strong and stand with us against a steady stream of proclamations that could assault our national monuments in the coming weeks.
It is imperative we continue to voice our opposition to this scheme to hand over our protected public lands to those who seek to exploit them.
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Help us protect our wild places and our planet.
Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Visit us at greatoldbroads.org - Email Us or call 970-385-9577
