Lawson LeGate
Congressman Rob Bishop, chair of the U.S. House Resources Committee, has introduced draft legislation that would weaken protection for wilderness areas and prioritize dirty fuels development in “energy zones” across Utah. Known as the Public Lands Initiative (PLI), the legislation is strongly opposed by Utah Tribes, conservation groups, and Utahns across the state.
After Rep. Bishop refused to hold a public hearing on the PLI along the Wasatch Front, where the majority of the states’ residents live, the people organized their own. An overflow crowd filled an auditorium in Salt Lake City to protest the terrible bill.
Speaker after speaker condemned the legislation. Among them was Mark Maryboy, a former San Juan (Utah) County Commissioner and member of the Navajo Nation, who called the bill “a disaster.” He noted that the delegation’s proposal fails to protect lands in southeastern Utah. A tribal coalition is calling on President Obama to designate the area, known as Bears Ears, as a national monument. The delegation, said Maryboy, “refused to work with us.” He received a standing ovation from the crowd of over 600 people.
Former Bureau of Land Management Utah State Director Juan Palma spoke on behalf of HECHO (Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting and the Outdoors). He noted the importance of public lands to Latinos. Spanish explorers blazed trails in the Southwest. “Many of our forebears are buried along these trails.” Latinos have a deep connection to the land and know it well, he added.
Former Utah Congresswoman Karen Shepherd also spoke out. Noting the huge number of attendees, she urged everyone to send an email to their congressional representatives, to ask ten other people to do the same, and then to write President Obama to encourage him to protect the Bears Ears as a national monument. “This land belongs to your children,” she said. “When wilderness is gone, it will not come back.”
Volunteers gathered written comments on the draft bill from hearing attendees to add to a stack of over 2,000 comments already printed and ready to be sent to Congress. Make your voice heard; urge President Obama to designate the Bears Ears National Monument!