WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, activists will call on Interior Secretary Zinke to halt his national monuments review at multiple events country wide. Among other events, public lands supporters will restore trails in Giant Sequoia National Monument, hike in Seattle’s Discovery Park, attend a retail show with Patagonia in Denver and a day-long festival in Utah--all to call on Zinke to uphold park and public land protections. Zinke is reviewing the status of 27 national monuments, putting the outdoor economy, public health, wildlife, and historical and sacred places at risk.
In anticipation, Lena Moffitt, senior director for Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign issued the following statement:
“Once again, thousands of Americans will tell Sec. Zinke to keep public lands in public hands-- and to keep them open to the public, not closed for fossil fuel extraction. From the lowlands in Nevada to mountains in the Pacific Northwest, supporters are committed to showing the importance of preserving our nation’s national monuments and public lands.
“The American outdoor economy is booming; research consistently confirms the benefit of public lands on local economies and job creation nationally. As key recreation areas, we know these places provide transformative benefits for both physical and mental health.Stripping away protection for these places shows a clear favoritism for the small percentage of billionaires in the oil and gas industries.
“This administration’s efforts to remove critical land and wildlife protections is rooted in short term profit aspirations rather than Americans’ best interests. We will continue to work to protect public lands, the culture they capture, and the future they offer.”
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