WHITEFISH, MT -- A crowd rallied today to demonstrate support for parks, monuments and public lands. The rally comes as Interior Secretary Zinke returns to his hometown of Whitefish to speak at the Western Governors Association meeting and is connected to his ongoing review of national monuments across the country, including the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Already as part of the review Secretary Zinke has recommended eliminating portions of the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah and has signaled an intent to reduce protections elsewhere.
In response Bonne Rice, Greater Yellowstone representative with Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign issued the following statement.
“The message today from Montanans to Secretary Zinke was clear-- leave our public lands and monuments alone. We love our public lands and want to see them remain protected, not sold out to dirty fuel interests.
“It’s not surprising that recent polling found the majority of Montanans oppose rolling back protections for the Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument. For many of us here in the West, these wild places and the wildlife and recreation they support are an important reason why we live here. The Sierra Club will continue to work to ensure our public lands are protected for this and future generations.”
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