Zinke Visits Utah, Faces Strong Opposition to Public Lands Sell Out

Salt Lake City -- Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is scheduled to visit Salt Lake City tonight where he’ll be participating in Pioneer Day celebrations. His visit comes just a day after news broke that the Interior Department ignored the benefits of public lands in their review of national monuments-- a review that ultimately led to the illegal elimination of Bears Ears National Monument and significant reductions in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. In advance of Zinke’s visit, Utahns are taking to social media to oppose Zinke’s efforts to sell out public lands using #StandwithBearsEars, #SaveGrandStaircase and #zinkesoldout.

In anticipation Ashley Soitysiak, Director of Utah Sierra Club issued the following response.

“Secretary Zinke’s actions to sell out our public lands are so blatant they can no longer be papered over with pretty words.  Since his initial efforts to eliminate Bears Ears National Monument and reduce Grand Staircase-Escalante, Zinke has sold out millions of acres of public lands in our state, even those near places like Capitol Reef National Park, to the dirty fuel industry—and more are on the auction block. Continuing to ignore the historic, natural and economic significance of public lands is both dangerous and reckless.”