February Activist Brief

TO: John xxxxxx
FROM: Jordan Schreiber, Director of Advocacy
DATE: February 25, 2020
RE: Public lands policy recommendations to Congress
ACTION: Make a contribution today to help fight for these changes

This is to inform you of the actions being taken on your behalf by The Trust for Public Land’s Federal Affairs team in Washington, D.C.

BACKGROUND

Our parks and public lands are the heart and soul of many American communities. Our forests, mountains, deserts, and plains support millions of jobs and help keep our air and water clean and healthy. They’re where we go to spend time in nature — days, hours, or just a few minutes — to enrich our lives. It makes us feel rejuvenated. Healthier. Happier.

In spite of the growing importance of parks and public lands to families from all walks of life, these shared spaces are facing rising threats. Powerful politicians and special interests are working behind the scenes in statehouses and in the halls of Congress to convert public property to private profit, to drill and mine on irreplaceable landscapes, and to dismantle critical sources of conservation funding. If these efforts succeed, the damage will be irreversible.

The special interests behind these efforts are powerful, but we are not giving up without a fight. The Trust for Public Land staff are working hard on your behalf on the ground and in Washington, D.C. to mobilize support for critical bills and policies to advance the use of parks and public land for the benefit of all Americans. With Congress coming back from recess today, we need to stand up and demand that public lands should be at the top of their agenda. Join the fight and show Congress that you want to protect our nation’s special outdoor spaces today.

CONGRESS SHOULD IMMEDIATELY ACT ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

Stop drilling and mining in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase

The Antiquities Act was signed into law in 1906 — giving U.S. presidents the authority to protect lands of historical, scientific, and cultural significance so these special places would not be at risk of destruction or reckless development. Since then, the Act has been used by just about every president to create or expand our country’s national monuments — until President Trump cut two million acres of protected lands from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments on December 4, 2017.

Slashing two million acres from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante put tens of thousands of archeological sites, Native American sacred sites, and recreational lands at risk of irreversible damage and looting. And now, the Trump administration has finalized management plans that put these precious areas of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase on the auction block — ready to be sold to the highest bidder to be drilled and mined for short-term profits.

Drilling, mining, or selling off any portion of Bears Ears or Grand Staircase is absolutely unacceptable. The grand sandstone buttes of the Valley of the Gods could be irreversibly damaged, the ruins on Cedar Mesa pillaged beyond repair, and the 100 million-year-old Wahweap Hoodoos forever destroyed.

National monuments are drivers of local economies, preserve majestic landscapes, and tell stories of our shared history. We need to be sure that not a single acre is taken from the public. That’s why we are also working on all fronts to rally support for the Antiquities Act (S. 367 and H.R. 1050), and the Bears Ears Expansion and Respect for Sovereignty Act (H.R. 871). The former would protect national monuments designated or expanded since 1996, and ensure that presidents cannot revoke or cut-back these special places without congressional approval. The latter proposes to expand Bears Ears to 1.9 million acres — restoring and adding to protections for over 100,000 archeological and cultural sites that are currently at risk. These bills must be passed to save Bears Ears, Grand Staircase, and other national monuments. We need your help to make it happen.

Fight for America’s land and water

In 1964, Congress passed landmark legislation to protect our nation’s wildlands, water, and cultural heritage called the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act. The idea was simple: direct revenues from the depletion of one resource — offshore oil and gas drilling — to the protection of another resource — America’s land and water — to ensure access to recreation for all.

With this legislation in effect, Congress could use up to $900 million a year in revenue from oil and gas companies to create and safeguard parks, wildlife refuges, forests, and open space. Over the last 56 years, LWCF funds have been used to protect areas in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, including special places like the Appalachian Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park (pictured above), Sawtooth National Recreation Area, and the at-risk Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

Together with your advocacy and support last year, we scored a big legislative victory by winning permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund through the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act in Congress. Thanks to your help, we will never again need to fight for this essential conservation fund’s existence!

Despite this incredible victory, we are still fighting with everything we’ve got to ensure the LWCF receives full funding each year. For most years the program has been in existence, Congress and various administrations have diverted large portions of LWCF funds to other uses — placing public land protection projects across the country at their mercy. President Trump just released his 2021 budget to Congress, and it would virtually eliminate the LWCF.

Now is not the time to roll back funding for our public lands. We need to fight to ensure the LWCF receives the full $900 million each year. With your help, we are working to drum up media attention, visit Congressional staff in key states, and hold briefings with Congressional offices in Washington, D.C. We need your help to garner support so we can protect this essential conservation funding, and in turn, the future of our public lands.

Public lands, or private profit?

Since the average American spends more than 90% of their life indoors, our public lands and connection to nature are more important than ever. Yet, powerful politicians are working every day in statehouses and in the halls of Congress to convert public lands to private profit. Putting our public spaces in the hands of private companies goes against the very concept of public lands. In many cases, these special places are sold off or leased to companies that irreparably destroy archeological sites, recreational areas, and precious wildlife habitat.

We need to keep public lands in public hands. That’s why we are lobbying in Washington, D.C. to pass the America’s Public Land Act (S. 491). The Act will prevent the sale of public lands to private companies, unless authorized by Congress. With your help, we will be able to protect our lands from being sold off to the highest bidder and destroyed by reckless development.

Outdoors for All

Millions of Americans, including 28 million children, don’t have access to a green space close to home. Access to nature is essential: it not only improves public health and builds social capital, but also provides an opportunity to connect with nature — and each other. That’s why we are working across the country to connect more than three million people to 1,000 miles of local and national trails and greenways. We’re also leading the effort to urge Congress to pass two bills that will provide greater access to parks and nature: the Outdoors for All Act (H.R. 4512 and S. 1458), a bill that will lower the barrier to getting outside by providing grants for parks and recreation projects in underserved communities, and the Transit to Trails Act (H.R. 4273 and S. 2467), which provides grants for making public lands more accessible with public transit.

Nature’s landscapes inspire us, provide essential habitat for wildlife, and connect us to our shared history. For four decades we’ve worked tirelessly to protect many of our country’s most beloved and iconic trails, including magnificent landscapes along the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the North Country Trail. Just this past December in Utah, we were able to permanently protect the famous Zion Narrows Trail from closure and development — an incredible milestone that would not have been possible without your support!

Despite these efforts, some of our scenic trails still cross private land and could be blocked, gated, or closed off entirely to the public. To make sure that doesn’t happen, we are working hard in Washington, D.C. to pass the Complete America’s Great Trails Act (H.R. 1727). This bill would give tax credits to people who donate their land to help close gaps in National Scenic Trails.

Help us ensure access to nature for all Americans. Together, we can permanently safeguard National Scenic Trails, prevent irresponsible development, protect public access to pristine wilderness, provide recreational opportunities, and conserve habitats for threatened and endangered wildlife for generations to come.

Mitigate the worst effects of climate change

It is widely accepted that two degrees of global warming isn’t safe, but recent data from the UN shows we are on pace to surpass that number and warm as much as four degrees by the end of the century. Without urgent action from our nation’s leaders, we undoubtedly face a future of even more rising sea levels, habitat extinction, and extreme weather akin to the rampant wildfires in California and hurricanes like Florence and Michael.

That’s why we are working hard on your behalf in Washington, D.C. to develop effective climate policies which include natural climate solutions, and the protection of public lands and open space. Our goal is to safeguard people and communities from extreme heat, poor air and water quality, flooding, and sea level rise associated with climate change.

In the short term, we are working to pass three bills that will help us address climate policy. The first, the International Climate Accountability Act (H.R. 9 and S. 1743), will reverse President Trump’s decision in 2017 to pull the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. This will better position us to implement effective, on-the-ground solutions that could help us avoid some of the worst effects of climate change. Taking the next steps beyond Paris, we are supporting the 100% Clean Economy Act (H.R. 5221 and S.3269) and the Climate Stewardship Act (H.R. 4269 and S. 2452), which together will limit carbon pollution from federal public lands, and create and fund ambitious urban forestry programs to naturally offset carbon emissions.

John, we need your help to pass these essential bills to stop our planet from warming two degrees. But with some elected leaders working against climate action at every turn, passing this legislation won’t be simple. Join the fight today and show your legislators where you stand on climate.

Strengthen our fight

We are fighting tooth and nail to pass these bills, and to ensure the agenda to dismantle public lands is put to rest — but we need your help today. Please join the fight so that we can protect these special places and create open spaces close to home.