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More than 60 communities across the West have passed resolutions, sent letters to their federal delegation, or issued proclamations in response to the Trump administration and anti-public lands members of Congress' attacks on public lands.
Anna Peterson, executive director of The Mountain Pact, an organization that works with over 100 communities across the Western U.S., said, “Threats from the Trump administration and radical anti-public lands politicians are putting our shared outdoor heritage in danger of being exploited for short-term gain.” Peterson referenced an attempt led by Utah Senator Mike Lee to force the sale of more than 1 million acres of public lands to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy that was defeated after widespread public outcry.
“In response to the deeply alarming and profoundly disappointing proposals to sell off public lands, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors was proud to affirm our support for the public lands that serve as the bedrock of our communities, economy, and heritage,” said Coconino County, Arizona Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman.
“Communities across the West are standing up and taking official action to condemn these reckless and irresponsible attacks, and to push back against those who want to auction off these irreplaceable and sacred landscapes to the highest bidder,” Peterson said. More statements from communities across the West can be found on the Mountain Pact's website.
Podcast: How people across the West are fighting to protect public lands
This Saturday, September 27th is National Public Lands Day, and in honor of that, we’re bringing you a special behind the scenes podcast episode about our Keep Parks Public tour. This summer, the CWP team embarked on a 10-day journey that took us from Denver to Las Cruces, Tucson, Flagstaff, Moab, Salt Lake City, Grand Junction, and Jackson, Wyoming. The goal of the Keep Parks Public tour was to highlight the impacts President Trump’s staffing and funding cuts are having on public lands across the West by hearing from local political and business leaders, conservation advocates, former park rangers and superintendents, and public land lovers. In this episode, the CWP team shares what we learned on the tour, plays some of the best quotes from our live events, and reads a few of the 150+ comments people submitted through the Keep Parks Public website in answer to the question, “Why do public lands matter to you?”
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Public lands are what make Durango such an amazing place to live and raise a family, and recent attempts to sell off these treasures made affirming our commitment to protecting them a no-brainer.”
