Apparently, the Trump administration’s version of land stewardship includes opening up millions of acres of pristine public lands to oil and gas drilling and selling it off to the highest bidder.

Today, the administration announced its management plan for 1.9 million acres of land in and around Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The plan will allow for commercial mining, oil and gas drilling, and motorized vehicles on lands with sweeping desert vistas where you can still experience America’s wild heritage.

This announcement comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s disastrous Bears Ears management plan. Like most decisions made by this administration, the management plan will benefit the fossil fuel industry, the mining industry, and several other industries that are more focused on their own profits than on the public good.

The unique natural beauty of these incomparable landscapes has been a boon for the local economy and a treasure trove of new scientific insights—including important dinosaur discoveries—precisely because they have been protected for over twenty years—until now. And the cultural significance for the people who have called this land home for millennia is profound. The fact that this administration is willing to ignore all that and bow to industry is reprehensible.

In 2017, President Trump issued an executive order that shredded Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by half. With your support, Earthjustice and our partners immediately took him to court. Now, while our legal case is ongoing, the administration is moving forward with its reckless management plan.

The truth is, these new plans won’t be worth the paper they’re printed on if the court rules in our favor.

So, with your support, we’ll keep using the full force of the law to stop Trump’s disastrous plans.

Thank you for always being by our side.

Sincerely,