September Activist Brief

TO: John xxxxxx
FROM: Jordan Schreiber, Director of Advocacy
DATE: September 7, 2019
RE: Public lands policy recommendations to Congress for September
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 in Washington, D.C.

BACKGROUND

From famous landmarks to hidden backcountry, our public lands are the pride of our nation. 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 find inspiration, adventure, and a place to reconnect with nature — and each other.

In spite of the growing importance of public lands to families from all walks of life, these shared spaces are facing an unprecedented threat. 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, and to dismantle critical sources of conservation funding. If these efforts succeed, the damage may be irreversible.

The special interests behind these efforts are powerful, but we are not giving up. The Trust for Public Land staff are working hard on your behalf on the ground and in Washington, D.C. to dismantle this anti-public lands agenda and to fight for the protection of our shared lands. And with Congress coming back from recess this week, we need to show them in full-force 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 and landscapes today.

CONGRESS SHOULD IMMEDIATELY ACT ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

Stop the attacks on National Monuments

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 in Utah 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. The administration has already put into motion land management plans for the areas formerly under National Monument status that will put these lands in the hands of private companies. Drilling or mining in any of these incredible places is absolutely unacceptable. Worse — the administration has indicated that changes to our National Monuments will not be limited to Utah’s iconic landscapes.

An anti-public lands bill, H.R. 1664, was introduced in the House of Representatives this year that would codify this outrageous attack on our National Monuments and gut the Antiquities Act forever — putting all National Monument landscapes at risk. We are fighting to ensure this bill does not pass the House — and so far, we’ve succeeded. But the opposition is strong — we need your strongest support in turn to ensure H.R. 1664 never reaches the President’s desk.

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 of 2019 (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 minimize long-term devastating consequences for Bears Ears and other National Monuments. We need your help to make it happen.

Protect America’s land and water

In 1964, Congress passed legislation to protect our nation’s natural lands, 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 Americans.

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, forests, wildlife refuges, and open space in every state in the nation. Over the last 55 years, LWCF funds have been used to protect areas in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, including special places like the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the MLK Jr. National Historic Site, and the at-risk Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

Despite this critical work, for most of the years LWCF 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. We are fighting on Capitol Hill with everything we’ve got, and we won’t rest until Congress funds the program at the full $900 million. We need your help to garner support so we can protect this essential conservation funding, and in turn, the future of our public lands.

Stop the sale of public lands

When 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 recreational areas, precious wildlife habitat, and archeological sites.

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 states or 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.

Preserve National Scenic Trails

Nature’s landscapes inspire us, provide essential habitat for wildlife, and connect us to our shared history. That’s why, with your help, we’ve worked tirelessly to protect areas of our country’s most beloved National Scenic Trails, including magnificent landscapes along the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the North Country Trail.

Despite these efforts, some of our scenic trails 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 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 our National Scenic Trails.

Help us permanently protect our National Scenic Trails so that we can prevent irresponsible development, protect public access to pristine wilderness, provide recreational opportunities, and conserve habitats for threatened and endangered wildlife for years to come.

Pass strong climate legislation

It is widely accepted that two degrees of global warming isn’t safe. We need immediate changes at the national and local level to address the climate crisis in transportation policy, water and urban planning, forest management, and even the way we grow our food so we can avoid the most damaging impacts of climate change.

That’s why we are working hard on your behalf in Washington, D.C. to pass two bills that will help us address climate policy in cities and across our country’s public lands. The first, the International Climate Accountability Act (S. 1743), will bypass President Trump’s decision in 2017 to pull the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. Staying in the Paris Climate Agreement will better position us to implement effective, on-the-ground solutions that could help us avoid some of the worst effects of climate change. We are also fighting to pass the Climate Stewardship Act, which will create and fund urban forestry programs to naturally offset carbon emissions.

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

Make public lands more accessible

Millions of Americans, including 28 million children, don’t have access to a green space close to home. That access is critical: 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 support the Outdoors for All Act, (H.R. 1334 and S. 3499), a bill that will lower the barrier to getting outside by providing grants for parks and recreation projects in underserved communities. We have also endorsed the Transit to Trails Act, which provides grants for making public lands more accessible with public transit.

Fight for charitable conservation

In 1976, Congress created a tax incentive to facilitate land conservation in the United States. The purpose of the incentive was so property owners could donate an easement on their land to a charity — permanently limiting development — in return for a charitable tax deduction. This provision has been extremely successful in safeguarding open space, wildlife, and historic sites for the benefit of the public for decades, but recently, a small group of bad players has been abusing the deduction for personal gain.

The abuse of this incentive hinders conservation efforts across the country, and it must be stopped. We support S. 170, the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act of 2019, which, if passed, will prevent these abuses of the charitable giving provision of the tax code. We need your help ensuring this reform takes place.

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. Please join the fight so that we can protect these special places that mean so much to all of us.