BREAKING: MILITARY EXPANSION INTO WILDLIFE REFUGE? Trump's Defense Department wants to end decades of protections for the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, the largest wildlife refuge in the Lower 48, established in the 1930s to protect desert bighorn sheep and hundreds of other species just outside of Las Vegas established, to expand Air Force bombing operations.
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Supporter,
As the largest wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states, the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR) protects 320 bird species, 35 reptile species (including the federally threatened Desert Tortoise), 4 amphibian species and 52 mammal species, including the Desert Bighorn Sheep.
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And we need your help, right now, to protect it from senseless destruction.
And the DNWR also protects rich cultural history—from petroglyphs and pictographs to rock shelters and agave roasting pits. The Refuge boasts historic 1800s wagon roads, hiking and backpacking trails, dunes and springs.
But Supporter, despite the DNWR's contributions to biological diversity, indigenous and emigrant history, and recreational tourism, Donald Trump and allies like Rep. Rob Bishop want to turn 1.2 million acres of the Refuge into an Air Force bombing range.
Their plans would compromise critical wildlife habitat, remove public recreational access and disrespect centuries of indigenous coexistence with this wholly inappropriate expansion. It's sickening.
We have one last chance to save the Refuge—and it's in the National Defense Authorization Act, scheduled to go into conference in Congress any day now. The House-passed version of the bill contains protections for the Refuge; the Senate's does not, and time is frankly running out.
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Please, rush your monthly membership gift right now to help us in all of our vital work to protect wild spaces—and ensure the final Defense package conserves this vital wildlife sanctuary for future generations and get a FREE gift.
Supporter, there's absolutely no reason to turn this huge swath of land—which is largely untouched by humans—over to the military. The Air Force already has a Testing and Training Range adjacent to the Refuge, and similar lands exist nearby. Destroying the last untrammeled public lands within the DNWR is short-sighted, reckless, and dangerous to the sheep and numerous other wildlife that depend on the Refuge for habitat, reproduction and general species health.
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Please, help us save the Desert National Wildlife Refuge from road construction, warfare simulation and massive losses to Nevada's economy with your monthly membership gift now and get a FREE Trail Cooler Tote.
Thank you in advance for helping us to protect the best remaining undisturbed example of a diverse Mojave desert/mountain ecosystem. These last, irreplaceable wild places can't save themselves—we need your help to win these all-important fights.
With gratitude for your fortitude on behalf of the planet we love,
Dan Ritzman
Director, Lands Water Wildlife Campaign
Our Wild America
P.S. Perhaps most unbelievable after this recent wildfire season, the Air Force's own environmental impact statement on their plan for the DNWR concedes that reduced public access to the refuge for the purpose of security could delay response times, resulting in even larger fires!
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Help us rally our allies in the Senate to oppose the Air Force's irresponsible plan with your monthly membership gift now and get a FREE gift.
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