John,
Today is the 26th annual National Public Lands Day.
This is a day for celebrating the connection between people and nature, environmental stewardship, and the conservation of public lands.
But, in an ever-changing news cycle, the threats to public lands and the decisions made on Capitol Hill can get lost in the noise. When we face a new emergency every day, we can easily lose sight of these threats. John, the reality is that our most precious public lands are in peril.
Two million acres of public land are no longer protected under National Monument status. Now, the Administration is rushing to open up what’s left of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments to mining and drilling.
We still don’t know what Congress will allocate to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, our country’s most successful conservation program, in 2020. By law, $900 million of non-taxpayer money can be allocated to the fund every year. And we need to keep the pressure on to make our elected representatives do the right thing.
6,000 acres of open space will be lost to development today. This is land you, me, and future generations will not be able to access unless we conserve every acre we can.
As a supporter of The Trust for Public Land, you’ve already done so much to advocate for the protection of public land.
On National Public Lands Day, I hope you’ll consider marking the occasion by making a tax-deductible gift to help protect our country’s open spaces and all our other important work.
We both want the same thing — for lands of natural, historical, and cultural significance to be protected and preserved for all Americans, now and in the future. Please take that extra step to help make it possible.
Sincerely,
Kim Elliot
Director of Membership
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