Supporter,

We all need nature.

Whether it's hiking the craggy ridges and canyons of Shenandoah National Park… snorkeling the clear waters and colorful reefs of Key Biscayne National Park…or exploring a park or trail close to home, everyone benefits from a direct connection to our natural world. And we've got some great news: more and more people are using our public spaces, enjoying the healing power of the great outdoors.

The downside is that some national and state parks are becoming overcrowded, leading to temporary closures, increased competition for limited spaces, and fee hikes that make access to the outdoors challenging for those who can access these spaces. For individuals and communities who face lack of transportation to these spaces or other resources that would facilitate participation, having less options for access to public land makes their engagement even more difficult and unlikely.¹

The solution is clear: we need to protect more land for people to access and enjoy–but fossil fuel companies are standing in the way. Big Oil and Gas are exploiting rising energy prices to justify locking in fossil fuel leasing on public lands for decades to come–destroying natural places, preventing public access, and accelerating climate change to terrifying speeds.

The Sierra Club is working tirelessly through our 30X30 Campaign to conserve our last wild places and ensure everyone gets access to the outdoors–particularly communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities who have suffered inequitable access to nature. We're working with policymakers to eliminate unnecessary pipelines and rein in the oil and gas companies prioritizing profits over people. But we need your help.

Supporter, you can help protect and conserve parks and public lands for all to enjoy by making a gift right now. Your support will help us keep energy in the ground, stop the climate catastrophe AND protect public lands for all to enjoy. We'll even send you our exclusive organic cotton "Everybody Belongs Out Here" Tote FREE.

START PROTECTING PUBLIC LANDS + FREE GIFT

In 2021, full parking lots forced Arches to temporarily close 120 times. The wastewater system in Yellowstone was pushed to the brink. And the Grand Canyon saw a record number of rescues.²

Our work at the Sierra Club is grounded in the idea that access to nature is a human right. Getting outdoors benefits not only our mental and physical health, but the health of our entire society. Our monuments, national and state parks are a powerful legacy that empower millions of Americans to hike, fish, and explore our beautiful landscapes and waters each year. We need to expand and protect land from destructive practices that prevent more people from exploring and enjoying it.

Unfortunately, Big Oil and Gas are powerful too—and they'll continue to prioritize their profits and shareholders over people. With your urgent gift, the Sierra Club will hold the Biden administration to its promise to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030—while investing in renewable energy—so that more people can experience the transformative power of the outdoors.

Please, help us protect our public lands as “carbon sinks” and as protection from extreme weather, wildlife habitat, and crucial recreation and tourism sites for local communities. Make your urgent gift to start protecting today.

To encourage everyone to get outdoors, we need to ensure that there are abundant, diverse, culturally relevant and accessible outdoor spaces to meet the needs of diverse populations. This isn't possible when we eliminate and minimize the amount of public lands available.

That's why we need your help. In addition to helping us engage policymakers in protecting our public lands, your urgent gift will support initiatives expanding access to nature for youth, planting more trees in urban spaces, empowering veterans to protect and enjoy the land they defend, and more. Together, we will ensure a healthy planet and a direct connection to nature for all.

Gratefully,

Chris Hill
Senior Campaign Director, Our Wild America
Sierra Club

P.S. No question, the uptick in use of our state and federal parks is a great thing. The solution to overcrowding is NOT to curtail access—or hand more public lands over to the fossil fuel industry—but to conserve more land and make entry more equitable to all. Please, help us protect our wild places and make the outdoors more accessible to everyone who deserves the healing power of nature by making your urgent gift today. Don't forget you'll get our 100% Organic Cotton "Everybody Belongs Out Here" tote FREE.

¹ https://www.the-journal.com/articles/colorado-parks-are-full-and-getting-fuller-how-will-the-state-decide-who-gets-in-and-who-gets-hurt/
² https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jan/01/national-parks-us-tourism-crowds-busy
Photo by Angie Smith for The Luupe

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