On April 27th, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO #13792) directing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review 27 National Monuments designated or expanded since January 1, 1996, to determine whether their boundaries are consistent with the intent of the Antiquities Act. This order identified Bears Ears as the first priority, and requires Secretary Zinke to submit a recommendation on the monument’s future by June 10th. Utah’s political leaders are pressuring President Trump to shrink or rescind Bears Ears National Monument. While no President has ever attempted to revoke a National Monument, it is unclear how the President will respond to Secretary Zinke’s recommendations.
This EO threatens some of our most precious landscapes, many of which help us define who we are as a nation. We will potentially see recommendations to rescind any of the 27 National Monuments, scale them back in size, or alter the Antiquities Act – the bedrock conservation tool from which these National Monuments were designated.
The Department of Interior (DOI) opened a 15-day public comment period during which individuals and organizations may weigh in on the future of Bears Ears National Monument. The commend period ends on May 26th. Now is the time for Secretary Zinke to hear why keeping this National Monument intact is so important to our community.
Follow these steps to make a comment:
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Click this link to access the DOI comment page: https://www.regulations.gov/
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Copy and paste the comment below. It is very important that you personalize your comment. If you don’t personalize it, your comment may not be counted. Please edit or add text based on your own experience.
RECOMMENDED COMMENT:
As an outdoor enthusiast who loves our public lands, I support the designation of Bears Ears National Monument and ask that it’s boundaries remain unchanged.
For more than 100 years, Presidents of both parties have used the Antiquities Act–a tool signed into law by Theodore Roosevelt–to enact far-sighted protections for our common American inheritance. Bears Ears is exactly the kind of place the Antiquities Act intended to protect. It is rich in cultural history which inspired a historic coalition of tribes to band together to push for its designation. In addition to protecting over 100,000 archaeological sites, the designation preserves world-class recreation opportunities in places like Cedar Mesa, Grand Gulch, and Indian Creek.
The process that led to the designation of Bears Ears National Monument was thorough and transparent. For more than 80 years, decision makers from all sides presented proposals seeking permanent protection of all or part of this incredible landscape. The boundaries were informed by both the multi-year Public Lands Initiative and by a proposal from the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. Those boundaries do not exceed the acreage necessary to preserve the rich cultural heritage, ecological values, and recreation assets.
Thank you for reviewing the decades of hard work and thoughtful consideration that culminated in the designation of Bears Ears National Monument. Please recommend that President Trump leave the current Bears Ears National Monument boundaries in place.
Want to do more?
Click this link to post this action alert to your Twitter feed: ACTION ALERT: We have 15 days to tell @SecretaryZinke to protect #BearsEars. Submit your comment today! https://ctt.ec/1L1Nn+
Share our Facebook post with your friends. Ask them to take action to protect Bears Ears National Monument too!
The formal public comment period to weigh in on Bears Ears National Monument is open until May 26, 2017. The formal public comment period to weigh in on the remaining 26 National Monuments included in the review process closes July 10, 2017. We will be circulating another action alert for these monuments after May 26.
Background
The Conservation Alliance was deeply involved in securing designation for Bears Ears National Monument. Through our funding program, we supported the grassroots organizations that led the effort to protect this special landscape. And through our advocacy efforts, we helped bring the outdoor industry’s own voice to bear on the effort. Last December we all celebrated a monumental victory when President Obama declared this landscape a National Monument, protecting 1.35 million acres of rich archeological history and world-class outdoor recreation. The designation preserved 100,000 archaeological sites, and some of our favorite places to play in Utah, including Cedar Mesa, Grand Gulch, and Indian Creek.
