Mountain Juniper, Yosemite Wilderness, California                                                                   (Mike Painter)

May 28, 2015

Dear CalUWild friends & supporters-

Memorial Day, unofficially heralding the arrival of summer, is past. That means it’s the time when many people embark on their summer vacations, especially if they have children or are students.

We’re blessed with an abundance of public lands here in the U.S., which are a wonderful resource and our birthright. As we’re reminded with increasing frequency, though, there are many who want nothing more than to exploit these lands for their own gain. And they are finding increasingly strong support for the idea among politicians, too.

It’s up to us to ensure that public lands remain public, this summer and all summers into the future. The best way to do that is to go out, explore, and get to know places in the West and the rest of the country. Then when you’re back home-while the memory is still fresh-share your enthusiasm with your representatives by visiting, writing, or calling them. The best way to succeed is to make the political personal.

Thanks, as always, for your efforts and commitment!

Best wishes,
Mike

IN UTAH
1.   America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act
          Reintroduced in Congress
          (ACTION ITEM)
2.   ATV Riders in Recapture Canyon Protest Ride
          Found Guilty

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IN UTAH
1.   America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act
          Reintroduced in Congress
          (ACTION ITEM)

In the middle of the month, Rep. Alan Lowenthal of California (D-47) and Sen. Richard Durbin (D) of Illinois introduced America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, bill numbers H.R. 2430 and S.1375, respectively. There were 77 original cosponsors in the House, and 14 in the Senate, which is more than in the last Congress-and that’s good news!

House cosponsors from California in addition to Rep. Lowenthal are:

We’d still like to see the following California House members cosponsor H.R. 2430:

If your representative is on the first list, please contact them to say “thanks.” If on the second list, please asking them to become a cosponsor, which they can do by contacting Rep. Lowenthal’s office. A simple phone call will do, or send a note via an online comment form. Complete contact information may be found by following the links here.

In the Senate, Barbara Boxer (D) continued her longtime cosponsorship. Please let her know your appreciation, too.

A full list of cosponsors nationwide may be found here.

2.   ATV Riders in Recapture Canyon Protest Ride
          Found Guilty

A Federal District Court jury in Salt Lake City found San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman and another defendant guilty of conspiracy and driving motorized vehicles during a protest on closed BLM lands in Recapture Canyon near Blanding. Two other defendants were found not guilty, even though photos clearly showed them on vehicles in the closed part of the Canyon.

The BLM closed the canyon to motorized use in 2007 to protect 1,000-year-old-plus archaeological sites created by Ancestral Puebloans.

Mr. Lyman and his co-defendants argued that they had received permission to ride on the road from the San Juan County Water Conservancy water master (who actually opened the gate for them). The agency has a right of way to maintain a pipeline in Recapture Canyon. That defense was rejected by the jury.

Sentencing was scheduled for July 15, and the pair could serve up to a year in prison, be fined $100,000, and be forced to pay additional reimbursement to the BLM for damage caused during the ride.

The Salt Lake Tribune wrote an editorial critical of Mr. Lyman’s claim that the ride was an act of civil disobedience.

IN CALIFORNIA
3.   Rep. Lois Capps Reintroduces
          Central Coast Wilderness Bill
          (ACTION ITEM)

This week, Rep. Lois Capps (D-24) announced she was introducing the Central Coast Wild Heritage Act of 2015, with cosponsors Sam Farr (D-20) and Julia Brownley (D-26). The bill is identical to the one Rep. Capps introduced last year. We expect Sen. Barbara Boxer to introduce a companion bill in the Senate next week.

Los Padres Forest Watch provided this description of the bill last year, saying it would:

The California Wilderness Coalition has a webpage with more information, a map, and links to fact sheets for each wilderness area and wild & scenic river segment.

Please thank Rep. Capps for introducing the bill.

If you live in their districts, also thank Rep. Farr

and Rep. Brownley for cosponsoring it.

Finally, please thank Sen. Boxer for her upcoming Senate bill.

IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
4.   Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest

If a link is broken or otherwise inaccessible, please send me an email, and I’ll fix it or send you a PDF copy. As always, inclusion of an article here does not imply agreement with the author’s viewpoint.

From the New York Times

CalUWild friend John Hart wrote an essay in High Country News in support of a Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument designation

An op-ed in the UK’s Guardian, by CalUWild friend Cindy Shogan, executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League: Arctic drilling for ‘extreme oil’ is risky – and letting Shell do the work is reckless

In Western states, idea of reclaiming federal land still has a strong allure, an article in the Los Angeles Times

An article in the Washington Times looking at the increasing role that veterans are taking in campaigns to protect public lands

Video links

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