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Dana Plateau, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Inyo National Forest, California                                                       (Mike Painter)

 
October 4, 2021

Dear CalUWild friends —

There’s not much happening right now that requires detailed analysis or citizen input, so this month’s Update will cover recent developments mostly via links to articles in the press.

One useful new benefit from both the New York Times and the Washington Post is a limited number of monthly “Gift Articles” that subscribers can share. So to the extent possible we’ll be using those in the Update from now on, meaning that you won’t need subscriptions to read them. (This has been an inconvenience for some of our members.)

A question arose recently as to whether people should identify themselves as members of Californians for Western Wilderness when communicating with agencies and lawmakers. I think it’s preferable not to write as a member. CalUWild’s goal has always been to provide our members and the public with the information and the tools to be effective citizens (in the general, not legal, sense of the word). So just use your own name and words, and write from your own experience for maximum impact. CalUWild often submits its own letters, mentioning that we’re writing on behalf of our members, so decision makers are aware of our numbers.

September marked the 25th Anniversary of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, the first of the BLM-managed monuments, and designated by Pres. Clinton. CalUWild was founded the following year to support the development of the management plan for the monument. We will celebrate our 24th Anniversary next month.

Next month will also be the start of CalUWild’s Annual Membership Appeal. Dues have never been required to receive CalUWild’s Monthly Update, but we do rely on the support of our readers. If you’d like to help us save on printing and postage expenses for our mailing, you can send in a contribution ahead of time. More information is at the bottom of this Update.

 
Best wishes,
Mike

 
IN UTAH
1.   Red Rock Wilderness Act Cosponsorship
          (ACTION ITEM)
2.   No Decision Yet on Restoring the Shrunken
          Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments

IN CALIFORNIA
3.   Point Reyes National Seashore Releases Plan
          To Continue Ranching Operations
4.   California and Other Public Lands Bills Included
          In the National Defense Authorization Act
          (ACTION ITEM)
5.   Other California Items

IN WASHINGTON, DC
6.   Interior Department /National Parks Items

IN ALASKA
7.   Another Setback for the Pebble Mine

IN NEVADA
8.   Proposed Avi Kwa Ame National Monument

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

IN UTAH
1.   Red Rock Wilderness Act Cosponsorship
          (ACTION ITEM)

California Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-9) joined the ranks of cosponsors for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, H.R. 3780. Rep. McNerney is a long-time cosponsor of the bill and a strong supporter of America’s public lands. Please call his office to say thank you.

202-225-1947

DC contact information and cosponsorship status for California’s full congressional delegation can be found on CalUWild’s online California Congressional Information Sheet. If your representative is a cosponsor, please call their office and thank them. If not, call and ask them to sign on.

A full list of cosponsors nationwide may be found here.

 
2.   No Decision Yet on Restoring the Shrunken
          Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments

Despite Interior Secretary Haaland’s recommendation months ago that the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments be fully restored, Pres. Biden has yet to act on it. Native American tribes and others are growing impatient, and the Inter-Tribal Coalition sent a letter last month to the president asking him to act, as reported in this article in the Washington Post: Tribes want ‘immediate action’ to reverse Trump’s cut to Bears Ears National Monument (free access).

The Boulder Weekly published an interesting article: Re-indigenizing the story of Bears Ears.

 
IN CALIFORNIA
3.   Point Reyes National Seashore Releases Plan
          To Continue Ranching Operations

In an extremely disappointing decision, Point Reyes National Seashore approved it General Management Plan Amendment regarding ranching, making only minimal changes to the draft plan. Thus ranchers received pretty much everything they originally requested in their scoping letter. For more details and reaction, see this press release from Resource Renewal Institute. We had hoped that Interior Secretary Deb Haaland might change the Seashore’s ultimate direction, but she did not.

Ironically, the decision was signed 59 years to the day that Pres. John F. Kennedy signed the law establishing the Seashore “in order to preserve, for purposes of public recreation, benefit, and inspiration, a portion of the diminishing seashore of the United States that remains undeveloped”—not to preserve ranching.

It’s unlikely that the decision will remain unchallenged, and we will keep you informed as the situation unfolds.

Just before the decision was announced, a dump was discovered at one of the ranches, previously undetected by the Park Service, reported in the Point Reyes Light: Old dump site prompts park investigation.

 
4.   California and Other Public Lands Bills Included
          In the National Defense Authorization Act
          (ACTION ITEM)

The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including an amendment adding to it the bills we have been following in recent years:

— Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act (Huffman)
— Central Coast Heritage Protection Act (Carbajal)
— San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act (Chu)
— Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act (Schiff)
— Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (Kilmer)
— Colorado Wilderness Act (DeGette)
— Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act (Neguse)
— Grand Canyon Protection Act (Grijalva)

The NDAA is now in the Senate, where we hope for passage. Sens. Feinstein and Padilla are likely to support it, but it wouldn’t hurt to call their offices and let them know of your support.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein:   202-224-3841
Sen. Alex Padilla:   202-224-3553

 
5.   Other California Items

An article in High Country News: Confused about what’s happening on the Klamath? Here’s a rundown.and a related article in Yale Environment 360 by CalUWild friend Jacques Leslie: On the Klamath, Dam Removal May Come Too Late to Save the Salmon

An article in the North Coast Journal: State Commission Votes to ‘Restore the Name Sue-meg,’ Remove Patrick’s Point from Park’s Name

A press release from the California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife: Gray Wolf In Ventura County Possibly OR-93. We’ve been following the arrival of wolves in California for the last few years.

 
IN WASHINGTON, DC
6.    Interior Department /National Parks Items

In the Washington Post: Bureau of Land Management headquarters to return to D.C., reversing Trump decision (free access). and an article in High Country News: 9 numbers that explain the BLM’s headquarters boomerang back to D.C.

An article in the Washington Post: Senate confirms Tracy Stone-Manning as Bureau of Land Management director in party-line vote (free access). Ms. Stone-Manning’s nomination raised quite a bit of controversy. She is the first director confirmed in over five years.

An article in The Hill: Dept of Interior and Native American leaders will meet to return tribal lands

A photo spread in The Guardian, on the retirement of BLM photographer Bob Wick: Documenting American wilderness – in pictures

An op-ed in the New York Times: Why We Need More National Parks (free access), and a response in High Country News: More national parks won’t solve overcrowding

An article from The Guardian‘s “This Land Is Your Land” project: US national parks are overcrowded. Some think ‘selfie stations’ will help

 
IN ALASKA
7.   Another Setback for the Pebble Mine

An article in Crosscut: Inside the latest Indigenous push to stop a massive copper mine

 
IN NEVADA
8.   Proposed Avi Kwa Ame National Monument

From the Conservation Lands Foundation, an Avi Kwa Ame story map bringing together Indigenous leaders and voices to tell the cultural, spiritual, and historical stories of Avi Kwa Ame. There’s an online petition you can sign at the end.

 
 
 
 
 

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