2024 July
July 18th, 2024
San Rafael Swell, Utah (Mike Painter)
July 13, 2024
Dear CalUWild Friends & Supporters—
I took last month off from writing, but there was still plenty going on with the various protection campaigns and coalitions that CalUWild is working with.
I hope everyone had a nice Fourth of July weekend and that you have been able to get away for a bit to enjoy some of our public lands—or if not, that you’ll be able to do so in the near future. There’s a lot going on right now in the country requiring the attention of engaged citizens, so if you start feeling overwhelmed with it all, that’s the perfect excuse to take a break.
There is not much to report regarding action in Congress, so the main focus for public lands continues to be on the Administration and the designation of national monuments. As we’ve mentioned in the past, there are quite a few proposals in the West—including California—and elsewhere. We’ll discuss three here in California, with reminders to sign online petitions for two more on California, as well as other monuments we’ve mentioned in the past. Next month we’ll include information on other proposals in the West and some historic sites in other parts of the country.
An extensive summer reading list “IN THE PRESS” can keep you busy, too. In the meantime, thank you for your support for wilderness and public lands.
And please, stay cool to the extent you can.
Best wishes,
Mike Painter, Coordinator
IN UTAH
1. San Rafael Swell
Draft Travel Management Plan
COMMENTS NEEDED
DEADLINE: July 22
(ACTION ITEM)
IN CALIFORNIA
2. National Monument Updates
a. Berryessa Snow Mountain
b. Chuckwalla Proposal
c. Amargosa Basin
d. Sáttítla/Medicine Lake Highlands & Kw’tsán Proposals
(ACTION ITEMS)
IN THE WEST
3. Other Monument Petitions
(ACTION ITEM)
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
4. Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest
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IN UTAH
1. San Rafael Swell
Draft Travel Management Plan
COMMENTS NEEDED
DEADLINE: July 22
(ACTION ITEM)
The San Rafael Swell in southeastern Utah is an amazing area of eroded canyons. The outer portions of it were designated as wilderness by the Emery County Public Land Management Act, part of the John Dingell public lands bill in 2019. That bill also established the San Rafael Swell National Recreation area in the interior of the Swell. For a map, click here. The Bureau of Land Management has prepared a Draft Travel Management Plan for the entire area, and it is open for public comment through July 22.
Now is the time to speak up for the benefits of quiet recreation, rather than increasing opportunities for motorized, off-highway uses. If you’ve ever been there, tell BLM about your experience on the landscape, especially if you were impacted by OHV use or damage.
The BLM has prepared a storymap with more information.
The information and talking points below come from our friends at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
The San Rafael Swell is a spectacular and beloved Utah landscape. It offers visitors a chance to experience colorful sunsets over towering rock spires and quiet nights underneath star-filled skies. Its winding canyons, redrock cliffs, and prominent buttes provide endless opportunities for hiking, camping, canyoneering, or simply spending time outside with family and friends. Even the names of its prominent landmarks—places like Little Grand Canyon, Temple Mountain, or Hidden Splendor—evoke the magic of this rugged landscape.
The BLM is currently accepting comments on a draft travel management plan and environmental assessment for the Swell, which analyzes the varying impacts of four different off-road vehicle travel networks. Only Alternative B complies with the BLM’s legal duties to minimize damage to natural and cultural resources and minimize conflicts between motorized and non-motorized visitors. Alternative B removes redundant routes; reduces routes that damage cultural sites, desert streams, or wildlife habitat; and minimizes the number of routes in wilderness-quality lands.
But the Bureau is under extraordinary pressure to expand damaging off-road vehicle routes across the Swell. Some proposals under consideration would significantly expand the number and mileage of ORV routes in the Swell, making it nearly impossible to escape the sight and sound of vehicles.
In your comments, please ask the BLM to:
• Remove redundant routes and eliminate routes that damage cultural sites, riparian areas, or wildlife habitat;
• Minimize user conflicts by offering an escape from motorized recreation for people seeking quiet recreation;
• Reduce route density, especially in the Price River, Reds Canyon, and San Rafael Knob areas.
Personalized comments are often the most effective. If you have spent time in the Swell, please highlight your experience and how you were impacted by off-road vehicle use or off-road vehicle damage.
If you would like assistance writing more specific comments, email nicole@suwa.org.
Comments may be submitted via BLM’s online comment webform (preferred)
or by email to blm_ut_pr_comments [at] blm [dot] gov
or by U.S. Mail to:
125 South 600 West
Price, UT 84501
IN CALIFORNIA
2. National Monument Updates
a. Berryessa Snow Mountain
(ACTION ITEM)
At the end of May, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation signed a co-stewardship agreement with the Bureau of Land Management regarding future management of recently-added Molok Luyuk / Condor Ridge to Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in northern California. The signing ceremony also served as a celebration of the addition of Molok Luyuk to the Monument. In addition to Tribal leaders, attending were BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning, Deputy Director Nada Culver, California Sen. Alex Padilla (D), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-5), California Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot, and many of the conservation groups that were part of the coalition that had campaigned for the addition.
You may read BLM’s press release on the agreement here and an article in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here (may be behind paywall).
The addition of Molok Luyuk, however, is just a start. The BLM and Forest Service are beginning the process of preparing a management plan for the monument, which is jointly administered by the two agencies and now the Tribes. Our coalition will be heavily involved, and we will keep you informed of opportunities for public participation. If you have ideas or suggestions, general or specific, that you think should be taken into consideration, please include them in an email to me.
b. Chuckwalla Proposal
(ACTION ITEM)
In mid-June, the Interior Department hosted a public meeting in Indio to take comments on the proposed establishment of Chuckwalla National Monument in the Mojave Desert. The public comments were reportedly overwhelmingly supportive of a designation. The meeting followed a visit in May by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who met with federal, Tribal, state, and local officials to discuss conservation and clean energy efforts in the area. These visits and meetings have always preceded designations, though there’s not a set timeline.
To learn more about the campaign visit www.protectchuckwalla.org, and if you haven’t already, please indicate support for the designation by signing the petition linked to on the page there.
c. Amargosa Basin
Though a public proposal has not been formally announced, the Friends of Amargosa Basin are developing a campaign to have a monument designated along the southeast edge of Death Valley National Park. They are hosting a “Summer Salon Series” with two Zoom webinars, this month and next:
August 20: Community Engagement in Monument Campaigns
You can register for one or both here.
We look forward to working with the Friends as the campaign progresses.
d. Sáttítla/Medicine Lake Highlands & Kw’tsán Proposals
(ACTION ITEMS)
You can read about each of these proposals on their websites, and if you haven’t already, please sign the petitions to the Administration requesting that they be designated, linked to from the pages.
IN THE WEST
3. Other Monument Petitions
(ACTION ITEM)
In our March Update<https://www.caluwild.org/archives/6048>, we provided brief descriptions of five other national monument proposals around the West, along with links to petitions of support. If you haven’t already, please visit the websites below. Follow the appropriate links to their petitions and sign them. They are vital indicators of public support, without which the Administration is unlikely to move forward.
Colorado — Dolores Canyons
Nevada — Bahsahwahbee
Nevada — East Las Vegas
Oregon — Owyhee Canyonlands
Thank you!
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. Gift links are temporary links from some websites, allowing non-subscribers to view articles for free for a limited time. As always, inclusion of an item in this section does not imply agreement with the viewpoint expressed.
In Utah
In California
An article in the New York Times: To Protect Giant Sequoias, They Lit a Fire (gift link for non-subscribers)
An article in the Washington Post: This tree has lived for 13,000 years. California’s housing crisis could doom it. (gift link for non-subscribers)
Every few weeks, Wade Crowfoot, California’s Secretary of Natural Resources, hosts a one-hour webinar on some environment-related topic, featuring speakers and a roundtable discussion. Click here for information on his Secretary Speaker Series, to view past episodes, or to sign up for notifications. They are always interesting. (The next one is Monday, July 15, on the Klamath Dam removals.)
In Alaska
In Nevada
An op-ed in the Nevada Independent: Urgent conservation needed for Nevada’s sagebrush biome
In New Mexico
In General
An op-ed in the New York Times: America’s Trails Are a Wonder, and They Need Our Help (gift link for non-subscribers)
An article in the New York Times: Foraging on Public Lands Is Becoming More Limited (gift link for non-subscribers)
An article in High Country News: As the Gila Wilderness turns 100, the Wilderness Act is still a living law
Headwaters Economics has published an atlas: Public land ownership in the United States
Support CalUWild!
Membership is free, but your support is both needed and appreciated.
Suggested levels:
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__ $120 Outstanding __ Other ________
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– PayPal: account address info [at] caluwild [dot] org
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(CalUWild is an unincorporated citizens group, not a business,
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Tags: Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, Molok Luyuk, national monuments, San Rafael Swell
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »
2024 March
April 3rd, 2024
Amargosa Basin Proposed National Monument, California (Mike Painter)
April 1, 2024
Dear CalUWild friends & Supporters—
It’s April Fool’s Day, so here’s the Update for March.
Spring is here, and with all the rain we’ve had, it looks like it should be a good year for wildflowers, even if not a “superbloom.” So it’s a good time for a visit to some of our public lands to see what might be there to see and do.
In last month’s Update we wrote about the five active national monument campaigns in California. We included links to websites that have petitions to the White House for each of them. If you haven’t signed all of them, please check them out. The Administration is looking for showings of support for all them, and the more likely a designation will occur quickly.
This month we continue with brief looks at five other proposals around the West, again with links to websites with more detailed information and petitions to sign.
A proposal for an Amargosa Basin National Monument in the Mojave Desert, between Death Valley and the Nevada state line, is in its preliminary stages. The Friends of the Amargosa Basin will be hosting a virtual listening session Thursday, April 4, 4-5:30 p.m. on Zoom to look at the proposal in some detail and answer questions. Please register here. More information about the proposal can be found on the Friends’ website.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear two cases challenging Pres. Obama’s expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon. There was concern about the cases, because Chief Justice Roberts had previously indicated an interest in possibly looking at the scope of the president’s authority under the Antiquities Act, and this might have given the Court the opportunity to do that. But Roberts himself was among those declining to hear the cases. E&E News published a detailed article about the cases, which you can read here.
There has been an abundance of reporting on public land issues in the last few weeks, so there are many articles linked to this month, There’s no need to read them all at once!
As always, thanks for your interest in protecting wilderness and other public lands!
Best wishes,
Mike Painter, Coordinator
IN UTAH
1. Red Rock Bill Cosponsor Update
(ACTION ITEM)
2. Bears Ears National Monument
Draft Management Plan Comment Period Open
IN THE WEST
3. Proposals for Five National Monuments
(ACTION ITEMS)
a. Arizona — Great Bend of the Gila
b. Colorado — Dolores Canyons
c. Nevada — Bahsahwahbee
d. Nevada — East Las Vegas
e. Oregon — Owyhee Canyonlands
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
4. Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest
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IN UTAH
1. Red Rocks Bill Cosponsor Update
(ACTION ITEM)
There are four new California cosponsors for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, H.R.3031, which would designate more than 8 million acres of BLM-managed lands across Utah. (If you’re not familiar with the proposal, click here for a fact sheet, including a map.)
The four are:
Eric Swalwell (D-14) 202-225-5065
Jimmy Panetta (D-19) 202-225-2861
Raul Ruiz (D-25) 202-225-5330
Tony Cárdenas (D-29) 202-225-6131
If one of them is your representative, please call the office with thanks.
They bring the California total to 21. CalUWild’s website contains a full listing of California Senate and House cosponsorships and Washington, DC office phone numbers. There are currently 92 cosponsors in the House and 22 in the Senate. For a full list of cosponsors nationwide, click here.
2. Bears Ears National Monument
Draft Management Plan Comment Period Open
The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service have just released the Draft Resource Management Plan for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. We’re waiting for detailed comment suggestions from the Inter-Tribal Coalition and our other partners, which we will share with you when they become available. (The comment deadline is June 11.) In the meantime, you can read or download these relevant documents:
Fact Sheet
Vol. 1 (12.1 MB)
Vol.2 (Appendices, etc.) (71 MB)
The BLM and USFS will be holding 2 virtual meetings where you can learn more about the plan on Tuesday, April 16, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. MDT. (Register to attend on Zoom) and Thursday, May 2, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. MDT. (Register to attend on Zoom)
The agencies will also host five public meetings in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Click here for locations, dates, and times, and for more information about the planning process.
If you want to get a head start on submitting comments, you may submit them through the “Participate Now” function on the BLM National NEPA Register or mail them to:
ATTN: Monument Planning
BLM Monticello Field Office
365 North Main
Monticello, UT 84535
CalUWild Advisory Board Member Stephen Trimble wrote an essay on Bears Ears for Writers on the Range: Culture Wars and an Embattled Utah Monument
IN THE WEST
3. Proposals for Five National Monuments
(ACTION ITEMS)
With no real movement in Congress on wilderness legislation (or anything else, for that matter) national monument designations are an important way of protecting areas of important historical, cultural, or scientific interest, including landscapes. The president, under the authority given to him by Congress through the Antiquities Act of 1906, may make designations on his own (though Congress can also create monuments legislatively).
So far, Pres. Biden has designated five new monuments and restored protections for three more. He has indicated that he will continue to designate monuments as time goes on. This month we are providing information (brief, because there are five) about proposals in other states, with links to detailed websites and petitions to the president to act. Please take a look at them, and sign all the petitions. (While you may get follow-up emails from the organizations, you can unsubscribe from them at any time if you like.)
a. Arizona — Great Bend of the Gila
West of Phoenix, Arizona the Gila River flows through the Sonoran Desert, an area of rich human history, including at least 13 Indigenous tribes and later Spanish and other settlers, biodiversity, and landscape. Although there are some designated Wilderness Areas, much of the river corridor and adjacent lands are not protect, though managed by the BLM. With the Phoenix metropolitan area continuing to grow rapidly, it is an important time to permanently protect the area.
As with many of the current monument proposals, the Great Bend of the Gila has a strong tribal co-management component. You can read more about the proposal here, and click here for an interactive storymap.
b. Colorado — Dolores Canyons
The Dolores River flows through western Colorado and into the Colorado River northeast of Moab, Utah. Its canyons are among the largest unprotected areas of public lands in Colorado. Sen. Michael Bennet (D) has introduced legislation to establish a national conservation area for part of the region, but areas not included in the bill are now being proposed for protection under the Antiquities Act.
The Dolores River and the canyons around it are prime recreation areas for rafting, hiking, mountain biking, or jeep exploring. The area is also the ancestral home of several Ute tribes who still live in the vicinity, and ancient habitation sites exist, as well. The river itself is home to native fish, some of which are “species of concern,” and other important animals like desert bighorn sheep live there, too.
More information on the campaign may be found here.
The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel published an op-ed by our friend Scott Braden at the Colorado Wildlands Project: Why now a Dolores Canyons National Monument?.
c. Nevada — Bahsahwahbee
Spring Valley is in eastern Nevada along U.S. Highway 50, west of Great Basin National Park. It is home to a rare grove of Rocky Mountain junipers, which normally grow at much higher elevations, but are able to grow here because of abundant water supplies, where they are known as swamp cedars.
The valley has been in the news in recent years because of a long-standing water grab proposed by Las Vegas, which was hoping to pump water out and pipe it south. The application was denied eventually.
Long before that, though the area was a sacred gathering place for the Shoshone and Goshute people. But it was also the site of several massacres during the 1800s. Though it hasn’t received much attention nationally, the Ely Shoshone, Duckwater Shoshone, and the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation have been calling for a national monument to be managed by the National Park Service. The coalition has a website with more information, including a film, map, and the petition. (The direct link to the petition is below.)
The Associated Press published a lengthy article, which also includes a short film, looking at the history and the proposal: Great Basin tribes want Bahsahwahbee massacre site in Nevada named national monument.
d. Nevada — East Las Vegas
The City of East Las Vegas is proposing a national monument on its eastern edge, between it and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Much of the area is already an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, but that does not confer permanent protection, and the community and its allies are hoping that a designation would bring increased management resources to the area. The proposal has the support of both houses of the Nevada Legislature and the Clark County Commission.
The area is geologically interesting, with one of the few places outside the Grand Canyon where the Great Unconformity is visible, at Frenchman Mountain. (Click here to read the Wikipedia article about it,) It is also the home to the endemic Las Vegas Bearpoppy, which Nevada lists as “critically endangered.” The Coalition has a website and a petition. (The direct link to the petition is below.)
The Nevada Independent just published an article with detailed descriptions of many of the important “objects of interest” the monument would protect: A national monument in east Las Vegas? Some Nevadans hope so.
e. Oregon — Owyhee Canyonlands
The Owyhee Canyonlands of southeast Oregon are one of the largest unprotected wild areas in the U.S. Lower 48. The area covers many millions of acres and is rich in geology, Indigenous history, wildlife, botany, and recreational opportunities.
Efforts to protect the area have been going on for years, and a bill by Oregon’s senators Ron Wyden (D) and Jeff Merkley (D) (S.1890) is stalled in Congress. A broad coalition of groups is asking Pres. Biden to designate a monument, based on their legislation.
More information about the proposal, including maps, can be found here on the Protect the Owyhee Canyonlands coalition’s website. The Oregon Natural Desert Association website also has information about the entire area, as well as the proposal.
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. Gift links are temporary links from some websites, allowing non-subscribers to view articles for free for a limited time. As always, inclusion of an item in this section does not imply agreement with the viewpoint expressed.
In California
An op-ed in the Sacramento Bee by Radley Davis of the Pit River Tribe: Biden should declare this sacred site in Northern California a national monument, urging the designation of Sáttítla National Monument, in northeastern California, which we wrote about in last month’s Update
An article in the Los Angeles Times: The Klamath River’s dams are being removed. Inside the effort to restore a scarred watershed (may be behind paywall)
An article in the San Francisco Chronicle: Two dams are coming down on California’s Eel River. Will it threaten water supplies? (gift link for non-subscribers)
An article from the Associated Press: California tribe that lost 90% of land during Gold Rush to get site to serve as gateway to redwoods
An article in the Los Angeles Times: How large fires are altering the face of California’s Mojave Desert (may be behind paywall)
An article in the Los Angeles Times: Yes, beavers can help stop wildfires. And more places in California are embracing them (may be behind paywall)
An article in the Los Angeles Times: Cost of Owens Valley storm damage continues to mount for Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (may be behind paywall)
An interactive article in the New York Times: Who Gets the Water in California? Whoever Gets There First.
(gift link for non-subscribers)
In Nevada
An article in Nevada Current: Wildlife managers report first possible wolf pack sighting in NV in over 100 years
In General
An article in National Parks Traveler: National Park Service Sued Over Cashless Policies
An article in the New York Times: The Planet Needs Solar Power. Can We Build It Without Harming Nature? (gift link for non-subscribers)
An article in the Washington Post: ‘On stolen land’: Tribes fight clean-energy projects backed by Biden (gift link for non-subscribers)
Support CalUWild!
Membership is free, but your support is both needed and appreciated.
Suggested levels:
__ $20 Limited __ $30 Regular __ $60 Supporting
__ $120 Outstanding __ Other ________
Dues are not tax-deductible as they may be used for lobbying activities and are payable in several ways:
– PayPal: account address info [at] caluwild [dot] org
– Zelle (interbank transfers): account address info [at] caluwild [dot] org, Michael Painter (account administrator)
(CalUWild is an unincorporated citizens group, not a business,
and is not selling any goods or services.)
– By check: payable to CalUWild
If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution, checks should be payable to:
Resource Renewal Institute, CalUWild’s fiscal sponsor
If paying by check, please include your address if it is not on the check, or print out and enclose a membership form. All checks should be mailed to:
CalUWild
P.O. Box 210474
San Francisco, CA 94121-0474
As always, if you ever have questions, suggestions, critiques, or wish to change your e-mail address or unsubscribe, all you have to do is send an email. For membership information, click here.
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Tags: America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, Bears Ears, national monuments
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »
2024 January – February
February 10th, 2024
Gray Pine cone and serpentine, Molok Luyuk NM expansion (Mike Painter)
February 8, 2024
Dear CalUWild Friends & Supporters—
I hope your new year is off to a good start.
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to CalUWild’s Annual Membership Appeal. Your generosity is much appreciated. And if you didn’t get around to making a contribution, it’s never too late—information is at the bottom of this (and every) Update. As always, contributions are voluntary, and we’re grateful for gifts of any size.
2024 looks to be a busy year ahead for public lands advocates as the Biden Administration wraps up its (first?) term. The fourth year tends to be one where many proclamations are made, though Pres. Biden has already designated several national monuments. All indications are that there will be more in the year ahead, but we do need to continue to show support for them.
With that in mind, this edition of the Monthly Update is a little different, focusing only on the current proposals in California (most of which we’ve covered before, but it’s worthwhile having all the information in one place). The Update is also coming out a little later than usual, because we wanted to include the announcement for the proposed Kw’tsán National Monument in Imperial County. We will have information on some monument proposals in other states in our next Update, too. So stay tuned!
2024 is also the 60th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act, so there will be special events around the country commemorating it. We will try to include information about them as the year goes on.
Thank you for your continued interest and support of our wild areas and other public lands.
Best wishes,
Mike Painter, Coordinator
IN CALIFORNIA
1. Proposals for Five National Monuments
(ACTION ITEM)
a. Kw’tsán
b. Chuckwalla
c. San Gabriel Mountains Expansion
d. Berryessa Snow Mountain / Molok Luyuk Expansion
e. Sáttítla-Medicine Lake Highlands
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
2. Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest
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IN CALIFORNIA
1. Proposals for Five National Monuments
(ACTION ITEM)
There are currently five active national monument campaigns underway in California—three to establish new monuments and two hoping to expand existing ones. One of the exciting aspects of these proposals is that all are being led by California Tribes or have significant Tribal involvement.
While legislation has been introduced in Congress for some of them, given the complete dysfunction of Congress, we are hoping for presidential proclamations for each. But the Administration needs to see a steady flow of public support, so the various campaigns are asking people to sign petitions on their websites. (There is a direct link to each Petition in every item below.) The signature counts from them are regularly submitted to the Interior Department and White House Council on Environmental Quality, along with letters from local public officials, newspaper articles and editorials, and other support materials. (Being part of broader campaigns, these petitions are different from many of the stand-alone online petitions people are often asked to sign, which we generally discourage, as they tend not to be very effective.)
Because the number of items, we’re only giving brief backgrounds on each. Please visit the websites linked in the subsections for more details on each.
The coordinated California campaign is also asking supporters to send one letter to Pres. Biden, first thanking him for the national monuments he’s already designated and then asking him to designate all five monuments, using his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906. Please mention all of the California proposed monuments by name in your letter, and if you have visited or have a special connection to any of them, mention that as well.
Submit your letter online to the White House at
and then COPY and PASTE the text and include your name, city, and state into an email, so we can include it in the formal Support Book being sent to the Interior Department and others in the Administration. Thanks!
The Los Angeles Times published an editorial: Biden should protect more of California’s mountains and deserts as national monuments. (does not seem to be behind a paywall)
Going from south to north in the state, the proposals are:
a. Kw’tsán
This is the most recently-announced campaign, with the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe calling on President Biden to protect more than 390,000 acres of the Tribe’s homelands located in Imperial County as the Kw’tsán National Monument. These lands, currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management, contain incredible cultural, ecological, recreational, scenic, and historic values that the Tribe is asking be preserved for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
You may read the tribe’s announcement here. The campaign website is https://www.protectkwtsan.org/, and a fact sheet is here.
b. Chuckwalla
Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-25) has introduced legislation to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument in the Coachella Valley and expand Joshua Tree National Park. The area stretches from the Salton Sea to the Colorado River, covering about 600,000 acres, and is an area rich in biodiversity, is a culturally significant Tribal landscape, and contains more recent historically significant sites. For more information, visit the homepage at https://protectchuckwalla.org/.
c. San Gabriel Mountains Expansion
The proposal would add 109,000 acres to the western edge of the existing San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, designated by Pres. Obama in 2014. The area of the proposed expansion is one of the most heavily-visited areas of the Angeles National Forest and is also the headwaters for the Los Angeles River, an important source of drinking water for LA. For more information, visit the homepage at https://sangabrielmountainsforever.org
d. Berryessa Snow Mountain / Molok Luyuk Expansion
The proposal would add the almost 14,000 acres of the currently-named Walker Ridge along the eastern edge of the existing monument and rename it Molok Luyuk, “Condor Ridge” in the Patwin language. The area is rich in Indigenous significance, both sacred and as a crossroads of trading routes for many California tribes. Its complex tectonic geology and accompanying serpentine soils make it home to many rare and specialized plants, with spectacular wildflower displays in the spring. It is also home to many wildlife species. Finally, the landscape itself is spectacular, with vistas stretching from Mt. Shasta in the north to Mt. Diablo and Mt. Tamalpais in the south, the Sierra Nevada to the east, and the Inner Coast Range to the west.
For more information, visit https://www.expandberryessa.org.
In the California Legislature, on January 18, Senator Bill Dodd (SD-3), Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire (AD-2), and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (AD-4) introduced Senate Joint Resolution 10 urging the White House to expand Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to include Molok Luyuk and to rename the new portion to reflect its cultural significance to the region’s Native American tribes. Sen. Dodd’s press release can be accessed here.
Supporting them are our Congressional champions, Sen. Alex Padilla (D) and Reps. John Garamendi (D-8) and Mike Thompson (D-4).
Please show your support for the Resolution by signing on to the support letter here by February 14th!!
e. Sáttítla-Medicine Lake Highlands
In the northeast corner of the state lies Sáttítla, known in English as the Medicine Lake Highlands. It’s an area of great cultural significance to the Pit River Tribe, who is spearheading the campaign for protection, but it is also important to other Tribes as well, including the Karuk, Modoc, Shasta, and the Wintu. The Highlands are in the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc national forests and have long been the subject of proposals for geothermal development. Establishment of a monument would protect it from these threats as well as allowing the various Tribes to continue their traditional cultural practices. For more information visit https://www.protectmedicinelakehighlands.org/.
The San Francisco Chronicle published an article on the Sáttítla-Medicine Lake National Monument proposal: California’s next national monument could be this remote volcanic landscape (gift link for non-subscribers)
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
2. 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. Gift links are temporary links from some websites, allowing non-subscribers to view articles for free for a limited time. As always, inclusion of an item in this section does not imply agreement with the viewpoint expressed.
In Utah
An article in the Los Angeles Times about a project of our friends at the Wildlands Conservancy: Native tribes are getting a slice of their land back — under the condition that they preserve it (does not seem to be behind a paywall)
An article by Terry Tempest Williams, also on CalUWild’s Advisory Board, in the Book Section of the New York Times: Read Your Way Through Utah (gift link for non-subscribers)
In California
A full layout in the Washington Post on the Klamath dam removal project: Nature, Undammed (gift link for non-subscribers)
In Nevada
In Idaho
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Tags: national monuments
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »
Monuments Review 2
January 8th, 2020
National Monuments Under Attack
The administration undertook an unprecedented review of the monuments designated in the last 20 years, and despite the fact that 99% of the public comments submitted supported keeping all the monuments intact, they have cut the Bears Ears National Monument by 85% and Grand Staircase-Escalante by 50%.
Native American tribes and conservation organizations have taken the administration to court, and we’ll keep you updated as the cases progress.
An attack on one monument is an attack on all!
THANK YOU for speaking up in any way you can: to your legislators, the press, your friends and family!
Tags: national monuments, National Monuments Review
Posted in Outdated | No Comments »
2018 October
October 31st, 2018
Grandstaff Canyon, Utah (Mike Painter)
October 31, 2018
Dear CalUWild friends—
Everyone is anticipating the midterm elections next week. Remember: Please vote, and if there are people you know who need reminding, be the person to remind them. Not voting is not a protest; it’s surrender …
For a fun video, go to Voter RX, the same people who brought us Nature RX back in 2015.
Last week the administration designated its first national monument, Camp Nelson, a Civil War-era site in Kentucky. It began as a Union Army supply depot but later became a recruitment center for African American soldiers and a place of refuge for escaped slaves. You may read the monument proclamation here. The irony is that the administration is, at the same time, diminishing protection for the Bears Ears, a landscape sacred to Native Americans.
As year-end approaches, we traditionally send out our membership appeal, and we’ll be doing that next month and in December. Dues have never been required to receive CalUWild’s Monthly Update, but we do rely on support from our members. 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, mailing it to:
CalUWild
P.O. Box 210474
San Francisco, CA 94121-0474
Dues payable to CalUWild are not tax-deductible, as they may be used for lobbying. If you’d like to make a tax-deductible contribution, please make your check payable to Resource Renewal Institute, CalUWild’s fiscal sponsor, and mail it to the address above. Please print out and enclose a membership form if your address is not on the check.
Your support is more critical than ever, but even more important is for people to take action to protect our wild places and public lands. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible.
Thanks in advance!
Best wishes,
Mike
IN UTAH
1. National Monument Comments Due
DEADLINES: November 15 & 30
(ACTION ITEM)
2. Emery County Bill Update
(ACTION ITEM)
IN CALIFORNIA
3. Wildland Volunteer Network: First Annual Meeting
Saturday, November 3
IN GENERAL
4. Great Old Broads Annual Auction
5. Job Listings
a. Western Environmental Law Center
b. Southwest Environmental Center
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
6. Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN UTAH
1. National Monument Comments Due
DEADLINES: November 15 & 30
(ACTION ITEM)
We are reaching the end of the comment periods for the shrunken Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. The deadline for Bears Ears is November 15, and for Grand Staircase-Escalante (GSENM), it’s November 30. Please submit your comments. They are especially pertinent if you have visited either area or hope to some day.
Item 1 in our August Update contains detailed talking points and the links and addresses for commenting on the plans. Please refer to it.
For GSENM, an additional, important issue has come to light recently—the Bureau of Land Management is proposing to re-open the Escalante River corridor to cattle grazing. There are two equally important reasons for opposing this proposal. The first is ecological: the corridor has undergone a tremendous amount of habitat restoration, removing non-native invasive plants such as Russian olive and tamarisk. Allowing renewed grazing would cause irreparable damage to the restored landscape. The second reason is both economic and equity-based: Years ago the Grand Canyon Trust purchased grazing permits from willing ranchers in order to remove cattle and retire the allotments permanently. BLM should not be allowed to circumvent those buyouts now.
If you’ve already submitted a comment, please submit a supplemental comment on this issue. It’s important.
The Utah national monument controversy continues to attract the attention of the press:
A feature story in National Geographic: Inside the New Battle for the American West (sign up for free access may be required)
The Salt Lake Tribune reports on one of the more bizarre comments ever made about public lands: ‘National monuments kill people’ — S. Utah commissioner’s comments draw criticism after park ranger shot a Navajo
An article in the Salt Lake Tribune: House Dems want to stop new management plans for Utah’s shrunken Bears Ears, Grand Staircase monuments, citing lawsuits
An op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune: While courts deliberate the future of national monuments, development must wait
An article in the Salt Lake Tribune: 115 arches were left out of the reduced Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments. A University of Utah team is creating a digital archive to ‘preserve’ them.
An article in a new (to us) publication, Roads and Kingdoms, about Mark Maryboy, a Navajo leader in the struggle to preserve Bears Ears and other ancestral lands: Meet the Man Fighting To Preserve Rural Utah Lands
An article in Pacific Standard: Inside Utah’s Anti-Public Lands Agenda
2. Emery County Bill Update
URGENT
(ACTION ITEM)
The Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources gave its approval to S. 2809, in its current House version. Unfortunately, the bill remains unacceptable. The only good news is that its supporters are now on notice that the bill is controversial.
For details on its provisions, please see Item 1 in last month’s Update.
Our best chance to stop it is in the Senate, so please call Sens. Feinstein & Harris. Not only should they oppose the bill itself, they should also oppose including it in any package of bills or attaching it to any other bill. Should that happen, they should then oppose the package, too. It’s that serious.
The main point to stress is that the bill is extremely one-sided, having not been negotiated in good faith with the conservation community. In fact conservationists were ignored at every turn.
Contact information for California’s senators:
Contact information for senators from other states may be found here.
Since there is the possibility that Sen. Hatch might try to include the Emery County bill in a larger package, it’s important that our friends in the House be aware of it and work to keep the bill out of any such package. So please also contact Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi with that message.
DC office: 202-225-4965
San Francisco office: 415-556-4862
Online here
IN CALIFORNIA
3. California Invasive Plant Council
Wildland Volunteer Network: First Annual Meeting
Saturday, November 3
From our friends at Cal-IPC:
Join fellow volunteer stewards on Saturday, November 3, beginning at 9 a.m., in beautiful Redwood Regional Park for the first Annual Meeting of the Wildland Volunteer Network. Part expert training, part planning session, part celebration – don’t miss this fun opportunity to strengthen volunteer weed management in the Bay Area and beyond! Featuring:
• Presentations from Bay Area Open Space Council, American River Parkway Foundation, EarthTeam, and East Bay Regional Parks
• Strategic planning for the WVN, with discussions on recruiting more volunteers and developing local weed lists
• Catered lunch with time to explore
The Wildland Volunteer Network helps strengthen volunteer connections in the Bay Area and beyond. Learn more about WVN.
IN GENERAL
4. Great Old Broads Annual Auction
Through November 11
From our friends at Great Old Broads for Wilderness:
Great Old Broads for Wilderness announces the 15th Annual Wild for Wilderness Online Auction, planned for October 28–November 11, 2018. You’ll find an ocean of auction pearls—from outdoor gear, vacation getaways and adventures to books, art, jewelry, and more.
As the organization’s largest fundraiser, proceeds support Broads’ work to train and inspire advocates (like us!) to protect wild lands and waters for future generations.
Start surfing now at auction.greatoldbroads.org.
5. Job Listings
a. Western Environmental Law Center
Our friends at the Western Environmental Law Center are looking for an Administrative & Technology Coordinator
The Western Environmental Law Center (WELC) is a nonprofit public interest environmental law firm with a 25-year legacy of success using the power of the law to safeguard the public lands, wildlife, and communities of the American West in the face of a changing climate. We seek a dynamic and energetic Administrative/Technology Coordinator to join our team. This position provides administrative, finance, and IT support to ensure the effective operation of all WELC offices. This full-time position will be located in Eugene, Oregon and will be filled as soon as possible.
Full listing here.
b. Southwest Environmental Center
Our friends at SWEC sent this out last week:
We are looking for a full-time Membership Coordinator/Office Manager. The role of this position is to grow our membership, serve as a liaison to our members, and manage the daily operations of our facility. Click here for more details.
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
6. 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 item in this section does not imply agreement with the viewpoint expressed.
The Department of the Interior & Secty. Zinke
A series of four articles in four days in the Washington Post:
1) HUD appointee abruptly moved to lead Interior Dept.’s watchdog unit amid Zinke probe
2) The following day, the Post reported: Trump administration does about-face on announcement that top HUD aide would lead Interior watchdog, (overwritten by the following)
3) The next day, that story was replaced with yet a third article in the Post: Interior Secretary Zinke’s approach to wife’s travels raised red flags, report finds. (The Inspector General’s report may be read here.)
4) Finally: Trump appointee tapped days ago to run Interior Department’s watchdog office resigns amid controversy
Then yesterday the Washington Post published this story: Zinke’s own agency watchdog just referred him to the Justice Department, followed by a story just this morning in The Hill, providing even more background: Interior watchdog referred Zinke probe to Justice days before move to replace agency IG.
An article in the Missoula Current: Montana group sues DOI for Zinke emails in search of unethical, illegal acts
An article in Outside describing the many instances that the Interior Department is trying to cut the public out of decision-making: Zinke and Trump Are Ignoring the Public
Public lands in general
Two pieces in The Hill on the Land & Water Conservation Fund—An op-ed: 9.52 million acres of public lands are entirely inaccessible to Americans and an article: Senate panel moves to renew expired park conservation fund
Good news, reported in The Guardian: Grand Canyon uranium mining ban upheld as supreme court declines to hear challenge
An article in Outside: Has Vandalism in Our National Monuments Gotten Worse?
An article in the New York Times: ‘Lifeboats’ Amid the World’s Wildfires. One important aspect of wilderness is that it also acts as a refuge in the wider landscape.
A New York Times article on aspens in Utah: Pando, the Most Massive Organism on Earth, Is Shrinking.
An article in the Casper, Wyoming Star Tribune: Federal judge rules against Wyoming’s ‘data trespass’ laws on First Amendment grounds
Outreach
We’re always looking for ways to reach new audiences for public lands protection, and sometimes they come to us. This month a camping enthusiast contacted CalUWild. She had recently written The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Camping and thought people might find it useful. It and other articles she’s written for the website Hobby Help provide good basic information on a variety of topics related to camping. Please share the page with people who might appreciate it! We’ll work with her to get more people involved in public lands protection. (Otherwise they may find themselves at some time in the future without many places to actually go camping.)
As always, if you ever have questions, suggestions, critiques, or wish to change your e-mail address or unsubscribe, all you have to do is send an email. For information on making a contribution to CalUWild, click here.
Please “Like” and “Follow” CalUWild on Facebook.
Tags: Emery County, Interior Secretary Zinke, national monuments, newsletter, october
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »
2018 April
May 3rd, 2018
Window, formerly in the Bears Ears National Monument, Cedar Mesa, Utah (Mike Painter)
May 3, 2018
Dear CalUWild friends –
This Update for April was delayed a few days because we thought that there might be news to share about new legislation for the San Rafael Swell in Utah. As it turns out, nothing happened, and Congress is on recess this week, but a bill could be introduced next week. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance says it could be very troublesome. See this message from its executive director, Scott Groene, for more details. We’ll let you know what happens in the May Update.
Another reason for the delay was that we had a grant proposal due May 1. CalUWild receives some funding from foundations, but the bulk of it comes from our members. This last year, many members contributed generously, and we appreciate their gifts. If you haven’t contributed, please consider doing so. And please respond as generously as you can. As always, dues are not mandatory, but are appreciated.
Dues payable to CalUWild are not tax-deductible, as they may be used for lobbying. If you’d like to make a tax-deductible contribution, please make your check payable to Resource Renewal Institute, our fiscal sponsor. Click here for suggested membership levels. Either way, the address is:
CalUWild
P.O. Box 210474
San Francisco, CA 94121-0474
Finally, if you’re going to be in Utah in May, you should stop by Kanab for the 12th Annual Amazing Earthfest, a celebration of Southern Utah through film, art, outdoor activities, and more. Click here for a complete schedule of events beginning May 13.
As always, thanks for your interest and support!
Mike
P.S. (ACTION ITEM) This just came in while proofreading, so I’m not incorporating it into the body of the Update.
Our friends at WildEarth Guardians just sent out an alert requesting letters opposing a BLM lease sale that includes lands within 1 mile of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. Please read the alert and follow the link to send a letter. Please personalize the sample they provide, and if you’ve been to Carlsbad Caverns (or hope to get there someday) make sure to mention that. Apparently there was a 10-day comment period on the proposal, which is obscenely short, so include an objection to that, too. Thanks!
IN UTAH
1. National Monuments Update
(ACTION ITEM)
IN CALIFORNIA
2. Visions of the Wild Festival Preview II
Double Bill with Tim Palmer and
A River’s Last Chance, a film about the Eel River
Thursday, May 10, 7 pm
Downtown Vallejo
IN COLORADO
3. Wilderness Bill Introduced for San Juan Mountains
IN GENERAL
4. Park Service Drops Huge Fee Increase Proposal
5. Job Opening: Western Environmental Law Center
IN THE PRESS
6. Articles and Other Items of Interest
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN UTAH
1. National Monuments Update
(ACTION ITEM)
The scoping comment periods have closed now for the new and shrunken Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante (GSENM) national monuments. We expect draft plans to be released late in the Fall, when comments periods will again be available. In the meantime, we’ll be watching for increased oil & gas leasing or other threats in the monuments. There has been little movement on the litigation. We’re still waiting for the federal judge to rule on a change of venue from Washington, DC to Utah. Just yesterday, San Juan County, where the Bears Ear is located, and Kane and Garfield counties, home to GSENM, made motions to intervene in the respective cases as defendants, claiming that their economic interests would be hurt if the monument revisions were overturned.
There was good news when Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) and 15 of his colleagues sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke urging him to stop work on the draft management plans for the monuments until the legal challenges to their modification are resolved. Additionally, the letter challenged BLM’s plans to not consider any of the comments received as part of last Summer’s review process.
You can read the letter here.
Both of California’s senators signed onto it. Please contact them to say thank you!
Sen. Dianne Feinstein: 202-224-3841
Online here
Sen. Kamala Harris: 202-224-3553
Online here
An while you’re at it, ask Sen. Harris to cosponsor America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, S.948, the comprehensive statewide Utah wilderness bill.
The press has kept on the issue. Here is a sample:
An article in the Salt Lake Tribune: In Utah canyons where an ancient civilization once flourished, the feds are now inviting oil and gas drilling
Outside magazine published a very interesting article looking at the Bears Ears litigation from the tribal perspective: The Tribes v. Donald Trump
And an article appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune looked at voting in San Juan County, where a court recently re-drew county district boundaries to remove gerrymandering. Southern Utah county’s targeting of Navajo candidate revives shades of Jim Crow
Throughout the month of May, the monumentsforall.org website is asking monument supporters to upload photos from places protected by the Antiquities Act. These photos will be compiled and delivered to key members of Congress to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the Antiquities Act on June 8.
Also during May, please contact your congressional representative and senators to tell them of your support for national monuments and remind them: “An attack on one monument is an attack on all.”
IN CALIFORNIA
2. Visions of the Wild Festival Preview II
Double Bill with Tim Palmer and
A River’s Last Chance, a film about the Eel River
Thursday, May 10, 7 pm
Downtown Vallejo
2018 is the 50th Anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act and National Trails Act. For the fifth year in a row, CalUWild is working with the U.S. Forest Service and the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation to plan Visions of the Wild, a festival with films, art exhibitions, field trips, and other events. While most events are taking place in September, a few “preview” events are planned. The next one will be Thursday, May 10, with a double bill featuring:
• A talk and film by Tim Palmer, a renowned river advocate, author and photographer. He will speak about America’s Wild & Scenic Rivers.
• A screening of A River’s Last Chance, a new film about the Eel River in northern California.
Tim Palmer is the award-winning author of 26 books on rivers, conservation, and the environment. He is also an accomplished photographer with one of the most complete collection of photos of rivers in the United States. For over 40 years, Tim’s writing and photography work have braided together his love of rivers and nature with his drive for creative expression and his deep commitment to conservation. A primary focus of Tim’s work is public speaking. He has been featured at hundreds of national, statewide, and provincial conferences, conservation gatherings, and at colleges and universities nationwide. An inveterate river-lover, Tim has canoed or rafted on more than 300 rivers in the United States and western Canada. He lived for 22 years as a nomad in his van, traveling throughout the country to do research, writing, and photography for his book projects.
Plus there will be a screening of the short film PROTECTED: A Wild & Scenic River Portrait.
Follow river paddler, author, and conservationist, Tim Palmer, through the enchanting waters of Oregon’s Wild Rivers Coast, which has the highest concentration of National Wild & Scenic Rivers in the US. With just a canoe, a camera, and an old van, Tim finds his bliss and his calling on these rivers, and has found a way to share their beauty… while reminding us all about the significance of national Wild & Scenic Rivers program that protects beautiful rivers all across the country. Produced in Partnership with the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
This will be followed by A River’s Last Chance (67 minutes).
The Eel River in Northern California is arguably the best opportunity for wild salmon recovery on the entire west coast. The river and salmon have weathered decades of over-fishing, abusive logging, catastrophic floods, droughts and a dam that diverts water and blocks fish passage. Today, the Eel’s recovering wild salmon compete for water with the region’s lucrative wine and underground cannabis economies. This film shows we can live symbiotically with our watersheds and encourage both a river’s recovery and economic future.
The program takes place
Thursday, May 10
7 pm
Empress Theatre
330 Virginia St.
Vallejo, CA 94590
Tickets are $10. Advance tickets online here.
The California Wilderness Coalition will also be showing A River’s Last Chance
Monday, May 7th
6:30 pm-8:30 pm
GU Energy Labs Headquarters
1609 – 4th St.
Berkeley, CA 94710
Tickets are $20. Find out more and RSVP here.
Finally, it’s being shown at the DocLands Documentary Film Festival
Friday, May 4
9:00 pm
Christopher B. Smith Film Center
1118 – 4th St.
San Rafael, CA 94901
Tickets are $15. Buy them online here.
IN COLORADO
3. Wilderness Bill Introduced for San Juan Mountains
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) has reintroduced the San Juan Wilderness Act, a bill to protect lands in the San Juan National Forest in southern Colorado. If passed, it would designate 61,000 acres in the San Juan Mountains as wilderness, including Mt. Sneffels and Wilson Peak. Ten other wilderness or other special management areas would be expanded or designated, as well.
Although Sen. Bennet consulted closely with the local count commissioners to draft the bill, the local congressman, Scott Tipton (R), says that there isn’t widespread consensus in support of the proposal, but Mr. Tipton is not generally known as a strong supporter of public lands. The Colorado Snowmobile Association is concerned it will close trails and cut off access to others.
We’ll see how the bill progresses and keep you posted.
IN GENERAL
4. Park Service Drops Huge Fee Increase Proposal
In our October Update we wrote about Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s proposal to drastically increase entrance fees at 17 of the most popular national parks during their 5 months of highest visitation. During the 30-day comment period, more than 100,000 comments were submitted, with 98% of them opposed to raising fees.
In April, Secty. Zinke announced that he had heard what the people said and so has decided not to proceed. (Why he didn’t hear what the people said when they spoke out overwhelmingly in support of preserving national monuments is a good question, though.) Instead, fees will be going up, sometimes by as much as $5, at parks that charge entrance fees, beginning in June.
According to our friends at the Western Slope No Fee Coalition, though, the battle against higher fees isn’t over yet:
The NPS is considering a long list of other fee-increase possibilities that have been proposed in the past by the National Park Hospitality Association, which represents the private concessionaires doing business in the Parks, including:
• Per-person entrance fees instead of per-carload
• Charging daily fees, vs. the current weekly price
• Lowering the age for free entrance from 16 to 12
• Charging a fee for disabled visitors (including disabled veterans), who currently are entitled to free entry
• Charging foreign visitors premium fees
• Variable pricing – lower on advanced purchase, higher on same-day entry
We keep following the issue as it moves forward.
5. Job Opening: Western Environmental Law Center
The following comes from our friends at the Western Environmental Law Center in Eugene, Oregon.
Career Opportunity: Shared Earth Wildlife Attorney
The Western Environmental Law Center (WELC) is a nonprofit public interest environmental law firm with a 25-year legacy of success using the power of the law to safeguard the public lands, wildlife, and communities of the American West in the face of a changing climate. We seek an attorney with 0-4 years of experience to join our team on a full-time basis beginning September 2018 for a two-year period with the prospect of an extension or permanent position contingent on funding and performance. Our preference is to locate this position in Eugene, Oregon but we will also entertain applicants interested in either our Taos, NM, Seattle, WA, or Helena, MT office locations. The position will defend and advocate for federal wildlife and public lands conservation protections across the Western U.S.
Requirements and qualifications for the position include:
• Familiarity with Western U.S. federal wildlife conservation and public lands law and issues.
• Willingness to use a complete set of legal advocacy tools including collaboration, administrative engagement, policy development, negotiations, and litigation.
• Some measure of litigation, administrative advocacy, or strategic/policy campaign experience, e.g., through attorney, clerkship/internship, or advocacy positions.
• Admission to and good standing with a state bar as of the position’s start date or soon thereafter.
• A biology or science background is a plus.
• Creative, strong-willed capacity to achieve objectives in the face of adversity.
• Exceptional research, writing, and oral advocacy skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills to foster relationships with our clients, partners, funders, and allies.
• Demonstrated commitment to the public interest; to equity, inclusion, and justice; and to WELC’s mission and strategies.
• A positive, friendly, and enthusiastic attitude towards making the world a better place.
• A love and respect for the wildlife and public lands of the Western U.S.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning May 14, 2018 until the position is filled. To apply, please email the following as PDF attachments to jobs@westernlaw.org.
(1) cover letter addressed to Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, Executive Director;
(2) resume;
(3) minimum of three references; and
(4) writing sample involving, ideally, federal wildlife conservation or public lands law and policy.
No phone calls or in-person visits please.
Western Environmental Law Center is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and our programs and employment are open to all. We offer a friendly, team-based environment, highly competitive salaries, and an excellent benefits package.
IN THE PRESS
6. 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 item in this section does not imply agreement with the viewpoint expressed.
Out West
An article in the Salt Lake Tribune, Proposed highway sparks concern over threatened tortoise
regarding a road through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in St. George, Utah.
An article in the New York Times travel section: At Basin and Range National Monument, Landscapes, Art and Aliens
Congress & the Administration
An op-ed in The Hill by our friend José Gonzalez at Latino Outdoors: Diversity is essential when it comes to stewarding public lands
An article in The New Yorker: The Interior Secretary, one of President Trump’s most loyal allies, sees public lands as the key to an “energy dominant” future. So why isn’t the petroleum industry more interested in buying them up? Ryan Zinke’s Great American Fire-Sale
An article in the New York Times, Ryan Zinke Is Opening Up Public Lands. Just Not at Home. , wondering why Montana seems to be spared.
The Washington Post has an article, Interior agency blocks group of archaeologists from attending scientific conference about the BLM not allowing many of its employees to attend the annual Society for American Archaeology meeting.
An op-ed in the New York Times: Stop the G.O.P.’s Conservation Demolition Crew
An article in The Guardian: Democratic senators scrutinize Koch brothers’ ‘infiltration’ of Trump team
An article in the Sacramento Bee: Trump administration sues California again, this time over rights to sell public land
The Outdoor Industry
The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has released Outdoor Recreation Economy reports for each of the 435 congressional districts. It’s useful information to have to access to when needing to use economics as a reason to protect public lands.
An article in The Guardian: ‘We have to organize like the NRA’: outdoor industry takes on Trump
As always, if you ever have questions, suggestions, critiques, or wish to change your e-mail address or unsubscribe, all you have to do is send an email. For information on making a contribution to CalUWild, click here.
Please “Like” and “Follow” CalUWild on Facebook.
Tags: April newsletter, national monuments, national parks fees
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »
2018 March
April 3rd, 2018
Looking over Cedar Mesa, “Former” Bears Ears National Monument, Utah (Mike Painter)
March 30, 2018
Dear CalUWild friends—
With Congress’s focus on the spending bill, there’s not much to report from Capitol Hill this month. Likewise, the administration has not made any further announcements on the fate of other national monuments. So this month’s Update is relatively short (especially if you’ve already submitted comments on the management plans for the shrunken monuments in Utah—see ITEM 1).
This was a very busy month for the press, however, examining Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on many different issues. It seemed that every day some new controversy reared it head. Thus there is quite a large collection of news articles in ITEM 3, IN THE PRESS. It is encouraging to see the press covering these issues in detail, though the sheer number of different problems they report is discouraging. Please read the articles to bring yourself up to date on those topics. When you’re done reading, share your thoughts with your elected officials in Washington and with the editors of your newspapers!
National Parks Week is April 21-29. This year, there is free admission to all Park Service fee sites on April 21. (Secretary Zinke blames too many fee-free days for some of the budget woes of the Park Service, but enjoy it if you can.)
As always, your enthusiasm and efforts to protect our wilderness and public lands are much appreciated!
Best wishes,
Mike
IN UTAH
1. National Monuments Planning Update
Comments Needed
DEADLINES: April 11 for Bears Ears
April 13 for Grand Staircase-Escalante NM
(ACTION ITEM)
IN CALIFORNIA
2. Early Kickoff for the Fifth Annual
Visions of the Wild Festival
Downtown Vallejo: April 12
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
3. Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest
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IN UTAH
1. National Monuments Planning Update
Comments Needed
DEADLINES: April 11 for Bears Ears
April 13 for Grand Staircase-Escalante NM
(ACTION ITEM)
As we mentioned in our last two Updates (January and February), the BLM is currently undertaking planning processes for the replacements for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah.
BLM held four public meetings this week in Southern Utah and the deadlines for comments were extended 15 days beyond the last meetings for each. If you haven’t submitted comments yet, please do so. Detailed talking points are below. They are verbatim what we included last month.
(If you have submitted comments, you may skip to the press articles on the Utah monuments at the end of this section.)
According to High Country News, the BLM offices have been instructed to ignore comments demanding that they put off planning until litigation is finished. You should include that point, regardless. It lets BLM know that people are paying attention, and it gets the illegality and waste of planning resources into the public record, which may be useful publicity in the likely case that the administration loses in court.
Please use your own words, and if you have been to any of the areas under discussion, please say so and explain why they are important to you.
For both Bear Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments
— The proclamations issued to shrink the original monuments are illegal. The president has no authority under law to reduce monuments once they have been designated. Only Congress has that authority. Most legal commentators agree with that position.
— These rollbacks have been challenged in federal court. It is not appropriate to be undertaking large-scale planning because of this ongoing litigation. Should the plaintiffs win their cases, there will be a large waste of time and money. In times of reduced budgets, that is doubly inexcusable.
— Citizens do not support these rollbacks. See the overwhelming support for all our monuments shown by the 2.7 million comments submitted during last summer’s review. 97% recommended that all monuments remain intact.
Bears Ears National Monument — April 11
— Any interim actions planned within the original and legitimate Bears Ears National Monument boundary should only be done for the purpose of protecting Monument resources as set out in President Obama’s proclamation, Proclamation 9558 (December 28, 2016). This includes vegetation removal projects for supposed grazing range enhancements.
— In developing a management plan for the Shash Jáa and Indian Creek management units—and in order to ensure protection of cultural and natural resources—BLM must consider alternatives that permanently close Arch Canyon, Lavender Canyon, and Davis Canyon to motorized vehicle use.
— In order to ensure adequate public review and comment, the public comment period should be extended to 90 days after the last BLM or Forest Service public hearing.
— In addition to Bears Ears National Monument gateway communities, public hearings should also be held in Salt Lake City, Utah; Flagstaff, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Denver, Colorado; and Washington, D.C.
The planning homepage is here and the direct link to the online comment form is here.
By Email: blm_ut_monticello_monuments [at] blm [dot] gov
Comments may also be submitted by U.S. Mail to:
Attn: Field Office Manager
Monticello Field Office
Bureau of Land Management
P.O. Box 7
Monticello, UT 84535
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument — April 13
— Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was designated in 1996, with its primary purpose to protect the incredible scientific, ecological, and paleontological resources within its 1.9 million acres. Any interim actions within the original and legitimate Monument boundary should only be done for the purpose of protecting Monument resources as set out in the original proclamation.
— BLM’s 1999 Monument management plan was the result of a deliberate and collaborative process that involved scientific scrutiny and intense public participation. Any interim actions within the original and legitimate Monument boundary must comply with the 1999 management plan.
— All motorized travel routes within the original Monument boundary that were closed or limited under the 1999 Monument management must continue to be managed pursuant to the management plan. For example, the Paria River—a fragile riparian corridor within a Wilderness Study Area that was purposely excluded from President Trump’s monument boundaries in order to facilitate ATV use—must remain closed to all motorized vehicles.
— Contrary to what some have said, the designation of GSENM has been important for local communities, which have grown economically more than other rural counties in this region. The monument as is, is a critical factor in the local community. There are proposals to allow coal mining in original GSENM. However, coal is dead in this region, as demonstrated by the upcoming closing of the nearest coal-fired power plant and the fact that other states, such as California, are not interested in providing a market for it, or even providing shipping facilities for export, as is the case in Oakland, California. No coal mining in the area should be considered. The future is in taking care of these remarkable lands and bringing renewable energy to local communities.
— Do not allow current and future vegetation removal projects, in particular “chaining,” within the original Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This practice negates BLM’s obligation to protect natural resources and wilderness values from irreversible human-caused harm.
The homepage for the project is here, and comments may be submitted here.
By Email: BLM_UT_CCD_monuments [at] blm [dot] gov
Comments may also be submitted by U.S. Mail:
Attn: Monument Manager
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Bureau of Land Management
669 S Hwy. 89A
Kanab, UT 84741
Utah monument press
The New York Times filed a Freedom of Information Act request and then had to sue the Department of the Interior to obtain release of documents relating to the national monuments in Utah. It received some 25,000 pages of emails and other correspondence. 20,000 were from the Obama administration regarding the creation of the monuments, and the remainder from the current administration’s attempts to roll them back. The Times analyzed them and on March 2 published the following report: Oil Was Central in Decision to Shrink Bears Ears Monument, Emails Show.
This confirmed what many suspected. It also showed that the office of Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) had approached the administration in March 2017 about reducing the size of the Bears Ears, more than a month before the executive order authorizing the review of the monuments. The documents also show that a major reason for the attempt at splitting up the Grand Staircase-Escalante monument was the presence of the large coal reserves in the Kaiparowits Plateau.
You may download the complete document trove (all 38.6 MB of it) here. A selection of documents relating only to the Bears Ears may be found here.
High Country News had an article looking behind the scenes at other issues related to the monuments in Utah: The danger of local hands on public lands: When it comes to monuments, Utah lawmakers have conflicts of interest
IN CALIFORNIA
2. Early Kickoff for the Fifth Annual
Visions of the Wild Festival
Downtown Vallejo: April 12
CalUWild is working with the U.S. Forest Service and the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation for the fifth year, planning and hosting the Visions of the Wild Festival in downtown Vallejo. It began in 2014 as a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act and has turned into an annual event, each with a different theme and focus. This year we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers and National Trails System acts.
The main part of the festival will be September 21 – 23, but a few extra events are planned between now and then. The first will be the screening of two films, one on the Noatak River in Alaska and the second on Nevada City in California, by CalUWild friend and filmmaker John de Graaf.
The April 12 event has two segments:
First will be a presentation by Heather Bartlett and colleagues about the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge. They will talk how their Alaska preserve connects with our local San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. We’ll show a short film about Wild & Scenic River in Alaska called the Noatak.
Explore the Noatak, one of Alaska’s wildest rivers, through the eyes of the people whose lives and livelihoods have long depended on its waters and wildlife, and discover the national conservation program that ensures that this and many other wild rivers will provide these values forever.
This will be followed by a screening of the film Redefining Prosperity: The Gold Rushes of Nevada City, followed by an in person discussion with the film’s director John de Graaf. This film features a segment on the Yuba River, a Wild & Scenic River in California.
Born in the California Gold Rush, Nevada City was once the scene of some of the most destructive environmental practices on earth. By the 1960s, the town was a backwater, its extractive industries dying. Then it was discovered by the “back to the land movement.” It was a second gold rush but with a different idea of gold based on nature, community and a sense of place. The Yuba River brought conflicting factions of the community together while different ideas about the meaning of wealth have led to changes in local food production, education, arts, music and a commitment to building community. Redefining Prosperity: The Gold Rushes of Nevada City includes two dozen of Nevada City’s most active citizens and their stories.
Details:
Empress Theatre
330 Virginia St.
Vallejo, CA 94590
Date: Thursday, April 12
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $10
Online tickets are available here.
The film will also be shown in Nevada City the following weekend:
Nevada Theatre
401 Broad St.
Nevada City, CA 95959
Date: Sunday, April 15
Time: 7:00 p.m.
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
3. 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 item in this section does not imply agreement with the viewpoint expressed.
California national monuments
The San Francisco Chronicle on the potential shrinking of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument: Along California-Oregon border, debate over protected lands is clash of values
The Los Angeles Times on the Sand to Snow National Monument: Feral cattle terrorize hikers and devour native plants in a California national monument
The Interior Department and other politics
Good news first: Zinke Cancels Chaco Canyon lease sale in the Albuquerque Journal. You may read the BLM press release here.
Unfortunately, this was followed by a lease sale in Southeastern Utah on lands containing many archeological sites and close to Hovenweep and Canyons of the Ancients national monuments. The Washington Post wrote this article: National Park Service warned lease sale Tuesday could harm national monument in Utah
Washington Post opinion columnist Dana Millbank wrote: All hail Ryan Zinke, our imperial viceroy
An article in The Hill: Zinke signed order in January making ‘acting’ directors official
An article in the Washington Post: A mining firm executive griped to Zinke about federal pollution rules. The secretary apologized.
CNN reported: White House scolds Cabinet officials after embarrassing ethics reports. Secretary Zinke was included among them.
A Washington Post article: Oversight panel seeks details on Interior’s pricey doors. The Interior Department plans to spend $139,000 to replace double doors in the Secretary’s office.
Our friends at the Center for Western Priorities report: Documents reveal Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke uses a private email address for official business
The Democrats on the House Natural Resource Committee released a statement stating that a letter held up by Secty. Zinke in a hearing was not what he claimed it to be, nor had such a letter ever been sent. Secretary Zinke Testified Falsely Today – Said Letter to Chairman Bishop Responded to Rep. Barragan’s Ethics Concerns
An article in The Hill: Zinke and his wife took security detail on vacation to Turkey, Greece: report
From CNN: Sources: Zinke tells employees diversity isn’t important
A Washington Post article: Zinke creates new outdoor recreation panel made up almost entirely of industry advisers
From CNN: Zinke says ‘Konnichiwa’ after hearing story about WWII Japanese internment
An article in Outside: Congress Just Ignored Trump’s Public-Land Cuts
An op-ed in The Hill by Peter Metcalf of Black Diamond: Secretary Zinke, you’re no Teddy Roosevelt
In Nevada
General
An op-ed in the San Jose Mercury News, by our friend Ryan Henson of the California Wilderness Coalition: Opinion: Trump’s ruthless attack on California’s desert lands
An essay in High Country News reflecting on Edward Abbey and the 50th Anniversary of the publication of Desert Solitaire: Balancing the pulls of domesticity and wilderness
As always, if you ever have questions, suggestions, critiques, or wish to change your e-mail address or unsubscribe, all you have to do is send an email. For information on making a contribution to CalUWild, click here.
Please “Like” and “Follow” CalUWild on Facebook.
Tags: Bears Ears, grand staircase-escalante, march newsletter, national monuments, newsletter
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »
2018 January
February 2nd, 2018
The Waterpocket Fold, Capitol Reef NP, Utah, from the air (Mike Painter)
February 1, 2018
Dear CalUWild friends and supporters—
As 2018 begins, we’re looking ahead to continuing the fight to protect our national monuments, wilderness, and other public lands, as we have for the last 20 years.
But 2018 also gives us the opportunity to look back at a few notable achievements. This year we will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of both the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act and the National Trails System Act—which authorized National Scenic Trails & National Recreation Trails. It’s also the 40th Anniversary of the National Parks & Recreation Act—which authorized the National Historic Trails.
Finally 2018 marks the 50th Anniversary of the publication of Edward Abbey’s “Desert Solitaire,” a book that has introduced many people to the wonders of the redrock country of the Southwest and the need to preserve and protect all of our remaining wild places. The New York Times published an op-ed by Douglas Brinkley commemorating the anniversary: President Trump, Please Read ‘Desert Solitaire’. Abbey’s book is still in print in various editions, often quite inexpensive at used bookstores. I encourage you to have an extra copy always on hand to give to some unsuspecting soul. You never know who might be inspired reading it.
A note about coverage in the Monthly Update: Almost every day now there is some new controversy within the Interior Department, with regard to either policies (national monuments, offshore oil, sage grouse, methane and fracking, you name it) or the Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke.
It is impossible to go into detail on every single one—I could write an item a day for the Update, but that would be overwhelming for all of us. However, these issues are critically important. Rather than ignore them, they will be included in our IN THE PRESS section, organized by topic, with links to items and brief descriptions of the issue if needed. We’ll see how this works for everyone …
As our Annual Membership Appeal draws to a close, a big “Thank You” once again to everyone who has contributed so generously to make CalUWild’s continued work possible. And if you haven’t contributed yet, please consider doing so at any time. It’s always appreciated. Click here for details.
Thanks for your ongoing enthusiasm,
Mike
IN UTAH (& IN GENERAL)
1. National Monument Developments
(ACTION ITEM)
2. 18 Senators Introduce The ANTIQUITIES Act of 2018
(ACTION ITEM)
IN CALIFORNIA
3. Offshore Oil Drilling Hearing & Rally
In Sacramento
Thursday, February 8
ALSO: Comments Needed
DEADLINE: March 9, 2018
(ACTION ITEM)
IN ALASKA
4. Secty. Zinke Signs a Land Swap for Izembek Road
Through Wilderness Wildlife Refuge—
Lawsuit Filed
IN COLORADO
5. Wilderness Bill Introduced
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
6. Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest
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IN UTAH (& IN GENERAL)
1. National Monument Developments
(ACTION ITEM)
There are three developments of note regarding the national monuments in Utah.
A.) As we reported last month, the administration issued two new proclamations severely shrinking the Bears Ears and the Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. Native American tribes and conservation groups immediately filed suit in Washington, DC, and the administration has filed motions to transfer the cases to Utah, where they would hope to get a more sympathetic court. The tribes argue that they are sovereign nations and the conservation groups argue that the decisions were made in Washington and their legality has a broader impact than just Utah; therefore, the District of Columbia is the appropriate venue.
And this just in: The federal judge in DC has decided to consolidate the five separate lawsuits into just two: one dealing with Bears Ears, and the other wit Grand Staircase-Escalante. She has yet to rule on the change of venue.
B.) While that was going on, two Utah Congressmen introduced bills that would codify the changes made in the new proclamations. (This indicates that they recognize some doubt that the administration’s unilateral moves will hold up in court.)
Rep. John Curtis (R) introduced H.R. 4532, the “Shash Jaa and Indian Creek National Monument Act.” It sets up a management council appointed, not by the local tribes, but by the president in consultation with the Utah congressional delegation—who have never supported the monument from the outset. This shifts management to interests who rarely, if ever, take broader, national interests into account, and represents one more step toward state and local control of lands belonging to all Americans.
The bill had a quick hearing before the Subcommittee on Public Lands, but the witness list so was so skewed against supporters of the existing monument that the Democrats on the subcommittee forced a second hearing that included five representatives of the Inter-Tribal Coalition.
Rep. Chris Stewart (R) introduced H.R. 4558, the disingenuously-named “Grand Staircase-Escalante Enhancement Act.” It contains the odd feature of establishing a national park in the Escalante Canyons portion of the monument, but one open to hunting and grazing, which are generally not allowed in parks. It also sets up a locally-dominated management council, and the federal managers would be obligated to follow its directions. Lands outside the new park, but inside the three monuments would be open to mineral development.
Neither bill has companion legislation in the Senate, and the only cosponsors so far are other members of the Utah congressional delegation.
C.) In a third development, the Bureau of Land Management announced that it would initiate management plans for the new monuments. This seems to be a cynical ploy, given that the proclamations are the subject of litigation, and there is no guarantee that the outcome will favor the administration. (Most scholars feel the law is against the administration here.) So it could turn out to be a complete waste of taxpayer money, especially when the agencies already have budget shortages.
The initial deadline for scoping comments is March 19. We will have more substantive suggestions for comments in the next Update, but for a start, it would be good to put the BLM on notice that citizens do not support these rollbacks, especially given the overwhelming support for all our monuments to remain intact during last summer’s review. Additionally, it is not appropriate to be undertaking planning because of the litigation and potential waste of time and money involved.
For Bears Ears National Monument, the planning homepage is here and the direct link to the online comment form is here.
Comments may also be submitted by U.S. Mail to:
365 North Main
P.O. Box 7
Monticello, UT 84535
For the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the homepage for the project is here, and comments may be submitted here.
Comments may also be submitted by U.S. Mail:
669 S Hwy. 89A
Kanab, UT 84741
ALSO: Keep up the pressure on your Members of Congress and Senators and by writing letters to the editor of your local papers.
The press continues to cover the monuments issue thoroughly. Here is a sampling:
An op-ed in the Times on H.R. 4558: A Trojan Horse Threatens the Nation’s Parks
An article in The Guardian: How Trump’s cuts to public lands threaten future dinosaur discoveries
This Salt Lake Tribune article gives more background on the tribes’ opposition to the Curtis bill: Tribal leaders slam Utah Rep. Curtis’ bill to redraw Bears Ears, say management plan is tribal ‘in name only’.
The Salt Lake Tribune also published an editorial: Opposition to Bears Ears monument isn’t about money — it’s about race
Even the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples issued a statement condemning the monument rollback.
2. 18 Senators Introduce The ANTIQUITIES Act of 2018
(ACTION ITEM)
It takes real imagination to create the names of some the laws introduced in Congress, but this one is among the best: The America’s Natural Treasures of Immeasurable Quality Unite, Inspire, and Together Improve the Economies of States (ANTIQUITIES) Act of 2018, S. 2354.
Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), joined by 17 other senators, introduced this important response to the administration’s recent actions against our national monuments.
The other cosponsors are:
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Ron Wyden (D-OR
Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Tina Smith (D-MN)
Michael Bennet (D-CO)
In addition, the five Bears Ears Coalition Tribes (Hopi, Navajo, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, and Zuni) support the bill.
According to the announcement put out by Sen. Udall’s office, the bill protects and enhances national monuments in three main provisions:
— It officially declares Congress’ support for the 51 national monuments established by presidents in both parties between January 1996 and April 2017 under their authority established by the Antiquities Act of 1906. [It’s no coincidence that these are the dates of the monuments “under review” by the current administration—Mike]
— It reinforces that existing law clearly states that presidential proclamations designating national monuments are valid and cannot be reduced or diminished, except by an act of Congress.
— It further enhances protections for the presidentially designated national monuments by 1) requiring that they be surveyed, mapped and that management plans be completed in two years—in the same manner as congressionally designated national monuments—and 2) that they receive additional resources to ensure that they will continue to meet their full potential of providing unmatched economic, recreational, and cultural benefits to their states and to the nation.
Please contact Sens. Feinstein and Harris to thank them for their cosponsorship of this legislation. And remind Sen. Harris that this would be a good opportunity for her to become a cosponsor of America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, too.
Feel free to call senators from states other than California to say thank you as well. Full contact information may be found here.
IN CALIFORNIA
3. Offshore Oil Drilling Hearing & Rally
In Sacramento
Thursday, February 8
ALSO: Comments Needed
DEADLINE: March 9, 2018
(ACTION ITEM)
Another of the many controversies enveloping the administration is the recent announcement that almost the entire coastline of the United States will be open again for oil & gas leasing. Interior Secty. Ryan Zinke caused further controversy when—in what appeared to be a political favor to Florida’s Gov. Rick Scott, who is considering running for the U.S. Senate—he announced that Florida would be exempt because the state is “unique and its coasts are heavily reliant on tourism as an economic driver.”
Of course the same can be said for every state along the country’s coastline, and politicians from those states immediately said they deserved exemptions for precisely the same reasons.
Offshore drilling has long been a particular concern in California, ever since the disastrous Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969. (Of course, there have been other oil spills in the meantime, including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico.) All of the rocks, reefs, and islands along California’s coastline are part of the California Coastal National Monument, so there is an additional “public lands” aspect to the issue here.
As part of the planning, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced a series of public hearings and the opening of a public comment period. The only hearing in California will be in Sacramento on Thursday, February 8. It will take place at the
Tsakopoulos Library Galleria
828 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
A rally with speakers will take place preceding the hearing at 1:30 p.m. on the North Steps of the State Capitol, followed by a march to the hearing venue.
Turnout is critical!
CalUWild is supporting the efforts of partner organizations such as the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, and others to ensure that interested people can attend. There are buses to the event in Sacramento leaving from the following cities. Tickets are free or at nominal cost ($5-$15 RT). Click on the city for more information and to make a reservation.
Seats are limited, so please sign up quickly!
More information on the rally may be found on its Facebook Event page.
Regarding the public comment period, the main page for the proposal is here.
BOEM says:
Helpful Comments:
— Are fact-based;
— Include links to data or research;
— Provide specifics regarding impacts to the ocean and coasts, the plants and animals, to people, and how people use the ocean; and
— Where and when the ocean is utilized.
For most citizens, the third and fourth categories are likely most relevant, though obviously, individuals may have information pertaining to the other two.
Online comment submission is preferred.
You can click on the Comment Now! button on the main page or go directly here.
Comments may be also be mailed (or hand delivered) to:
Comments for the 2019-2024 Draft Proposed National Oil and Gas Leasing Program
ATTN: Ms. Kelly Hammerle
National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program Manager
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (VAM-LD)
45600 Woodland Road
Sterling, VA 20166-9216
Phone: 703-787-1613
IN ALASKA
4. Secty. Zinke Signs a Land Swap for Izembek Road
Through Wilderness Wildlife Refuge—
Lawsuit Filed
Interior Secretary Zinke took advantage of last week’s three-day government shutdown to sign an agreement transferring land from the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, much of which is designated wilderness, to a Native Alaskan corporation, in order to build a road connecting the town of King Cove to Cold Bay.
The shutdown meant that reporters weren’t allowed at the signing. When questioned by reporters afterward, Mr. Zinke refused to release any documents but told them they were free to submit Freedom of Information Act requests. There was no public involvement in this decision.
The town and Alaska politicians claim that the road is needed for medical emergency evacuations, to reach an airstrip at Cold Bay, but as this op-ed, published last year in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (and posted by our friends at Wilderness Watch), demonstrates commercial considerations were the only ones mentioned when the road was first proposed, in order to link a fish cannery in King Cove to that airstrip.
Yesterday, a coalition of groups (including Wilderness Watch) filed suit against Mr. Zinke and the land exchange proposal. The claim is that it violates both the Wilderness Act (which gives authority over wilderness boundaries to Congress only) and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which designated Izembek as wilderness.
If you would like more detailed information, the Washington Post has run these two stories:
IN COLORADO
5. Wilderness Bill Introduced
Last week, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D) and Rep. Jared Polis (D) introduced the Continental Divide Recreation, Wilderness and Camp Hale Legacy Act (S. 2337 in the Senate and H.R. 4883 in the House).
The bills would designate three new wilderness areas at Hoosier Ridge, in the Tenmile Range, and in the Williams Fork Mountains. It expands three existing wildernesses: Eagles Nest, Holy Cross, and Ptarmigan Peak.
A novel aspect of the bill is the creation the Camp Hale National Historic Landscape, which would be the first in the country. Camp Hale was the training ground for the storied 10th Mountain Division, which fought in the Italian Alps during World War II. David Brower, former Executive Director of the Sierra Club and founding member of CalUWild’s Advisory Board was a veteran of the division, as were other notable outdoor recreationists and leaders.
The Denver Post has run two articles examining the proposal:
and an article back in 2016 giving more background on Camp Hale and the 10th Mountain Division.
We’re happy to see another real wilderness bill introduced, and we support their efforts.
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
6. 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 item in this section does not imply agreement with the viewpoint expressed.
Interior Department & Secty. Zinke
An op-ed on Secty. Zinke by Timothy Egan of the New York Times: The Mad King Flies His Flag
The Washington Post published an editorial: Is Ryan Zinke cynical or incompetent?
A look at the legal procedural issues surrounding many of the recent Interior Department decisions in the New York Times: Trump’s Environmental Rollbacks Were Fast. It Could Get Messy in Court.
During the shutdown, Secty. Zinke said that national parks would stay open, even without staff. Fears of potential resource damage were confirmed. An article in the Washington Post: While Yellowstone’s staff was furloughed, a snowmobiler got way too close to Old Faithful
Mid-month, nine out of the twelve members of the National Park Advisory Board resigned. The New York Times ran this article: Citing ‘Inexcusable’ Treatment, Advisers Quit National Parks Panel
and High Country News did a follow-up article and interview with Board chairman Tony Knowles: Why the National Park advisory board imploded.
The Bundy Case in Nevada
An article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal: Congress expected to hold hearings on dismissal of Bundy case
Public Lands in General
The Guardian announces “a major expansion of [its] series This Land is Your Land, which will provide coverage of these unique and threatened places” with a grant from the Society for Environmental Journalism: The threat to America’s public lands is increasing – and so is our coverage
Wilderness Philosophy
In the NY Times ongoing philosophy series “The Stone:” Keep Our Mountains Free. And Dangerous.
As always, if you ever have questions, suggestions, critiques, or wish to change your e-mail address or unsubscribe, all you have to do is send an email. For information on making a contribution to CalUWild, click here.
Please “Like” and “Follow” CalUWild on Facebook.
Tags: Antiquities Act, Bears Ears, grand staircase-escalante, Izembek Road, national monuments, newsletter
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »
2017 December
January 3rd, 2018
Sunrise over the La Sal Mountains, Utah (Mike Painter)
New Year’s Eve 2017
Dear CalUWild friends—
2017 was a long year for the conservation community. It seemed that very week the administration or Congress came up with some new rollback or ill-thought proposal. For those of us concerned with public lands, the months-long review of national monuments was the most noteworthy. The first negative results were released earlier this month. (See Item 1.)
But with 2018 upon us, we can’t afford to dwell too much on the past. Instead, we look to the opportunities ahead to support our public lands, though it will take a lot of work. Attempts to undermine the Antiquities Act and to allow mountain bikes in designated wilderness areas are just two of the things we expect to be busy in the year ahead. We also look forward to permanently reauthorizing the Land & Water Conservation Fund and securing wilderness designations for areas along the Central California Coast and northern part of the state.
Fortunately, we have allies, as the American public and press are largely on our side. We will still need to keep our attention and energies focused, however, and CalUWild will do its best to provide the information needed to be effective.
We’ve been able to prevent almost all serious attacks on public lands in the past, and there’s no reason to think we can’t do the same again!
Many thanks to everyone who generously responded to the membership appeal we recently sent out. If you haven’t sent in a contribution, please consider doing so. Complete information may be found on this form, which you may print and send in along with your gift.
As always, thanks for your concern for our wild and public lands.
Wishing you many opportunities in the New Year to get out and explore,
Mike
IN UTAH (& ELSEWHERE)
1. The Administration Sharply Shrinks Bears Ears and
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments
And Threatens Modifications to Others
(ACTION ITEM)
IN GENERAL
2. Park Service Announces
Only 4 Fee-Free Days in 2018
3. Job Announcements
a. Conservation Lands Foundation:
Associate Southern California Director
b. Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center:
Digital and Grassroots Campaigner/Senior Campaigner
c. American Conservation Experience:
Emerging Professionals Internship Corps,
Park Service Division
d. Wyoming Outdoor Council:
Conservation Advocate
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
4. Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest
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IN UTAH (& ELSEWHERE)
1. The Administration Sharply Shrinks Bears Ears and
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments
And Threatens Modifications to Others
(ACTION ITEM)
On December 4, the president traveled to Salt Lake City, along with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and other politicians, to sign two proclamations eviscerating the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. They were joined by a small group of select onlookers in the capitol rotunda, while outside more than 3,000 people gathered in the freezing cold to protest the action. Two days before, more than 6,000 citizens had gathered on the capitol steps in advance of the visit to protest the impending action.
The proclamations were not unexpected, as Secty. Zinke had been undertaking a review of 27 national monuments since April, and preliminary details had been leaked to the press several months ago.
Still, the final results showed a shocking lack of respect for Native Americans, for the general citizenry (who overwhelmingly—99%—commented in favor of leaving all national monuments intact), and the truth. (“Public lands will once again be for public use,” the president said.)
The tribes, conservation groups, and businesses filed several lawsuits against the administration immediately, and two of Utah’s congressmen introduced legislation to codify the proclamations, as well. (The fact that legislation was introduced is a clear indication that they realize there are serious legal problems with the administrative rollback. But because the Constitution gives Congress the authority to manage federal lands, any laws it passes are binding, and might render the lawsuits moot.)
Here are some of the most important details in the proclamations and the legislation.
Bears Ears National Monument
• The protected area was reduced by a whopping 85%.
• The monument was split into two separate new monuments: Shash Jáa and Indian Creek. (The use of “Shash Jáa,” the new name, is just one sign of the profound disrespect the administration has for the tribes involved, as it means “Bears Ears” in the Navajo tongue. Each of the five tribes in the coalition has its own language, and they specifically wanted the English name for the monument, as it was a neutral language to all of them.)
• The bill number and title are H.R. 4532, “Shash Jáa National Monument and Indian Creek National Monument Act,” introduced by Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), who replaced Rep. Jason Chaffetz after he resigned.
• A new council will be created to manage the Shash Jáa monument. It is to be comprised of:
—one individual from the Interior or Agriculture Department;
—three members of the Navajo Nation, one of whom must be from the local chapter;
—one member of the White Mesa Utes; and
—two San Juan County commissioners.
All members must be residents of Utah. This is troublesome for two reasons: it sets up overwhelming local control of federal lands, and it reduces the other tribes of the Inter-Tribal Coalition—who were largely responsible for the creation of the monument and who view the Bears Ears as their ancestral homeland—to a very indirect consultative role.
• You can see a map of the changes here.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
• The protected area was reduced by about 50%.
• The monument was split into three separate new monuments: Grand Staircase, Kaiparowits, and Escalante Canyons. In a puzzling move, Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) also included an “Escalante Canyons National Park and Preserve” within the boundaries of the Escalante Canyons National Monument in his bill, H.R. 4558, the so-called “Grand Staircase Escalante Enhancement Act”. The national park details are not spelled out in the bill, but it seems like an attempt at “greenwashing,” making it sound like he’s doing something good for conservation.• The bill creates a new council to manage the three monuments and park & preserve. It is to be comprised of:
—one individual from the Interior Department;
—two Garfield County commissioners;
—two Kane County commissioners;
—one Utah State Legislator representing Kane County, Garfield County, or both;
—one at-large member, appointed by the president.
The monument’s original advisory committee was made up mostly of scientists and other stakeholders, such as elected officials, ranchers, outfitters, and environmentalists. Again, the overwhelming local control of federal lands is a huge problem.
• The bill conveys full title to the Hole in the Rock Road to the State of Utah.
The bill had a hearing in the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands the week after it was introduced.
• You can see a map of the changes here.
Lawsuits
The five members of the Inter-Tribal Coalition (Hopi, Navajo, Ute, Ute Mountain Utes, and Zuni) file a lawsuit the very day the new Bears Ears proclamation was signed.
A second Bears Ears lawsuit was filed by 11 conservation organizations: The Wilderness Society, the National Parks Conservation Association, the Sierra Club, Grand Canyon Trust, Defenders of Wildlife, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Western Watersheds Project, WildEarth Guardians, Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
A third Bears Ears lawsuit was filed by the Navajo non-profit Utah Diné Bikeyah and a host of recreational and other organizations: Patagonia Works, Friends of Cedar Mesa, Archaeology Southwest, the Conservation Lands Foundation, Access Fund, the Society for Vertebrate Paleontology, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Two lawsuits were filed against the Grand Staircase-Escalante rollback, one by conservation groups and a second by Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, and the Conservation Lands Foundation.
All argue that the Antiquities Act of 1906 does not give the president authority to reduce national monuments once established; only Congress has that power under the Constitution and the Federal Lands Policy & Management Act of 1976. Additionally, in the case of the Grand Staircase-Escalante, Congress made its own previous boundary adjustments and exchanged lands with the State of Utah plus paid Utah $50 million, so the administration cannot make any changes, regardless of whether the Antiquities Act implies that he has the authority to do so. Here’s an article we linked to back in June that sets out the legal arguments.
All suits were filed in Federal District Court for the District of Columbia.
Related News
Secty. Zinke recommended that Gold Butte NM in Nevada and the Cascade-Siskiyou NM straddling the California-Oregon border also be reduced, though he released no details. He recommended management changes for Katahdin Woods and Waters in Maine to allow for tree thinning, and finally recommended the addition of three new monuments: The Badger-Two Medicine Area in Montana (coincidentally his home state); Medgar Evers in Mississippi, and Camp Nelson in Kentucky. These are believed by many to be “greenwashing” attempts, as well.
Further Reading
You can read the Interior Department’s Final Revised Report here and the press release announcing it here.
Our friends at the Center for Western Priorities released a document: The remaining falsehoods in Ryan Zinke’s final national monuments report.
The Salt Lake Tribune published an article: Uranium mill pressed Trump officials for Bears Ears reductions, records show.
The Nation published a piece: The Far-Right Campaign to Destroy Our National Monuments.
What Action to Take
Congress will be back in session the first week in January. It is critical that you contact your Representative and Senators to let them know you oppose both the rollbacks by the administration and the legislation that has been introduced by the Utah congressmen to shrink the monuments and any attempts to reshape the Antiquities Act. If allowed to stand, these actions will set terrible precedents for the future.
Remember: An attack on one monument is an attack on all.
Full contact information for California House members may be found by following the links here, and for other states by following the links here.
California’s senators may be reached here:
The general page for Senate contact information is here.
Also, please write letters to the editor expressing support for public lands whenever a relevant article appears.
IN GENERAL
2. Park Service Announces
Only 4 Fee-Free Days in 2018
Last year there were ten days when entrance fees are waived. This year there will be but four. They will be:
January 15 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
April 21 – First Day of National Park Week
September 22 – National Public Lands Day
November 11 – Veterans Day
Mark your calendars.
A Park Service spokesman said: “Now that the nation is recovering from the recession and the Centennial [2016] has passed, the NPS is returning to a lower number of fee-free days. Fewer fee-free days means additional revenue to improve facilities, address deferred maintenance issues, and enhance the overall park experience for visitors.”
3. Job Announcements
Several organizations we’ve worked with over the years have job openings right now. Click on the links under each short description for more information.
a. Conservation Lands Foundation:
Associate Southern California Director
This person will facilitate the Conservation Lands Foundation’s expansion, protection and constituency building efforts for the National Conservation Lands in Southern California, particularly in the California Desert. The position will work collaboratively with Bureau of Land Management and other federal agency staff, regional and statewide conservation organizations, Friends groups, and diverse partners to enhance support for the National Conservation Lands in Southern California.
b. Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center:
Digital and Grassroots Campaigner/Senior Campaigner
K-S Wild is accepting applications for a Digital & Grassroots Campaigner/Senior Campaigner through January 9th, 2018. The ideal candidate is passionate about saving wild places in the Klamath-Siskiyou and specializes in digital communications. This is a great opportunity for someone who has experience managing social media accounts, websites, and email communications.
If you’d like to learn more and how to apply, you can read the job announcement on our website.
c. American Conservation Experience:
Emerging Professionals Internship Corps (ACE EPIC),
Park Service Division
ACE EPIC is a targeted internship program dedicated to developing and diversifying the conservation workforce nationwide. Our partnerships with federal land management agencies, as well as private and non-profit conservation organizations, provide hands-on natural and cultural resource management opportunities for young, knowledgeable college graduates. Our internship programs serve as a bridge between academia and careers for young professionals seeking positions as public servants within the Department of Interior. The National Park Service Member Manager position will oversee the management of NPS ACE EPIC interns and programming throughout the United States.
Applications can be submitted here: https://usaconservationstaff.applicantpool.com/jobs/196507.html
d. Wyoming Outdoor Council:
Conservation Advocate
The Wyoming Outdoor Council is looking to hire a Conservation Advocate—preferably someone who is also an attorney.
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 item in this section does not imply agreement with the viewpoint expressed.
An article in the New York Times: The Treasures of Chaco Canyon Are Threatened by Drilling
The Guardian reported on the latest development in the Bundy Family saga: Cliven Bundy: judge declares mistrial in case against Nevada rancher and family
News about the Department of the Interior
A profile in Outside Magazine of the Interior Secretary: Ryan Zinke Is Trump’s Attack Dog on the Environment. The reporter was subsequently blocked from taking part in an Interior Department press conference call, as reported here, because he had reported (accurately, apparently) that Mr. Zinke had his fly fishing reel mounted on backwards while they were out fishing together.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, wrote this op-ed in High Country News: Stop trying to militarize Interior, Ryan Zinke
Newsweek reports on more travel funding irregularities: Interior Department Tapped Wildfire Preparedness Funds for Ryan Zinke Helicopter Tour
An op-ed in The Hill by Pat Shea, former Director of the BLM, on a possible nominee to head the agency: Our public lands need balanced — not extremist — leadership
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Tags: job listings, national monuments, National Monuments Review
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