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Posted in Outdated | No Comments »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 November
November 28th, 2018
Light in Kolob Canyon (Patrick Dengate)
November 28, 2018
Dear CalUWild friends—
We hope you had a nice Thanksgiving holiday, remembering our good fortune to have such a wide variety and expanses of federal public lands, including Wilderness, here in the West.
CalUWild celebrates its 21st Anniversary this month. We are thankful for the support of all our members, some since the very beginning!
Was your INBOX filled with funding appeals yesterday for Giving Tuesday? We decided to hold off a day sending out this Update, so it wouldn’t get lost in the pile. Though dues are not required, we still need member contributions as well. We are in the process of sending out our annual member appeal over the next couple weeks, either by US Mail or email. Please contribute if you can.
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. Please print out and enclose a membership form if your address is not on the check. Either way, mail it to:
CalUWild
P.O. Box 210474
San Francisco, CA 94121-0474
Thanks to everyone who has already sent in gifts; it saves on printing and postage.
As we’ve mentioned before, you can also support CalUWild by buying art! Patrick Dengate, whose painting appears above, is generously contributing 50% of the proceeds from paintings he sells to CalUWild. You can see some of the ones he’s offered here. Check out his website for more and to contact him.
Another CalUWild friend, Margie Lopez Read, contributes the proceeds from sales of her art to worthy organizations, and she’s including CalUWild on her list. For more information, visit her website.
Thanks again for all your interest and support. We’re looking forward to the years and challenges ahead!
Best wishes,
Mike
IN UTAH
1. Emery County Bill Update
(ACTION ITEM)
2. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Management Planning Comments Due
DEADLINE: Friday, Nov. 30
(ACTION ITEM)
3. Congressional Amicus Brief Filed
In National Monuments Lawsuits
Thank You Calls Needed
(ACTION ITEM)
IN CALIFORNIA
4. Point Reyes National Seashore
Ranch Management Planning
Scoping Comments Due
DEADLINE: Friday, Nov. 30
(ACTION ITEM)
IN GENERAL
5. Brief Election Summary
6. Park Service Fee-Free Days Announced for 2019
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
7. Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN UTAH
1. Emery County Bill Update
(ACTION ITEM)
We’ve written in detail previously (in our September Update and May Update) about H.R. 5727, Rep. Curtis’s (R-UT) “Not-So-Swell” bill for Emery County and its companion bill in the Senate, Sen. Hatch’s (R-UT) S. 2809.
With the election over, there is concern that the Utah delegation will try to get the bill passed in the lame duck session. The main objections to this bill are:
• The bill protects only 1/3 of the lands eligible for wilderness designation, with important areas such as Muddy Creek, parts of Labyrinth Canyon, and the San Rafael Badlands left out.
• It conveys management authority over federal land to the State of Utah for recreational uses around Goblin Valley, including the popular Crack and Chute canyons.
• The House version contains a land exchange provision in the Ute Reservation that the Ute Tribe itself opposes.
So it’s important, once again, to let your representatives know that it’s a controversial bill and should not be passed in its present form. And unfortunately, Rep. Curtis has shown little interest in incorporating changes suggested by the conservation community. He has frozen us out just about every step of the way.
Contact information for the House may be found by following the links here and for the Senate, here.
When you call, please include the Thank You discussed in Item 3 if your representative is on the list there.
2. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Management Planning Comments Due
DEADLINE: Friday, Nov. 30
(ACTION ITEM)
The comment period for the shrunken Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument ends this Friday, 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-September Update contains detailed talking points and the links and addresses for commenting on the plan. Please refer to it.
As we reported last month, an additional, important issue came 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.
To comment online, it’s best to create a text file first and then PASTE it into the comment box here. Follow the process through the next three pages, filling in the information in the required boxes with red asterisks.
Comments may also be submitted by U.S. Mail to:
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Attn: Matt Betenson
669 S Hwy. 89A
Kanab, UT 84741
3. Congressional Amicus Brief Filed
In National Monuments Lawsuits
Thank You Calls Needed
(ACTION ITEM)
There’s not much we can do to support the litigation over the reductions in the Utah national monuments, but this month 118 Representatives and Senators took the unusual step of signing their names to amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs, circulated by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM).
The briefs were in support of the Plaintiffs’ main legal argument—one with which most legal scholars seem to agree: Only Congress has the authority to reduce national monuments. The language of the Antiquities Act itself only grants the president authority to designate monuments, not reduce them. Additionally, the Federal Lands Policy Management Act specifically says that the power is reserved to Congress.
Given the Constitution’s grant of authority to Congress to “make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory … belonging to the United States,” these cases have a strong separation of powers component. It is important that Congress is standing up for its rightful authority, especially when the Executive Branch attempts to usurp any of it.
The following Representatives from California signed on:
John Garamendi (D-3)
Mike Thompson (D-5)
Jerry McNerney (D-9)
Mark DeSaulnier (D-11)
Nancy Pelosi (D-12)
Barbara Lee (D-13)
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-14)
Anna Eshoo (D-18)
Zoe Lofgren (D-19)
Jimmy Panetta (D-20)
Salud Carbajal (D-24)
Judy Chu (D-27)
Ted Lieu (D-33)
Grace Napolitano (D-32)
Jimmy Gomez (D-34)
Raul Ruiz (D-36)
Karen Bass (D-37)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-40)
Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-44)
Alan Lowenthal (D-47)
Susan Davis (D-53)
If you live in one of their districts, please contact their offices to say Thank You!
Both Senators Dianne Feinstein (D) and Kamala Harris (D) signed on, as well and deserve a Thank You, too.
Contact information for the House may be found by following the links here and for the Senate, here.
A full list of signers may be found at the end of Sen. Udall’s press release, which also contains further details about the briefs, including links to their full texts.
Though not directly related to the litigation, National Parks Traveler ran an editorial: Bears Ears And Grand Staircase-Escalante Are Today’s Hetch Hetchy.
IN CALIFORNIA
4. Point Reyes National Seashore
Ranch Management Planning
Scoping Comments Due
DEADLINE: Friday, Nov. 30
(ACTION ITEM)
This month, Point Reyes National Seashore announced a 30-day scoping period on an amendment to its General Management Plan, covering ranch and Tule Elk management.
The timing is very short on this, and we have not been able to develop a comprehensive set of talking points, so this item may only be relevant to people who already have some knowledge of the issues involved. We discussed some of this in our August-September Update. There will be an opportunity to comment on the Draft Plan when it’s released, and we will try to have more specific suggestions then.
Dairy and beef cattle ranching has a long history at Pt. Reyes, dating back to the 1800s. When the Seashore was established in the 1960s, there was opposition from the ranching families, but in the end they agreed to a buyout-leaseback arrangement with the National Park Service. It was never the intent that ranching would continue indefinitely, though some people are claiming that now. In fact, there is no mention of ranching as being a purpose for the establishment of the Seashore in its enabling legislation:
In order to save and preserve, for purposes of public recreation, benefit, and inspiration, a portion of the diminishing seashore of the United States that remains undeveloped, the Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter referred to as the “Secretary”) is authorized to take appropriate action in the public interest toward the establishment of the national seashore.
Legislation was later passed giving the ranchers leases for 25 years or for the life of the rancher, whichever was longer. Rep. Jared Huffman’s (D-2) bill, H.R. 6687, which we discussed in our August-September Update, is attempting to codify the revised intent.
In the 1970s, Tule Elk were released into areas of the Seashore, and there are now conflicts with the cattle operations. So the management plan will be addressing this as well.
The Park Service has released a proposal for scoping that includes six different alternatives (one of which is “No Action,” meaning things would stay as they are). You can read about them here. The Park Service describes them as ranging from
twenty-year agricultural lease/permits with diversification and increased operational flexibility, to reduced ranching, no dairy ranching, and no ranching alternatives. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will also include a range of alternatives for the management of tule elk in the planning area, from elimination to active management to expansion of the Drakes Beach herd.
A couple of suggestions for comments:
• Regarding Alternative B, “Continued Ranching and Management of the Drakes Beach Tule Elk Herd (NPS Proposed Action):” No expansion of commercial activities should be allowed. Ranchers have proposed having overnight stays, growing different kinds of crops and introducing other types of animals to their farms. These should not be allowed in the name of “ranch operational flexibility and diversification.”
• Alternative C, “Continued Ranching and Removal of the Drakes Beach Tule Elk Herd,” should not be considered at all. It’s antithetical to the purpose of a national park.
Comments may be submitted online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/poregmpa or by mailing or hand delivering comments to:
GMP Amendment c/o Superintendent
Point Reyes National Seashore
1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
For more information, please see the GMP Amendment Frequently Asked Questions, the GMP Amendment website, or Point Reyes National Seashore’s website: www.nps.gov/pore.
More general information may be found at https://restoreptreyesseashore.org.
IN GENERAL
5. Brief Election Summary
After this month’s election, we have hope that the next Congress will be friendlier to land protection and oversight of the administration. It’s likely that Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) will be chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. He’s a stalwart defender of America’s public lands and will be a welcome change from Utah’s Rep. Rob Bishop (R). (The Salt Lake Tribune ran an article on Mr. Bishop’s new status.)
In other welcome news, there is now a Diné (Navajo) majority on the San Juan County Commission, home to the Bears Ears National Monument. This was due to a court redrawing districts in the county. Diné are a slight majority of residents in the county and now hold two of the three seats on the Commission
Finally, in California, long-time senator Dianne Feinstein (D) was re-elected. She’s been a champion of the Mojave Desert (among other places) for many years. In the House, it looks like 45 of California’s 53 seats will be held by Democrats, who have been far more supportive of public lands protection than the GOP in recent years. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-12, San Francisco) will likely be the next Speaker of the House, and Kevin McCarthy (R-23, Bakersfield) will be House Minority Leader—so two Californians in the highest positions.
As we’ve said before, though, CalUWild is not a partisan organization. Party affiliations are included for identification purposes only. However, we do regret that land conservation has become such a highly partisan issue in Congress.
Here are links to some articles discussing the elections, Native American representation, and public lands:
In The Guardian: ‘They’re playing dirty’: Can Navajos win power after racial exclusion?
In High Country News: In southern Utah, Navajo voters rise to be heard
An article in Outside: In New Mexico, Public Lands Turned an Election Blue
6. Park Service Fee-Free Days Announced for 2019
The Park Service announced that there will be five days in 2019 when entrance fees to all sites in the system will be waived. They are:
Monday, January 21 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Saturday, April 20 – First Day of National Park Week/
National Junior Ranger Day
Sunday, August 25 – National Park Service Anniversary
Saturday, September 28 – National Public Lands Day
Monday, November 11 – Veterans Day
The annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks. There are also free or discounted passes available for senior citizens, current members of the U.S. military, families of fourth grade students, and disabled citizens.
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
7. 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 Interior Department & Secty. Zinke
An article in The Guardian: The Zinke effect: how the US interior department became a tool of big business, with an op-ed the same day by Joel Clements, the scientist who resigned in protest, rather than be transferred to a position he was unqualified for: Interior department whistleblower: Ryan Zinke hollowed out the agency
From the Washington Post: Newly released emails suggest Zinke contradicted ethics pledge
A letter to the editor in the Washington Post from the Managing Director of the Vet Voice Foundation. Vet Voice has a been a strong supporter of the national monuments campaigns and public lands in general. It’s good to have them on our side! Zinke doesn’t represent the values of military veterans
The Washington Post reports: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke remains defiant amid ethics probes
An article/interview in the Washington Post about David Bernhardt, the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, considered the likely secretary should Ryan Zinke leave at some point: ‘The man behind the curtain’: Interior’s No. 2 helps drive Trump’s agenda
An article in the New York Times: Energy Speculators Jump on Chance to Lease Public Land at Bargain Rates
Public Lands in General
An article in the New York Times: Scientists Warn That World’s Wilderness Areas Are Disappearing
An in-depth report by The Guardian: Crisis in our national parks: how tourists are loving nature to death. The statistics on the number of visitors are astounding.
An article in the New York Times: ‘Entering Burn Area’: Yosemite After the Fire
An article in the Sacramento Bee about SB 50, one of the laws passed to protect public lands in California from sales by the federal government: Trump scores victory over California in latest court battle over land
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: Interior Secretary Zinke, National Monuments Review, Point Reyes National Seashore
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »
2018 September
October 2nd, 2018
Aspens near Capitol Reef National Park, Utah (Mike Painter)
September 29, 2018
Dear CalUWild friends—
It’s been an exhausting week, with the confirmation hearing for Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court taking center stage. The last couple of weeks have focused on his conduct against women, but earlier in the month the committee asked questions about his environmental record. He gave misleading answers then, too. For example, he claimed that he ruled in favor of environmentalists in many cases. In fact when he did, it was very often only on procedural issues while ruling against on substantive issues. You can read more in this blog post from our friends at the Natural Resources Defense Council. For many reasons, then, he doesn’t deserve to be confirmed.
Remember: When it all gets to be too much, go out for a hike.
Many thanks to our members who have supported CalUWild over the last few months by buying a painting by our friend Patrick Dengate. He’s generously contributing 50% of the selling price to CalUWild. Some of his paintings can be seen here, and there are more on his website.
Finally, an administrative note: We had an involuntary migration of the CalUWild website over to a new host recently, and there were a couple of minor glitches. If you come across any broken links, please send me an email, and I will fix them right away.
Thanks for your interest and support!
Mike
IN UTAH
1. Emery County Bill Update
(ACTION ITEM)
2. National Monuments Update
Comments Needed
DEADLINES: November 15 & 30
(ACTION ITEM)
IN CALIFORNIA
3. Rep. Huffman’s Pt. Reyes Ranching Bill Passes House
4. Vote NO on Prop. 3,
The Water Bond on November’s Ballot
(ACTION ITEM)
IN GENERAL
5. Land & Water Conservation Fund Due to Expire
(ACTION ITEM)
6. Job Listing: National Parks Conservation Association
Communications Manager
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
7. Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN UTAH
1. Emery County Bill Update
(ACTION ITEM)
The bill for Emery County, which we reported on in our May Update had a markup hearing this week in Congress. The following comes from our friends at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
There were a few fireworks during the House Committee on Natural Resources markup of H.R. 5727, Rep. Curtis’s (UT-3) “Not-So-Swell” bill for Emery County.
Rep. Grijalva (AZ-3), the committee’s ranking member, issued a strong opening statement, acknowledging the work Rep. Curtis has put into this legislation, but highlighting all the many things still wrong with the bill. He specifically called for more protections for Labyrinth Canyon, Muddy Creek, and the San Rafael Badlands, and for resolution to the Ute Tribe’s concerns about the land exchange the bill facilitates.
At the outset, Rep. Curtis offered an amendment in the nature of a substitution (ANS), which serves to change the underlying bill being debated. The amendment fixed the travel plan we’d long had concerns about, but also made some things worse. For example, it downgraded the National Conservation Area in the San Rafael Swell to a National Recreation Area, which would put conservation on the backburner in the eyes of the BLM.
Some of Rep. Curtis’s fiercest critics came from his own side of the dais. Rep. Gosar (AZ-4) offered a string of amendments that would actually make this bill even worse, removing a mineral withdrawal and removing Wild and Scenic river protections. His amendments were all defeated squarely, but not before he offered at least one argument we agree with: that the lands in question are federal lands, and all Americans should have a say in their management. We couldn’t agree more, Rep. Gosar.
That’s why our champion in the House, Rep. Lowenthal (CA-47) offered a stirring defense of the special places that have been left out of the bill, and offered an amendment to add additional Wilderness protections for Labyrinth Canyon and Muddy Creek, and a National Conservation Area for the San Rafael Badlands. Rep. Curtis had complained earlier that nobody gets to have a “winner take all” bill, but the truth is, even if Lowenthal’s amendment was adopted, the bill would only protect half of what’s in America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act. Unfortunately, the amendment did not pass.
Rep. Hanabusa (HI-2) offered an amendment that would ease the Ute Tribe’s concerns by defining Indian land as any land within an Indian reservation. This amendment was defeated on a party line vote, 21-17.
The bill ultimately passed out of committee, but not before the mark-up showed why no conservation organizations support this legislation. It’s a step backward for conservation, and Rep. Curtis doesn’t seem to want to fix that. He is still only catering to the desires of Emery County—in fact, he went as far as to say he would turn the land over to the county if he could: “If they had stewardship—believe me, I would love to wave a wand and give them the land, but this is the next best thing to it — to ask what they would do with the federal land in their area.”
But these are all American’s public lands. Keep emailing your members of Congress and asking them to oppose this legislation as it continues to move throughout both chambers.
Please call your representatives and ask them to oppose H.R. 5727 and your senators to oppose S. 2809, Orrin Hatch’s (R-UT) companion Senate bill. Contact information for the House may be found by following the links here and for the Senate, here.
2. National Monuments Update
Comments Needed
DEADLINES: November 15 & 30
(ACTION ITEM)
The comment periods for the shrunken Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments are still open. It’s important that interested citizens submit their thoughts, especially if you have visited the areas or hope to some day.
Please see Item 1 in the last Update for detailed talking points and the links and addresses for commenting on the plans.
BLM has announced open houses in Utah for the planning processes.
Bears Ears NM
Tuesday, October 2
San Juan High School
311 N 100 E
Blanding
5 to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 3
Bluff Community Center
190 N 3rd St E
Bluff
5 to 8 p.m.
Thursday, October 4
White Horse High School
State Highway 262
Montezuma Creek
5 to 8 p.m.
Grand Staircase-Escalante NM
Monday, October 15
Escalante High School
70 N 1 W
Escalante
4 to 7 p.m.
Tuesday, October 16
Kanab Elementary School
41 W 100 N
Kanab
4 to 7 p.m.
In other news regarding the lawsuits filed against the administration’s shrinking of the monuments, Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled against the administration’s request for a change of venue from Washington, DC to Utah. Among the factors influencing her decision was that the “abundantly clear” and “substantial” national interest in the case outweighs the local interest.
Judge Chutkan also ordered the government to notify the plaintiffs if any proposals for hard-rock mining or other surface-disturbing projects are proposed within the original monuments.
This is good news for us. We’ll keep you posted on further developments.
The New Yorker published an article on the one of the Grand Staircase-Escalante lawsuits: Why Two Chefs in Small-Town Utah Decided to Sue President Trump.
IN CALIFORNIA
3. Rep. Huffman’s Pt. Reyes Ranching Bill Passes House
In Item 4 of the last Update we reported that Rep. Jared Huffman (D-2) had introduced a bill directing the Secretary of the Interior to issue 20-year leases to ranchers at Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County. After some minor amendments, the bill passed the House last week.
It remains to be seen how the bill, if signed into law, will affect the Park Service’s ongoing general management plan updating process at the seashore. One of the alternatives mandated by the previous court settlement is a “no ranching” alternative. This legislation would seem on its face to prevent such an alternative from being considered. Rep. Huffman denies it will interfere with the planning process.
Although the bill appeared suddenly, it seems something has been in the works for a while. Here’s an article from earlier in the year in the East Bay Express with some background information that might shed some light on the issue: Point Reyes Ranchers Create Lobbying Group to Weaken Protections for Public Lands. Note the quote in the article: “‘We just want to change the founding legislation of the [Point Reyes National Seashore] so that ranchers are guaranteed they’ll always be able to farm out there. [emphasis added]’”
Legislation for the Seashore passed 40 years ago this Fall gave leasebacks to ranchers of 25 years or for the life of the rancher or spouse, whichever was longer. Restrictions were also placed on transfers of leases outside of ranchers’ families. It’s clear that ranching was never intended to continue at Pt. Reyes “always.”
Congress should not manage our public lands at that level of detail. That is why our agencies hire land managers. The bill also sets a bad precedent for Congressional representatives to introduce similar laws for their districts.
Unfortunately, the misleading language in Rep. Huffman’s original bill, concerning the directive to “the Secretary of the Interior to manage the Point Reyes National Seashore … consistent with Congress’ longstanding intent to maintain working dairies and ranches on agricultural property,” is already being used as an example to support viewpoints opposing future restrictions on public lands grazing elsewhere. This letter to the editorabout the Emery County, Utah bill discussed in Item 1 appeared earlier this month.
The Marin Independent Journal published two op-eds, one opposing the legislation, Huffman wrong to protect Point Reyes cattle ranchers, and one in support of it, Huffman is doing what a political leader should do.
4. Vote NO on Prop. 3,
The Water Bond on November’s Ballot
(ACTION ITEM)
With early voting set to start before publication of our next Update, we’re joining the Sierra Club in coming out against Proposition 3 on the November ballot.
This statement from the Sierra Club, Proposition 3: A Fiscally Irresponsible Approach to California’s Water Problems, lists the reasons for voting against it. Some of them include:
• It was written and is being funded by groups that would receive bond money if it’s passed.
• Taxpayers would be paying for repairs to projects that are normally paid for by the recipients of the water.
• It could provide funding for raising dams and other environmentally harmful projects.
The San Francisco Chronicle published an editorial supporting the Club’s position and also pointing out that a similar proposal was defeated in 2002.
ALSO: Please make sure your voter registration is current. You can check it out at Vote.org, regardless of which state you live in. If you’re not registered for some reason, you can do it there, too. The deadline for registering in California is Monday, October 22, 15 days before the election.
IN GENERAL
5. Land & Water Conservation Fund Due to Expire
(ACTION ITEM)
The Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) will expire tomorrow, September 30, for the first time in its history. But all is not lost. The following (slightly edited) comes from Vicky Hoover, LWCF campaign director at the Sierra Club (and CalUWild co-founder):
In a surprise move earlier this month, the House Natural Resources Committee actually marked-up and voted on the bill to permanently reauthorize the Land & Water Conservation Fund, H.R. 502—-after its champion, Mr. Grijalva made a relatively minor compromise to overcome the chairman’s long-time hostility—and it was passed by the Committee!
This opens up the door to a full House vote.
Please thank the six Democrats from California who are on the Committee—and who vigorously defended the LWCF and fought off a few damaging amendments that were proposed by Rep. Gosar (R) of Arizona.
Jared Huffman (D-2): 202-225-5161
Jim Costa (D-16): 202-225-3341
Grace Napolitano (D-32): 202-225-5256
Jimmy Gomez (D-34): 202-225-6235
Alan Lowenthal (D-47): 202-225-7924
Nannette Barragán (D-44): 202-225-8220
The markup should really make it easier for more Republicans to cosponsor. And so far we still have only one from California — Steve Knight.
It STILL would be valuable and useful to get Walters, Royce, Issa and Duncan Hunter on as cosponsors of H.R. 502. The more cosponsors, the more effective political support. Please call the following
Ed Royce (R-39): 202-225-4111
Mimi Walters (R-45): 202-225-5611
Darrell Issa (R-49): 202-225-3906
Duncan Hunter (R-50): 202-225-5672
The more cosponsors, the more ammunition against damaging amendments, and against efforts to “rob” the LWCF to pay for parks maintenance—the final bill MUST leave dedicated funds for the LWCF alone and not waylay them into other programs—even if another new use for such funds—such as a new fund to address the maintenance backlog in our national park system—is a good use. It MUST be additive and totally separate from the LWCF.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that she would hold hearings next week to consider legislation to reauthorize the LWCF and a bill to fund maintenance in the national parks, too.
6. Job Listing: National Parks Conservation Association
Communications Manager
The position will be based in NPCA’s Oakland, CA office and will lead development and implementation of a national communications campaign related to oil and gas/harmful energy development near national parks. The manager will also lead communications strategy and outreach for the Southwest and Northwest regions.
For full details, click here.
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
7. 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 from the Center for Investigative Reporting: National park officials were told climate change was ‘sensitive.’ So they removed it from a key planning report
In The New Republic What the Public Lands Are Truly Worth: A new book argues that America’s forests and streams provide far more value than they cost to support. A review of In Defense of Public Lands: The Case against Privatization and Transfer
An article in The New Yorker: The Grand Canyon Needs to Be Saved By Every Generation
From the Taos News: Rio Grande Trail: Putting a 500-mile path on the ground
And in the New York Times: The Rio Grande Is Dying. Does Anyone Care?
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: cattle grazing, Emery County, Land & Water Conservation Fund, LWCF, National Monuments Review, Point Reyes National Seashore
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »
2018 May
May 27th, 2018
Juniper & Overlook (Patrick Dengate, oil on wood panel, 9″ x 12″)
May 26, 2018
Dear CalUWild friends—
It’s the Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional start of the summer vacation season. Our national parks are more crowded (and more popular) than ever. That shouldn’t necessarily dissuade you from visiting, but remember that there are many other federal public lands out there, uncrowded and worthy of visitation. Find some time this summer to enjoy them!
You can support CalUWild and own some artwork at the same time! Two CalUWild members have generously offered to contribute proceeds from sales of their art to CalUWild.
Patrick Dengate, whose painting is above and whom we’ve featured in the Update previously (here, here and here), is an artist and one of the founders of Michigan Friends of Redrock Wilderness. He works in various media and has a series of paintings of the West, including Juniper & Overlook. Patrick will contribute 50% of the sales price to support CalUWild’s work. Click here for a catalog of 14 paintings. Visit his website to see more of his varied work.
Margie Lopez Read is a longtime Utah wilderness activist and artist who splits her time between Utah and California. She sells her art strictly as a way to support worthy nonprofit organizations, and she would like to include CalUWild among those. Her website is here. Check it out, and if there’s something you might be interested in, contact Margie through her website for more information on pricing and payment.
Finally, we still have a very limited number of Wilderness Act 50th Anniversary posters, featuring a block print by renowned California artist Tom Killion. The poster measures 18″ x 24″, and the price is $10 apiece, plus postage and shipping ($5 for 1 or 2, $5.50 for 3). If you’re interested, send a check for the proper amount, along with your name and address, to:
CalUWild
P.O. Box 210474
San Francisco, CA 94121-0474
As always, thanks for your interest in and support for our wilderness and public lands!
Best wishes,
Mike
IN UTAH
1. Bad San Rafael Swell Bill Introduced
(ACTION ITEM)
IN CALIFORNIA
2. Carrizo Plain National Monument Oil Exploration
Letters Needed
(ACTION ITEM)
3. Ballot Measure Endorsement
YES on Prop. 68
Don’t Forget to Vote June 5
(ACTION ITEM)
IN ALASKA
4. Rep. Jared Huffman Introduces Bill
To Stop Drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge
(ACTION ITEM)
IN GENERAL
5. National Monuments Review Documents Released
And Monument Photos Needed
(ACTION ITEM)
6. Job Announcements
a. Western Environmental Law Center
b. Oregon Natural Desert Association
c. Bay Area Wilderness Training
d. SUWA Service Project Volunteers
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
7. Links to Articles of Interest
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN UTAH
1. Bad San Rafael Swell Bill Introduced
(ACTION ITEM)
Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) and Rep. John Curtis (R) have introduced the Emery County Public Land Management Act of 2018, companion bills S. 2809 and H.R. 5727, in the Senate and House respectively. The legislation is a follow-up to Rep. Rob Bishop’s (R-UT) failed Public Lands Initiative (PLI) of 2016, but in reality it’s worse than what was proposed then.
The bill makes permanent all the existing routes in both the NCA and wilderness areas, meaning that the BLM will not be able to manage those areas with conservation and wilderness priorities. A management advisory council for the NCA will be created that allows for disproportionate local representation.
Although the act establishes the “San Rafael Swell Western Heritage and Historic Mining National Conservation Area” and the “Jurassic National Monument,” it only designates about one third of the wilderness included in America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act. This amount is even less than was in the PLI. Furthermore many of these areas already have some level of protection as wilderness study areas (WSAs) or natural areas. Important areas in the Swell, such as Muddy Creek, the Mussentuchit Badlands and Molen Reef are completely ignored. Labyrinth Canyon on the Green River receives protection only on its west bank, because it is in Emery County.
The bill also transfers management of federal land near Goblin Valley State Park to the State of Utah.
You may read the text of the House bill here.
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance has a page with its analysis of the bill, and also photos of some of the spectacular affected areas.
It looks like we have a good fight ahead, either to improve the bill, as happened with the Washington County bill in 2009, or to defeat it totally. Complicating the situation is the fact that Sen. Orrin Hatch is retiring this year, so some members may feel influenced to give him a retirement “gift.”
Regardless, we oppose the legislation as it stands now. Please contact your senators and congressional representatives to let them know that.
If you live in a state other than California, contact information for your senators may be found here.
Full contact information for California members may be found by following the links here, and for other states by following the links here.
IN CALIFORNIA
2. Carrizo Plain National Monument Oil Exploration
Letters Needed
(ACTION ITEM)
The following alert comes from our friends at Los Padres ForestWatch. Please write a letter to California State BLM Director Jerry Perez. Use the talking points below, but please, in your own words. If you have been to the Carrizo Plain, make sure to mention, saying what you found special about the place!
The Department of the Interior has approved a new oil well and pipeline at the base of the Caliente Mountains in the Carrizo Plain National Monument. This is the first new oil development approved in the national monument since it was established in 2001, and the approval comes just months after the Trump Administration considered revoking the Carrizo Plain’s protected status altogether.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) — the agency responsible for approving the new oil well — failed to consult with its sister wildlife agency, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, to examine ways to lessen impacts on rare plants and animals such as the San Joaquin kit fox, California condor, giant kangaroo rat, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, and Kern mallow — all critically endangered species. The BLM also approved the new well and pipeline despite the fact that neither are consistent with the Management Plan for the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
This decision is in stark contrast to a decision by the BLM two years ago to allow the oil company to abandon an existing well so that the agency could reclaim the oil pad and access road, remove its rusty equipment, and restore the area to natural conditions. The Trump Administration is now backtracking on those plans.
You can help stop the new oil well and pipeline from going forward. Send a letter to BLM State Director Jerry Perez to let him know that you are strongly opposed to new drilling on the Carrizo Plain National Monument and that the agency should instead move forward with their previous plans to restore the oil pad to natural conditions.
Talking points:
• This is the first new oil well and pipeline on the Carrizo Plain since the area was designated a national monument in 2001. Please reconsider this decision.
• The new well and pipeline aren’t consistent with the management plan for the Carrizo Plain National Monument. This plan was developed after years of public input, and its provisions should be followed.
• The well and pipeline would also be visible from the Caliente Mountain Wilderness Study Area and when driving along Route 166. These and other impacts require more robust review.
• BLM didn’t consult with federal wildlife agencies to ensure the protection of imperiled species like the San Joaquin kit fox, California condor, giant kangaroo rat, San Joaquin antelope squirrel and Kern mallow.
• BLM should proceed with the 2016 plan to remove abandoned equipment from this same area where the new oil well and pipeline would be installed and restore the area to natural conditions. This would be consistent with the Carrizo Plain’s management plan, which requires prompt abandonment and reclamation of non-producing facilities in the national monument.
Letters should be addressed to:
Mr. Jerry Perez
California State Director
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
2800 Cottage Way, Suite W1623
Sacramento, CA 95825
Via email: castatedirector@blm.gov
3. Ballot Measure Endorsement
YES on Prop. 68
Don’t Forget to Vote June 5
(ACTION ITEM)
Statewide, voters are being asked to approve a bond measure, Proposition 68, in support of the state parks and other parks, as well as other environmental needs. Our parks are always underfunded and we have many other long-term needs, both conservation-related and in the general environment. If passed, 15 – 20% of the bonds’ funds would be dedicated to projects in lower-income communities. All the major newspapers and conservation organizations in the state support Prop. 68.
IN ALASKA
4. Rep. Jared Huffman Introduces Bill
To Stop Drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge
(ACTION ITEM)
This week, California Rep. Jared Huffman (D-2), one of strongest congressional supporters of wilderness and public lands, introduced the Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act. The following information is taken from an alert sent our by our friends at the Alaska Wilderness League.
Representative Jared Huffman has introduced the “Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act” to keep oil rigs out of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Arctic Refuge drilling only passed as part of December’s heinous tax bill because Republican leadership used it to lock up Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski’s swing vote. Drilling and the tax bill remain deeply unpopular with the American people.
The “Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act” repeals Arctic Refuge drilling from the tax bill. It prevents the sacrifice of our wildest landscape so that oil companies and billionaires can get even richer.
Stand up for the Gwich’in people who rely on the Arctic Refuge and the calving caribou that raise young there. The Arctic Refuge and its coastal plain also supports denning polar bears and their cubs, wolves, foxes, muskoxen, and more than 200 migratory and resident bird species. This is not a place to drill for oil.
CalUWild friend Erik DuMont wrote an op-ed piece in The Hill this week about the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge and Rep. Huffman’s bill.
Please contact your representative and ask them to support Rep. Huffman’s bill. Full contact information for California members may be found by following the links here, and for other states by following the links here.
Please also contact Rep. Huffman’s office to thank him for introducing the bill.
Washington, DC office:
1406 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5161
For Rep. Huffman’s local offices or to comment via webform, follow the links here.
IN GENERAL
5. National Monuments Review Documents Released
And Monument Photos Needed
(ACTION ITEM)
As the result of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the Department of the Interior has released a large number of documents related to the national monument review process and the president’s executive order mandating it.
It can all be found here. Here are the monument- and content-specific links.
Monument/Topic Specific FOIA Docs (May 2018)
Basin and Range NM
Bears Ears NM
Bears Ears Zinke Staff Correspondence
Carrizo Plain NM
Giant Sequoia NM
Gold Butte NM
Grand Staircase-Escalante NM
Katahdin Woods and Waters NM
Meetings Held by Zinke Staff
Mojave Trails NM
National Monument Report
Northeast Canyons and Seamounts NM
NRDC
Process for Reviewing Public Comments
Public Comment Review
Review of National Monuments under EO 13792
One of the more notable revelations, though not really that surprising, is that one of the officials involved in the review, Randal Bowman, said—one week after the initial executive order was released— that it was very unlikely that they would learn anything new from the comments submitted. “Essentially, barring a surprise, there is no new information that’s going to be submitted,” Bowman is quoted as saying.
In other words, the fix was in from the beginning. You can read more details in this article in The Hill.
And a reminder from last month: Throughout the month of May, the monumentsforall.org website is asking monument supporters to upload photos from places protected by the Antiquities Act. Pictures with people enjoying and exploring our monuments are especially welcome. Also pictures of historic and cultural monuments, not just landscape monuments, are particularly needed.
Deadline: May 31
Thanks for your submissions!
6. Job Announcements
a. Western Environmental Law Center
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, experienced attorney to join our team. This position will use a full complement of legal advocacy tools to: (1) protect public lands, wildlife, and communities from fossil fuel projects; (2) engage federal and state legislative, policy, and rulemaking processes to advance climate action; and (3) support a just transition for communities away from fossil fuels. This full-time position will be located in our Taos, New Mexico office and will be filled as soon as possible.
Requirements and qualifications for the position include:
• Deep familiarity with Western U.S. climate, fossil fuel, and public lands legal issues, with knowledge of New Mexico’s legal framework, communities, and lands a significant plus.
• At least six years of litigation experience, with administrative advocacy and strategic/policy campaign experience a significant plus.
• Ability and willingness to use a complete set of legal advocacy tools including litigation, collaboration, administrative engagement, and rule and policy development.
• Admission to and good standing with a state bar and willingness to obtain membership to the New Mexico bar, if not already admitted, at the earliest opportunity after hiring.
• A science or technical background in climate, energy, or public lands-related issues is a significant 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 and to WELC’s mission and strategies.
• Demonstrated commitment to conceptualizing and executing legal strategies that further WELC’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice.
• A positive, friendly, and enthusiastic attitude towards making the world a better place.
• A love and respect for the public lands, wildlife, and communities of the Western U.S.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning June 6, 2018 until the position is filled, with a start date no later than September 2018. 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; and
(3) minimum of three references
Cover letters should clearly communicate the applicant’s commitment to WELC’s mission and advocacy and their motivation to work in the public interest legal field. Please do not reiterate qualifications communicated by your resume. 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.
b. Oregon Natural Desert Association
From the Oregon Natural Desert Association:
Oregon Natural Desert Association Executive Director Brent Fenty will be shifting into a new role as head of the Oregon Desert Land Trust and ONDA’s board of directors has launched a nationwide search for our next leader.
Our executive director job description is now ready.
We’re seeking candidates who are:
• Passionate about Oregon’s high desert
• Solutions-oriented with a strong work ethic
• Committed to celebrating teamwork and maintaining the organization’s unique and effective culture, based on mutual respect, trust, and the beliefs of the organization
• Proficient in fundraising, communications and development
• Knowledgeable about conservation issues, policies and practices
Anyone interested in applying for this position should contact The Forest Group, by emailing Mary Mallif, mary@theforestgroup.com.
With a committed and growing membership base, a seasoned and passionate board and staff, and a slate of compelling initiatives, ONDA is an effective and thriving organization. We look forward to interviewing candidates who will help us become an even stronger force for conservation.
P.S. For future opportunities to work at or intern for ONDA, keep an eye on our careers page or follow us on LinkedIn.
c. Bay Area Wilderness Training
Our friends at Bay Area Wilderness Training have two job openings. Below are the position summaries, with links to further information.
Program Director
The Program Director, who reports directly to the Executive Director, has broad and deep responsibilities to ensure that Bay Area Wilderness Training is fully meeting the goals set forth in the organizations mission and vision. It has been said that the Program Director is the “heart beat” of the organization and as such they play a key role in supervising and hiring program staff, creating and ensuring high quality programs, and maximizing organizational reach, capacity, and efficiency. Top areas of responsibility include supervision and management, program development, oversight of client services, partnerships, growth, data tracking and reporting, and support of organizational operations. Currently, the Program Director oversees a team of four staff with the potential to grow.
For more information on the position and qualifications, click here.
Program Associate
Program Associate will directly report to the Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT) Gear Library & Operations Manager and will support ongoing operations of the Oakland, San Francisco, and South Bay (Milpitas) outdoor equipment gear libraries. The highest level of independence is expected. Initiative and a proactive approach are a must. The top priority responsibilities associated with this position are as follows: gear inventory control and maintenance, coordinating gear pick-ups and drop-offs, trip report & invoice tracking, client support and correspondence, client (teacher & youth worker) recruitment and relationship management, volunteer outreach and support, and efficient operations overall.
Learn more about the position here
d. SUWA Service Project Volunteers
From our friends at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance:
Into the Field: Volunteer with SUWA this Summer
Summer is upon us and our Field Crews are gearing up for a season of high elevation volunteering! Several spots remain open on our first batch of June-July-August Projects and I invite you to join the ranks of our 111 volunteers who have put in over 1,255 service hours to date in 2018! Scroll down this page for an overview of our early to midsummer project calendar.
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
7. Links to Articles 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 Administration, Dept. of the Interior & Secty. Ryan Zinke
In the New York Times: Patagonia v. Trump
In the Washington Post: Trump administration moves to weaken protections for this unique American bird
In The Economist: The parable of the sage grouse
Good news: The 9th Circuit ruled that the he Bi-State population of sage grouse in the Mono Basin had been improperly delisted. See this article in Courthouse News.
An op-ed in the Washington Post: Walk with us, Ryan Zinke, and see the folly in what you’ve done
An article in MediaMatters: A timeline of scandals and ethical shortfalls at Ryan Zinke’s Interior Department
An op-ed in Mountain Journal: Ryan Zinke Now Claims To Be A Born-Again Conservationist
Scientific American and E&E News: Interior’s Handling of Science Gives Climate Advocates a Sense of Déjà Vu
An article in Science: Drilling boom threatens web of ancient roads in Southwest
The Los Angeles Times: The Trump agenda has Native American tribes feeling under siege
Other topics
The Sacramento Bee on the Klamath Basin: Can an uneasy truce hold off another water rebellion on California’s northern border?
An op-ed in the New York Times on ecological balance in the Great Basin: Let Mountain Lions Eat Horses
An op-ed in High Country News: The playground of Lake Powell isn’t worth drowned canyons
We haven’t been including links to videos recently because they trigger SPAM filters at various ISPs, and it’s very difficult to get around them. Sorry if you’ve missed them!
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: Alaska NWR, Emery County, may, National Monuments Review, newsletter
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »
2018 February
March 3rd, 2018
In the Needles, Canyonlands National Park, Utah (Mike Painter)
February 28, 2018
Dear CalUWild friends—
The administration continues its thinly-disguised reviews of monuments, plans, and regulations in the hopes of overturning many of the decisions enacted over the last few years. (See ITEMS 1 & 3.) Almost all of these had been made with substantial public input, and there is no rational reason for them to be revisited. The only explanation is that opponents of public land protection (and many other environmental issues) have the ears of the current administration and Congress.
We’re confident that they won’t be successful in all their attempts to roll back the clock, but it will require many people to be vigilant and active.
CalUWild remains committed to providing the information people need to speak out effectively in defense of our public lands, whether to Congress, the administration, or the press.
Thank you for your interest and efforts!
Best wishes,
Mike
IN UTAH
1. National Monuments Update
Comments Needed
DEADLINE: March 19
(ACTION ITEM)
2. Central Wasatch National Conservation
& Recreation Area Act
(ACTION ITEM)
IN CALIFORNIA
3. Desert Renewable Energy Plan Under Attack
Comments Needed
DEADLINE: March 22
(ACTION ITEM)
4. 4 Wheel Bob — Film Showing in:
San Rafael (March 18)
Albany (March 21)
IN GENERAL
5. Job Listings
a. Friends of Nevada Wilderness
b. Mono Lake Committee
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
6. Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN UTAH
1. National Monuments Update
Comments Needed
DEADLINE: March 19
(ACTION ITEM)
As we mentioned in last month’s Update, the BLM is currently undertaking planning processes for the replacement national monuments in Utah. We have some more detailed talking points below. The deadline for comments is currently March 19, though if additional public meetings are scheduled, the deadline will be extended at least 15 days after the last meeting. But it’s better not to take any chances.
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
— 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@blm.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
An ironically-timed article appeared in the Washington Post: Spectacular fossils found at Bears Ears — right where Trump removed protections
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
— 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@blm.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
In ITEM 2 of last month’s Update we mentioned The ANTIQUITIES Act of 2108, S. 2354. Unnoticed in the information provided by Sen. Tom Udall and omitted from our discussion is a provision in the bill that would congressionally designate all 1.9 million acres of the original Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition proposal, rather than the 1.3 million that was designated by Pres. Obama. That’s even more reason to support it!
2. Central Wasatch National Conservation
& Recreation Area Act
(ACTION ITEM)
Much of CalUWild’s work in Utah has focused on areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management. But Utah has significant national forest lands, as well, and some of it is even wilderness! One important area is the Wasatch Front, the mountains behind Salt Lake City and stretching south from there.
A Utah organization, Save Our Canyons, has put forward a proposal that would, in their words
protect 80,000 acres of public land through the designation of the “Central Wasatch National Conservation & Recreation Area.” Once passed, this legislation will connect fragmented land with areas currently under federal protection, designate additional wilderness areas, and limit future development in the Wasatch, all while protecting our shared values of natural places.
More information on the proposal may be found here, and a series of maps detailing various aspects of the proposal may be found here.
Finally, there is an online petition in support of the proposal. Please sign it here.
We’ll keep you posted as the proposal develops further, including any legislation.
3. Desert Renewable Energy Plan Under Attack
Comments Needed
DEADLINE: March 22
(ACTION ITEM)
The Bureau of Land Management last month announced plans to review the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), put into place after years of discussion and compromise among many interested parties. The administration said it would like to allow more renewable energy installations, off-road vehicle use, and mining and grazing. The DRECP covers almost 11 million acres of BLM lands in seven California counties: Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego. See below for more background on the DRECP.
BLM is holding scoping meetings at the following locations over the next week.
Friday, March 2, 2018
3pm – 5pm
Fairfield Inn & Suites
503 E Danenberg Dr., El Centro, CA 92243
Monday, March 5, 2018
1pm – 3pm
DoubleTree Hotel
2001 Point West Way, Sacramento, CA 95815
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
5pm – 7pm
Bakersfield Field Office
3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
5pm – 7pm
UC Riverside, Palm Desert Center, Auditorium
75080 Frank Sinatra Dr., Palm Desert, CA 92211
Please attend if you can!
The following comes from our friends at the California Wilderness Coalition:
ACTION ALERT: 4.2 million acres of protected desert lands under attack
Defending the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan
The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) is a visionary blueprint for balancing conservation, energy development, and recreation on our priceless desert public lands. While protecting desert lands for recreation and wildlife, the DRECP dedicates an area larger than the city of Los Angeles for renewable energy projects – which California energy regulators say is ample for meeting the state’s renewable energy goals. Despite this, the Trump administration claims that even more land may be required for development.
Re-opening the DRECP puts at risk over four million acres of protected conservation lands, including Silurian Valley, Chuckwalla Bench, Conglomerate Mesa, and Panamint Valley, and will undoubtedly harm the scenic vistas, dark skies, wildflower displays, and the myriad recreational opportunities these lands provide. Revising the DRECP could also greatly harm many iconic species such as desert bighorn sheep and desert tortoise.
During the more than eight-year planning process, federal, state and local governments, conservationists, energy producers, recreationists, and desert residents participated in about a dozen public meetings to help create the DRECP. In addition, BLM took into consideration more than 16,000 public comments when it finalized the plan. The fact that the DRECP was never challenged in court is a testament to the buy-in that was achieved as a result of this careful listening process. Please join our coalition members in declaring this process unnecessary, counter-productive, and ultimately detrimental to California’s precious desert lands and state efforts to grow renewable energy.
Talking points adapted from CWC:
— Oppose any attempt to re-open the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP). The DRECP should be implemented as is.
— There is no justification for re-opening this Plan that was only finalized about 17 months ago. Re-opening the DRECP to years of arguing, uncertainty, and litigation is a waste of taxpayer dollars and valuable government resources. I strongly urge the Department of the Interior to leave it alone.
— There was broad public support for the plan and more than eight years of collaboration between federal, local, and state government, energy producers, conservationists, and recreationists helped produce it.
— The Department of Interior must maintain protections for the special lands that were designated as California Desert National Conservation Lands and Areas of Critical Environmental Concern. These wild lands encompass many spectacular and outstanding values such as colorful wildflower displays, endangered wildlife habitat, and opportunities for recreation and solitude that should be preserved for future generations. The DRECP’s conservation and recreation aspects not only protect special places but also bring significant tourism dollars into California, which drives local economies.
Submit comments on issues and planning criteria
via Email to BLM_CA_DRECP@blm.gov
or by U.S. Mail to:
Mr. Jerry Perez
BLM-California State Director
2800 Cottage Way, Rm W–1623
Sacramento, CA 95825
In related news, the administration is also opening up 1.3 million acres of desert lands to mining, reversing a withdrawal that the Obama administration put in place in 2016. You may read details in this San Bernardino Desert Sun article: Trump administration opens millions of acres of California desert to mining
4. 4 Wheel Bob — Film Showing in:
San Rafael (March 18)
Albany (March 21)
One frequently hears from opponents of wilderness that its designation shuts out people who can’t hike. However, people are able to explore in various other ways, whether on horseback, canoes, rafts, or kayaks, or even wheelchairs (which are allowed, despite a general prohibition on mechanical transport). Here’s a film about one man’s adventure:
At the Smith Rafael Film Center:
Bay Area filmmaker Tal Skloot will present his film portrait of Bob Coomber, who will join him for discussion. 4 Wheel Bob follows Coomber, an intrepid adventurer who sets out to be the first wheelchair hiker to cross the 11,845-foot Kearsarge Pass in the Sierra Nevada. Bob had grown up in Piedmont in a family of avid backpackers and, while hiking in his early 20s, shattered his leg in a struggle related to juvenile diabetes and subsequent osteoporosis. After a period of depression, Bob adopted a philosophy of “no excuses” and, confined to his wheelchair, took increasingly strenuous hikes, using only his arms to get around. And as you will see, the Kearsarge Pass can be a dangerous climb. (2017) 72 min. plus discussion.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Sunday, March 18
1118 Fourth St, San Rafael, CA 94901
4:15 p.m.
The film will also be shown at the Albany Film Fest on
Wednesday March 21
Albany Twin Theatre
1115 Solano Ave, Albany, CA 94706
7:30 p.m.
Go to the film’s website to view a trailer. There are no other screening listed, but there is a mailing list you can join.
IN GENERAL
5. Job Listings
a. Friends of Nevada Wilderness
From our friends to the east:
Friends of Nevada Wilderness is hiring for the 2018 summer field season! We are happy to announce that we currently have 13 seasonal positions available. If you or someone you know would be interested in spending the summer in living and working in some of Nevada’s most wild areas, please consider applying for one of the positions listed here.
b. Mono Lake Committee
From our friends at the Mono Lake Committee:
Mono Lake Committee seasonal jobs available
If you’ve always wanted to spend a summer at Mono Lake, now is your chance—we still have open seasonal staff positions for summer 2018, including Mono Lake Intern, Canoe Program Coordinator, Outdoor Education Instructor, and Information Center & Bookstore Assistant. Summer at Mono Lake is… the busiest and most activity-filled season, and seasonal staff jobs include leading interpretive tours, helping visitors in the bookstore, and canoeing on Mono Lake, among many other varied tasks. We accept applications from people of all ages, whether you’re looking for an internship between college semesters, or you’re interested in a post-retirement summer of work.
To apply, please send a cover letter and résumé to Office Director Jessica Horn, either by email or by mail to PO Box 29, Lee Vining, CA 93541.
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.
To see how deep the anti-public lands sentiment runs among Utah’s politicians, read this Salt Lake Tribune article: Bill seeks to limit how Utah city and local officials speak up in favor of public-lands protections
In response to one argument made by the federal pubic lands opponents, John Leshy, Professor Emeritus at UC Hastings and former Interior Department Solicitor has written this comprehensive law review article: Are U.S. Public Lands Unconstitutional. Follow the link on the page to see the full article. It’s long but the pages are short with lots of footnotes. It’s very readable.
An op-ed in the NY Times: Protecting America’s Last Great Animal Migrations
New national parks in Chile: Protecting Wilderness as an Act of Democracy
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, DRECP, february, grand staircase-escalante, National Monuments Review, 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
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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
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: job listings, national monuments, National Monuments Review
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »