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Early in its term, the Trump Administration reduced protections and boundaries of two National Monuments in Utah - Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. The previous designation of these monuments was the result of decades of advocacy by native nations to protect their ancestral homes from development and to honor the health of these lands. The Administration's action was an affront not just to those groups, but to all people who have tried to permanently protecting land through conservation.
This signaled the beginning of continuous attempts to undermine public lands nationwide. The Administration has since proposed allowing Federal agencies to transfer lands to non-Federal entities, eliminating Congress' role in this process. Historically, Congressional authority has been instrumental to protecting places like Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and other Federal public lands.
Openlands adamantly opposes any effort to curtail protections for conserved federal lands. We see the Administration's actions as attempts to establish harmful legal precedents that undo conservation protections for invaluable natural areas across the country. Their actions test the legal and political bounds of the Administration's ability to destroy decades of land protection success. It is a dangerous step toward what could be a future threat to National Wildlife Refuges and National Tallgrass Prairies in our region, and must be met with our strongest opposition.
Please complete the form below to contact your elected officials in Washington and request that they oppose any actions that reduce protections for public lands.
Early in its term, the Trump Administration reduced protections and boundaries of two National Monuments in Utah - Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. The previous designation of these monuments was the result of decades of advocacy by native nations to protect their ancestral homes from development and to honor the health of these lands. The Administration's action was an affront not just to those groups, but to all people who have tried to permanently protecting land through conservation.
This signaled the beginning of continuous attempts to undermine public lands nationwide. The Administration has since proposed allowing Federal agencies to transfer lands to non-Federal entities, eliminating Congress' role in this process. Historically, Congressional authority has been instrumental to protecting places like Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and other Federal public lands.
Openlands adamantly opposes any effort to curtail protections for conserved federal lands. We see the Administration's actions as attempts to establish harmful legal precedents that undo conservation protections for invaluable natural areas across the country. Their actions test the legal and political bounds of the Administration's ability to destroy decades of land protection success. It is a dangerous step toward what could be a future threat to National Wildlife Refuges and National Tallgrass Prairies in our region, and must be met with our strongest opposition.
Please complete the form below to contact your elected officials in Washington and request that they oppose any actions that reduce protections for public lands.
Openlands works at every level to protect the open spaces of the Chicago metropolitan region. This action is only for Illinois residents, but we still need your voice to support a number of federal proposals to protect open space and to support conservation. Learn more and speak up.