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Bears Ears Archives
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September 21st, 2017Read More »The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) this afternoon released an environmental study in support of its proposal to offer 46 leases (encompassing approximately 57,000 acres) for oil and gas development on federal public land in southeastern Utah.
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September 18th, 2017FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2017Contact:
Laura Peterson, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, 801.236.3762
Stephen Bloch, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, 801.428.3981Last Friday afternoon, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance filed a lawsuit in Utah’s Third District Court alleging that San Juan County repeatedly violated Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act when county commissioners met with Interior Secretary Zinke, Interior Department officials and Members of Congress in closed-door meetings to discuss the fate of Bears Ears National Monument. In the lawsuit, SUWA asserts that on multiple occasions in May and June of this year, San Juan County commissioners met with Interior Secretary Zinke and other officials in both Utah and Washington, DC regarding the future of Bears Ears National Monument. The meetings were not publicly noticed and county commissioners did not allow members of the public to attend or participate in the meeting.
“The San Juan County Commission’s repeated closed-door meetings are blatant violations of Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act. County commissioners are required to conduct public business out in the open, not in secret,” said Laura Peterson, staff attorney for SUWA.
Last month, SUWA filed suit against Kane and Garfield Counties for similar violations of the Open and Public Meetings Act regarding the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
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August 31st, 2017Labor Day commemorates the social and economic achievements of American workers. This century-old tradition began in the spirit of protest from laborers fighting for fair wages, better working conditions, and a 40-hour work week.
These days we get to celebrate this tradition in the spirit of leisure, often by spending time in public lands across America on Labor Day weekend.
SUWA supporters and members nationally have worked for decades to protect America’s redrock public lands. Amid the ongoing attack on national monuments, you’ve taken a stand. You’ve showed up at rallies, met with your legislators, called public officials, written to local newspapers, and volunteered countless hours to conserve public land in Utah for all.
This hard work to save our national monuments was largely ignored by Interior Secretary Zinke in his recent report to the president recommending that Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments be reduced. So this Labor Day weekend, let’s make ourselves visible. If your plans take you to public lands anywhere, capture photos of your adventures and let the pictures do the talking.
Demonstrate your support for the irreplaceable treasures protected in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by posting your weekend images on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If Interior Secretary Zinke and the Trump administration can’t hear the nation’s call for the complete preservation of national monuments in Utah, this is a proactive way to show them.
Join us in the national movement to preserve monuments in Utah by sharing your public land images on social media, commenting on your support for public lands in Utah, and using the hashtags:
#SaveGrandStaircase | #ProtectBearsEars | #MonumentsForAll
#ProtectWildUtah | #LaborDayTag SUWA, Interior Secretary Zinke, and the President of the United States to assure you are seen:
- @protectwildutah, @usinterior, @realdonaldtrump on Instagram
- @SouthernUtahWildernessAlliance, @SecretaryRyanZinke, @POTUS on Facebook
- @SouthernUTWild, @SecretaryZinke, @POTUS on Twitter
Please wordsmith your own post using the hashtags and profile tags above.
We wish you fun adventures on this holiday weekend, and thank you for your active support of wild Utah.
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August 24th, 2017Today, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke sent his final monument report to the White House.
Remarkably, Secretary Zinke refused to divulge what his final recommendations are. But early reports from the Washington Post indicate that Zinke is recommending President Trump unilaterally (and illegally) shrink both Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments.
Secretary Zinke’s illegal recommendations to the president are the latest salvo in this administration’s continued attacks on America’s public lands.
It’s outrageous that after 99% of the more than 2.8 million comments received by the secretary supported keeping our monuments protected, Secretary Zinke is still recommending that the president illegally attack our national treasures.
The truth is, President Trump doesn’t have the legal authority to modify a national monument. If Trump follows Zinke’s recommendations, SUWA’s attorneys—working in concert with our partners from around the country—will quickly challenge his illegal action in court.
To avoid years of costly litigation, President Trump would do well to simply throw Secretary Zinke’s report in the White House trash.
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August 24th, 2017In response to news that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has delivered his monuments report to the White House, SUWA executive director Scott Groene released the following statement:
“Secretary Zinke’s illegal recommendations to the President are the latest salvo in this administration’s attacks on America’s public lands. It’s outrageous that after 99% of the more than 2.8 million comments received by the Secretary supported keeping our monuments protected, Secretary Zinke is still recommending the President illegally attack our national treasures. President Trump should throw this report away.”
Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument, Devils Garden.