In April, against the backdrop of President Trump’s savage attack on our national monuments and environmental protection generally, our congressional champions, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), reintroduced America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act in both houses of Congress.

This year marks the 28th anniversary of the visionary legislation that would safeguard some of the nation’s most spectacular landscapes with wilderness designation of 9.2 million acres of BLM land in Utah. The Senate bill, S. 948, boasted 18 original cosponsors at introduction and the House companion measure, HR. 2044, had 30. In total, cosponsorships included members from 22 states, a breadth of support that underscores the affection Americans have for the canyon country.

“These national treasures are our birthright as Americans, and are a bedrock part of who we are as a people,” said Lowenthal. “My bill will safeguard these wild and precious lands, as well as the waters, flora, and fauna within them. This is in keeping with the powerful American ethos of conservation as embodied by John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt, Olaus and Mardy Murie, Aldo Leopold and so many other champions of our great wild places.”

SUWA’s efforts to save our beloved redrock wouldn’t be possible without the enduring dedication, courage, and leadership of champions like Sen. Durbin and Rep. Lowenthal. We cannot thank them enough. If you are a constituent of either of these conservation giants, we urge you to take the time to thank them, too. Call (202) 224-3121 (ask to be connected to the appropriate office) or send them a message via our website at suwa.org/ThankYou.

To see if your members of Congress have cosponsored America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, go to suwa.org/cosponsors. To ask your legislators to cosponsor America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, call (202) 224-3121 or go to suwa.org/SponsorARRWA.

(From Redrock Wilderness newsletter, summer 2017 issue)