Trump Gov Should Not Sell U.S. Public Lands
This is the message from the current CEO of Patagonia. Places noted as being threatened include Bears Ears National Monument, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the watershed of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
According to Ryan Gellert, CEO of Patagonia, the Trump administration is making plans to reduce and sell off large swaths of our public lands to oil, gas and mining interests. “This would bring irreparable harm to the Indigenous stewards of these lands, the outdoor industry and critical ecosystems we all depend on,” says Gellert.
Gellert recently wrote a piece for Time, in which he said, “The government’s plans could revoke our access to hike, climb, camp, fish and hunt in the places we treasure. Small-business owners who rely on tourists would suffer from the drop in visitation. The entire surrounding communities would be affected by the economic shift and the pollution that would come when the drilling or mining starts.” Read his piece here. And according to American Progressive, “President Donald Trump’s executive order to create a sovereign wealth fund requires that the United States come up with heaps of cash quickly, which may make selling out and selling off public lands irresistible.”
And while Patagonia is taking on possible changes to public lands, the Access Fund has put out a news release about the recent firings of National Park staff, saying, “Replacing highly skilled and committed permanent employees with temporary workers can potentially lead to lower quality of service for jobs that have life-and-death implications. Further, a hiring freeze on permanent staff means that senior-level vacancies, such as superintendents and division chiefs, cannot be filled, leading to increased confusion and lack of leadership. And finally, young people with the skills and passion to be committed public servants are less likely to seek careers in land management agencies.” Read the full story here.
A new map and data from The Wilderness Society illustrate the potential reach of executive and secretarial orders issued to fulfill President Trump’s fossil fuel-centric “energy dominance” vision. Places at risk include Bears Ears National Monument, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the watershed of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. See the map here.
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