Thank you for any consideration.
On April 26th, our current Presidunce, at the behest of Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, signed an executive order to review 27 national monument designations over the last 21 years.
"I can't speak for the president but I can say he knows what I want," Hatch said. "He's done this basically for me."
That time frame means the review will be bookended with the 1.9 million acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah that was declared in 1996 by President Clinton, and the most recent 1.35 million acre Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah declared by President Obama last December. The White House advisory on the executive order specifically calls out Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante as “two examples of modern abuses of the Antiquities Act.”
On Bears Ears, Obama had waited to give the Utah delegation time to work on their “Public Lands Initiative”, but that failed and was never proposed in Congress so he acted before he left office. Upon inspection, you’ll see the PLI is actually a land development bill disingenuously touted as a conservation measure. Actually, the acreage declared by Obama closely mirrored the acreage proposed in the delegation's PLI.
A total of 27 monuments from across the nation will be reviewed by June 10th (is there one in your area?), but the Bears Ears is being singled out for expedited review. The comment period is only 15 days long ENDING THIS WEEK ON MAY 26th. And Trump’s comment that Bears Ears “never should have been done” gives us an idea where this is headed. To the courts probably, as there has never been a rescission of a national monument once established.
If you would please find time to send a comment to Secretary Zinke, that would be very helpful. Even a simple “Leave Bears Ears as the monument it is now” would be sufficient.
You can comment in a variety of ways.
The best way might be through this link to the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. https://suwa.org/comment/ And more information and talking points are there also. I recommend this link and organization.
You could even send a tweet right now to Secretary Ryan Zinke and tell him to leave Grand Staircase and Bears Ears alone. Here’s a sample:
.@SecretaryZinke please #StandwithBearsEars and leave #grandstaircase intact. #Keepitpublic #monumentsforall
By phone, you could call the Secretary’s office directly at 202-208-7351
Secretary Zinke was recently in Utah and got his ears bent by Utah’s politicians and barely listened to proponents. If you’re interested, a bunch of links to stories from the Salt Lake Tribune can be found here on the bottom left of the page. http://www.sltrib.com/home/5266754-155/zinke-sees-bears-ears-in-aerial
And here's the latest alert from Utah Dine Bikeyah, with lots of links and information.
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Please share & forward this newsletter!
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Dear Bears Ears Supporter --
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Each day the sun swings higher over Bears Ears as spring slides rapidly toward summer. Migrating birds return, filling the washes and woodlands with song.
Just as the sun shines hotter every day, the national spotlight has leveled its beam on Bears Ears. Just as birdsong echoes in the canyons, Bears Ears needs your voice now more than ever:
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From now until May 26, the Department of Interior is requesting public input that will help determine the future of Bears Ears National Monument.
Government officials need to hear from YOU!
This public comment period follows the April 26 Executive Order on the "Review of Designations Under the Antiquities Act." Bears Ears National Monument is targeted for an expedited 45 day "review."
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NOW is your chance to stand with Tribes and
be heard on Bears Ears National Monument!
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Use Utah Diné Bikéyah's public comment portal page to easily submit your comment to the Department of Interior. We'll make sure your comment is counted and reaches decision makers:
www.UtahDineBikeyah.org/Public-Comment
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Please encourage friends to comment, too!
1. Forward this email
2. Like & share on social media
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IMPORTANT: All comments must be submitted by Friday May 26th to be considered by the Department of Interior.
Submit yours today!
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In response to Interior Secretary Zinke's ordered visit to Utah last week, literally thousands of Utahns, both Native and non-Native, rallied to #StandWithBearsEars!
On May 6, well over 2,500 people turned out at the Utah State Capitol. Tribal leaders spoke powerfully and led prayers that shaped the clouds around us and helped us gather strength to protect these sacred ancestral lands.
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Together we demonstrated overwhelming grassroots support
for Bears Ears National Monument!
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When Secretary Zinke arrived in Utah the next day, 500 protestors showed up on short notice at the BLM Utah headquarters in Salt Lake, where Zinke held his only, very brief meeting with tribal leaders.
In San Juan County, we had hoped for the opportunity for local people to come out and greet the Secretary, but our numerous requests to meet were rejected.
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Nevertheless, Native and grassroots Monument supporters had a strong presence at the handful of locations that Zinke visited around Bears Ears.
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Thanks to YOU, Secretary Zinke could not ignore Utahns' overwhelming grassroots support for Bears Ears National Monument!
The media couldn't help but notice all the support for Bears Ears:
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Watch UDB's brief video from the Bears Ears support rally at the Utah State Capitol
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New U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke spent four days in Utah last week, conducting the ordered "review" of both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.
In addition to UDB's letters and emails, tribal governments and the Bears Ears Commission extended numerous invitations to Secretary Zinke. Yet Secretary Zinke met for just one hour with tribal officials. Instead, during his visit Zinke was accompanied by members of the Utah delegation as well as state and county officials. No public listening session was held.
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Secretary Zinke spent 1 hour meeting with tribal leaders during his 4-day trip to Utah.
From left: Ryan Zinke, U.S. Interior Secretary; Jonathan Nez, Navajo Nation Vice President; Ethel Branch, Navajo Nation Attorney General; Davis Filfred, Navajo Nation Council Delegate
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Despite the lack of scheduled time meeting with Tribes, tribal leaders and Native grassroots supporters still clearly made a big impression on Secretary Zinke.
Tribes demonstrated integrity, determination, and united commitment to upholding Bears Ears National Monument and tribal co-management.
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“I think they [tribal leaders] are smart, capable, passionate, and have a deep sense of tie to their culture and want to preserve it... I think it's undisputed that the monuments have been an effective tool to save [and] preserve some of our greatest cultural treasures."
- Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke
Salt Lake Tribune - 5/7
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The news media took note of Secretary Zinke's one-sided visit to Utah and the administration's failure to listen to Tribes:
Exercise YOUR voice!
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Check out Robert Redford's new video calling on Secretary Zinke to "listen to all voices, particularly those of Native American Tribes who have the deepest connection to this landscape."
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Even as political storms churn, UDB remains committed to our core mission of healing people and the Earth. We continue to find that the arts offer an amazing bridge to connect people to each other, to our shared history, and to the Earth that sustains us all.
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Salt Lake's Repertory Dance Theater and New York-based ZviDance are writing a Bears Ears dance performance to premier this fall. This past week, dancers and choreographers immersed themselves in the Bears Ears landscape and surrounding communities to learn about the place and be shaped by what they experienced. On May 11, more than 90 people came out to see and hear dancers, musicians, and story tellers including: Sunny Dooley, Bluff elementary school dancers, Aldean Ketchum, Malcolm Lehi, and Nathan Dutchie. This arts event was made possible by ArtPlace America. RDT's project is sponsored by the Utah Humanities Council.
Learn more: www.rdtutah.org/bearsears
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UDB is also sponsoring Bears Ears National Monument's first artist-in-residence, Alisha Anderson (pictured right with Eric Descheenie, UDB staffer & Arizona State Representative).
Anderson, a remarkable Utah-based multimedia artist who has been exploring the Monument for more than two months, explains, "I'm trying to see Bears Ears through the lens of Native wisdom."
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There's no better time than right now to #StandWithBearsEars and exercise your voice!
Never before has a President of the United States of America attempted to undermine or undo a National Monument. It's up to all of us to tell this administration that Bears Ears National Monument should, must, and will remain protected for future generations — forever.
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Please take a moment to #StandWithBearsEars by May 26:
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Bears Ears needs you now more than ever. The United States government is asking for your input on the future of our country's first truly Native American National Monument. Stand with us. May Bears Ears be heard.
Thank you - Ahéhee’ - Tog’oiak’ - Kwakwhay - Elahkwa,
Utah Diné Bikéyah
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Thank you!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Strangha
Not sure why the alert shows
Not sure why the alert shows up so strange, but the info is there.
Please feel free to disseminate this however it would be effective and reach more people.
I'm packing for a week-long river trip through Desolation Canyon today (we put in Tuesday morning), so I may not be around to participate much in discussion.
The issue pretty much speaks for itself. But I'll try to check back later.
Again, thank you for any consideration.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: treat island
The boxes are a little
The boxes are a little distracting, but cool.
Thanks for your work and for bringing your concerns here. If nothing else, we need to be informed; protect land and rights!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Pipe Slingin'
Done !
Done !
I support Bears Ears and I support the rights of Native Americans !
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: DNB - Best band & fans in the land!
done and done
done and done
I sent a Tweet to Zinke, and left comments on the SUWA website
Slick -- thanks for posting this alert, and for making it oh-so-easy to file comments!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Strangha
Thank you folks, for your
Thank you folks, for your support.
Even heard from a long time east coast Zoner. This affects MANY monuments across the country, not just southern Utah.
Here's a Pat Bagley cartoon from the Salt Lake Tribune of May 7th.
Packing to leave for the river at noon so I gotta run. 84 miles, 7 days in Desolation Canyon. Yee haw.
Thanks again.