Business Owners, Veterans, Faith Leaders, Local Elected Officials, Outdoor Recreationists, and Conservation Leaders from Maine to Oregon Speak Up for National Monuments in Wake of Stealthy Review
(Durango, CO) – On his first day in office, President Donald Trump made clear in multiple Executive Orders that his Administration would prioritize offering up our water, our wildlife, and our ways of life as sacrifices to corporate polluters as part of his anti-public lands agenda. Today, his newly confirmed Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum took that direction by signing an order mandating a review of all lands withdrawn from fossil fuel and mining development, including hundreds of our national monuments.
Secretarial Order 3418 “Unleashing American Energy” mandates that the Interior Department, which manages millions of acres of public land, including our trails and campsites, come up with a plan to review monuments and other withdrawals by February 18. This order aligns with Trump’s actions during his first term, when he led the largest rollback of public land protections in history, slashing Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand-Staircase Escalante national monuments by 85 and 47 percent, respectively. Yet in this case, the review could include all the country’s monuments under the Interior Department that were created via the Antiquities Act. Unlike in 2017, there is no mention of an accompanying public comment period. Importantly, the order does not reference either national monuments or the Antiquities Act by name, referring to the latter only by its U.S. code number.
This is an unpatriotic attack that strikes at the very foundation of the country’s treasured public lands, including national parks and monuments. These national treasures are broadly beloved. They safeguard our water, buoy the outdoor recreation economy, protect our trails, and preserve a national heritage rich in culture and natural beauty. Attacks on the outdoors, such as this order from Secretary Burgum, threaten the $640-billion recreation economy, putting millions of jobs at risk, particularly in rural states such as North Dakota.
The order fails to recognize that oil production hit record highs under the Biden administration. This isn’t about energy dominance. Washington politicians and their billionaire advisors have an unpatriotic anti-public lands agenda that aims to dismantle our national monuments for corporate polluters. This action from Secretary Burgum is part of a broader scheme to sell off our public lands, national heritage, and outdoor access to the wealthy and well-connected that will block access to regular Americans for hiking, camping, hunting, and fishing.
The Supreme Court has affirmed a President’s authority to create national monuments. Both Democratic and Republican Presidents – including Donald Trump – have used this law to safeguard vital places for the benefit of the American people. Republican President Teddy Roosevelt signed this power into law almost 120 years ago for this purpose.
These cherished places, which play a vital role protecting clean drinking water, sheltering wildlife, and ensuring outdoor access, were established with the express intent to preserve the nation’s cultural and ecological heritage for all, honoring generations past, present, and future. The national monuments that the Trump Administration is reviewing have the support of local communities and businesses that worked for years to ensure their protection. These actions are not just an affront to public lands and waters, they are attacks on the leadership of the Indigenous communities and Tribal Nations who have worked for years to protect these places.
President Trump’s agenda does not have the public’s backing. National monuments and parks are extremely popular. Eighty-five percent of Western voters believe U.S. Presidents should create more of these places. Utah voters – both Republicans and Democrats – overwhelmingly support Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, with over 70 percent in favor of keeping them as national monuments.
When President Trump first tried to shrink Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine national monuments in 2017, millions of Americans rose up in opposition. Today, in response to this Secretarial Order, a chorus of business owners, outdoor recreationists, faith leaders, and conservationists from across the country, from Maine to Oregon, are speaking up in defense of these places. The order today poses a threat to all our national public lands, waters, and monuments. In doing so, it erodes the country’s commitment to Tribal sovereignty, permanent outdoor access, protected water and wildlife, and thriving rural economies.
SUPPORT OF OUR NATIONAL MONUMENTS
Veterans
Janessa Goldbeck, military veteran & CEO, Vet Voice Foundation, said, “The Antiquities Act is one of America’s most important tools for preserving our history, culture, and natural heritage. For over a century, presidents from both parties have used this law to protect iconic places like the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty, ensuring that these treasures remain accessible to all Americans.
National monuments strengthen our communities and bolster local economies. These designations create jobs, support small businesses, and provide low-cost recreational opportunities for families, hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts. For veterans and military families, these lands offer places to reconnect and find peace.
Efforts to undermine the Antiquities Act threaten our ability to preserve these critical sites and ignore the widespread, bipartisan support for protecting America’s public lands. As a veteran, I understand how much these places mean to those who have served. We must remain steadfast in ensuring these lands are protected for future generations to enjoy and benefit from.”
Juan Roberto Madrid, Navy veteran and Colorado Clean Transportation & Energy Policy Advocate, Green Latinos, said: “As a Latino veteran who served 22 years and saw multiple combat deployments, including to the First Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, I’ve experienced firsthand the profound impact that nature has on physical and mental well-being. After years of service, the quiet solitude of a national park, the vastness of a desert landscape such as Castner Range National Monument, the high plains desert landscape of Bears Ears National Monument or the tranquility of a coastal trail such as those at Cabrillo National Monument, offered me and fellow veterans a sanctuary for healing. The challenges faced by veterans – PTSD, anxiety, depression – are often deeply intertwined with the stresses of combat and the difficulties of reintegration. Access to open spaces provides a vital lifeline. Protecting and expanding access to our public lands and national monuments is not just about conservation and preserving natural beauty; it’s about investing in the health and well-being of our veterans. These spaces are essential resources for healing, recovery, and a renewed sense of purpose.”
Nancy Kramer, Chairman of the Board, 10th Mountain Foundation, said: “Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument – which encompasses the last World War II training camp fully open to the public – was expressly created to honor veterans and the enormous positive influence they had throughout our nation. Any disruption to this place is a dishonor to that military history, as well as a disruption of our country’s growing outdoor recreation industry, which constitutes 2.3% of the U.S. GDP and contributes over 5 million jobs. Put simply, attacking Camp Hale by revoking its monument designation would diminish our country’s ability to work toward a diverse economy. The revocation would be enormously unpatriotic.”
Businesses
Carrie Hamblen, State Senator & CEO/President, Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce, said, “New Mexico’s Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument is good for business. Since the national monument was designated in 2014, it has drawn-in more than $234 million in cumulative economic impact, tripled in visitation, and supported 305 jobs. That’s one of the many reasons the City of Las Cruces and Doña Ana County have been so supportive of the monument from day one. Any attacks on this monument, and others nationwide, ignore the local governments, the local voices and businesses, and the community who want to see these places protected.”
Gail Fanjoy, Maine Civic leader, said, “As a fourth-generation citizen of Millinocket, Maine, I am deeply committed to the revitalization of my community and other Katahdin Region communities. I have served multiple terms on the Town Council, public service work that lets me witness firsthand the benefits national monuments bring to our rural communities, both throughout Maine and the country. As a retired CEO and civic leader, I helped lead the way to establish the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. This place helps support our surrounding communities’ public and economic health, attracting visitors from around the world and enshrining locals’ access to nature. I fought to permanently establish Katahdin Woods and Waters for myself, my family, and my neighbors. Any precedent to abolish national monuments strikes at the very heart of Millinocket and surrounding towns like it whose homegrown businesses rely on permanent access to these remarkable landscapes.”
Nick Streit, Business owner, director of Friends of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument said, “Getting into the family business at an early age (my dad literally wrote the book on Fly Fishing New Mexico), I’ve been guiding fisherman since before I was old enough to drive them to the river. Twenty years ago, my wife and I started the Taos Fly Shop, which grew from its humble beginnings to become one of the state’s premier fly shops. As a small business founder, I cannot stress enough the value of permanently protected public land such as the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Without safeguarded public access to the river, our livelihood- and in fact our entire way of life- would be in jeopardy. If national monuments are abolished, businesses like mine could disappear and the rural economies that depend on them will suffer.”
Spiritual Leaders
Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director of National Religious Partnership for the Environment, said, “Public lands are places where we pray, play and take in the wonders of God’s creation. Public lands, especially our nation’s National Monuments, also hold our collective stories and history. Any action, such as the recent Secretarial Order by Secretary Burgum that calls for a review of National Monuments already designated, undermines our moral call to protect these special places.”
Reverend Katie Sexton, Executive Director, Arizona Faith Network, said, “The Arizona Faith Network stands firmly in support of protecting our national monuments and sacred lands. As people of faith, we recognize the sacredness of our natural world and our responsibility to protect these sacred lands for future generations. The recent secretarial orders issued by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum threaten to undermine essential protections for spaces that hold spiritual significance, prioritizing extractive industries over the preservation of our cherished landscapes. Public lands, including our national monuments, are not merely resources for economic gain; they are hallowed ground that embodies the stewardship of creation. We urge decision-makers to uphold the integrity of the Antiquities Act and safeguard these treasured landscapes from actions that would undermine their beauty, biodiversity, and spiritual significance. We call upon faith communities and all people of goodwill to raise their voices in defense of these sacred spaces, recognizing that they are not only vital for our communities today but also for the well-being of future generations.”
Reverend Andrew Black, Sportsman and Presbyterian Minister, First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe, “As a sportsman and father, the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is where my daughter and I enjoy fishing, hiking and viewing incredible wildlife. This monument came together and was designated after years of support and community collaboration between hunters, anglers, cattle permittees, veterans, local elected officials, business owners and wildlife organizations. As one who deeply cherishes America’s rich sporting heritage, protecting national monuments is as much about protecting critical wildlife habitat, cultural, historical, and sacred sites as it is about protecting a way of life we can pass down to future generations.”
Joseph Brophy Toledo, Member of Jemez Pueblo & Tribal Spiritual Advisor, EarthKeepers 360 said, “National monuments can help protect our culture and sacred lands. It’s important we continue to preserve wildlife habitat protected by our national monuments and be strong in speaking up for the four-legged, finned, winged and micro-invertebrates.”
Sportsmen
David Lien, Board member, Colorado Backcountry Hunters and Anglers said, “Growing up in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, I started hunting grouse at 11. At 13, I killed my first deer with a Ruger .44 Magnum rifle handed down to me by my grandfather. I come from a multi-generational family of hunters and military veterans, and as such, I understand the immense, incomparable value of protected public land. Thankfully, Colorado is rich in such places, from the Colorado National Monument on the Western Slope to the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument nestled in the high Rockies. In addition to safeguarding bird and big-game habitat, these places ensure stories like those of my family will continue to be told for generations. An attack on one monument is an attack on all. Diminishing any of these places speaks to a fundamental disregard for the hunters, anglers, and military veterans of this great country.”
Mark Mattaini, Board member, New Mexico Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, said, “From my New Mexico home in Paguate Village, Laguna Pueblo, I am surrounded by the stunning ancestral lands of the Pueblo people. From the highlands of Mount Taylor (my most common hunting site), to the volcanic diversity of El Malpais National Monument, I can visit and explore protected public land in all directions. A fisherman from birth, and an active one still, I also have rich opportunities for hunting upland birds, waterfowl, and wild turkey, as well as occasional big game. Hunting and fishing experiences like the ones I so treasure are only possible in deeply interconnected landscapes. New Mexico, from the Río Grande del Norte National Monument on the North to the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument on the South, is particularly rich for sportspersons. National monuments—like those found throughout New Mexico—play an essential role in protecting wildlife corridors, enshrining traditional ways of life, and hunting opportunities. Attacking any one monument threatens the whole system of interconnected lands and habitat.”
Dean Finnerty, Oregon hunting and fishing guide, said, “For over 20 years, I balanced my work as a fishing and hunting guide while also working as a law enforcement officer. I’ve caught pretty much every kind of fish in every Oregon stream worth fishing, including the clear, cold waters within the incomparable Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Without permanently safeguarded places like this monument, our communities’ public and economic health would suffer. These boundaries are meant to last in perpetuity, so I, my family, my neighbors and everyone who visits this place can depend on the habitat and refuge it offers.”
Russell Kuhlman, Executive Director, Nevada Wildlife Federation, said, “When Theodore Roosevelt first used the Antiquities Act in 1906, he knew that the threats to public lands move faster than Congress. Every national monument designated in Nevada was done by bringing together all stakeholders and having strong grassroots campaigns led by the local community. Relying on Congress to move faster than the threats Nevadans are seeing on public lands is not the pathway to ensure future generations experience our natural and cultural resources. That is why 85 percent of Western voters support creating new national parks, national monuments, wildlife refuges and Tribal protected areas to protect historic sites or areas for outdoor recreation.”
Jesse Deubel, Executive Director, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, said, “The New Mexico Wildlife Federation has been advocating for hunters and anglers since 1914. As our state’s oldest and largest sporting advocacy organization, we know that the greatest threat to the future of hunting is the loss of access to wild habitat that supports robust populations of wildlife. National monument designations have proven to be an exceptional tool to protect these landscape-scale habitats for the benefit of hunters and other outdoor recreation enthusiasts who rely on public lands. Some of the most coveted hunting opportunities in New Mexico exist because of our national monuments. Monuments are truly for all people. The idea of shrinking or eliminating them is a tremendous disservice to the American people and a significant threat to the future of hunting.”
Alex Trimble Young, Board member, Arizona Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and Winner of the Arizona Wildlife Federation’s 2024 Aldo Leopold Award for Citizen Advocacy, said,“In a time of seemingly ever-intensifying political polarization in the United States, Americans’ attitudes toward public lands remain one issue where we still see an overwhelming and bipartisan consensus of voters. Americans believe in robust protections for our public lands, period. The recent designation of Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments showed us this powerful coalition in action, bringing together our Indigenous nations, environmentalists, and outdoor recreationalists ranging from hikers to hunters to bring much needed protections, and expanding access, to the irreplaceable ecology and ancient cultural sites of these remarkable places.
Unfortunately, an increasingly powerful group of Washington politicians voting to serve their campaigns’ bank accounts not their voters’ interests is threatening not only these monuments, but the very legislation – The Antiquities Act, signed into law by Theodore Roosevelt – that makes the future protection of similar monuments possible. It’s time for everyday Americans of all stripes who love our wild places to stand up and say no to the greedy politicians and the corporate interests driving the land transfer agenda.”
Local Organization Leads & Local Advocates
Ethan Aumack, Executive Director, Grand Canyon Trust, said, “The Grand Canyon Trust strongly opposes any efforts to shrink or reduce the boundaries of national monuments. Here on the Colorado Plateau, Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni national monuments are world-class examples of natural and cultural landscapes worthy of protection. National monument designations remove the threat of new mining in these places, put in place commonsense conservation plans that limit damage to monument objects of concern, and set the table for stakeholders to collaborate with the federal government to see these plans implemented. Any attempts to roll back protections for national monuments will be challenged in the courts and strongly opposed by the public.”
Tim Peterson, Cultural Landscapes Director, Grand Canyon Trust, said, “February 3rd’s secretarial order to stage an under-the-radar review of national monument designations is sure to be deeply unpopular in Utah. Nearly two-thirds of Utah voters favor keeping their national monuments as they are, according to recent polling. And 89% of Utah voters also said that Native American tribes should have a say over how their ancestral lands are managed. The new administration should respect tribes by keeping the historic collaborative management agreement in place for Bears Ears, and should respect the voters by leaving Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and all our national monuments alone.”
Amber Reimondo, Energy Director, Grand Canyon Trust, said, “Americans love their national monuments and they want them to stay protected. Here in Arizona, more than two thirds of voters oppose rolling back protections for national monuments, according to recent polling. And fully 80% of Arizona voters support Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, Arizona’s newest national monument. Reviewing national monuments with an eye toward cutting them down to allow mining and drilling is simply out of step with what Arizonans want.”
Kim Garrison Means, Friends of Avi Kwa Ame, said, “I grew up inside the boundaries of what is now Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. My grandparents moved here, to a 60-acre plot outside of Searchlight, Nevada, in the 1960s. My grandfather taught me the names of the incredible array of plants, animals, rocks and stars — knowledge that was instilled in me as part of my experience of the world. We have all kinds of neighbors, and we learned to treat one another with respect. This national monument exists today, in part, because of my small town’s commitment to this principle. We decided to pursue monument status to protect the landscape we hold dear — as a community decision, not a political one. It involved reaching out to EVERYONE in our community. We came together for years of discussion and public meetings in Searchlight, and had many more with our rural, tribal and urban neighbors. Avi Kwa Ame National Monument is something our community takes pride in having achieved together, and any revocation of these boundaries now would be a direct affront to those living-room conversations and our local decision-making and autonomy.”
Patrick Nolan, Executive Director, Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, said, “Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument is a prime example of the overwhelmingly positive impact protected lands can have on a community. From the economic impacts alone, $25 million annually, to the increased outdoor recreation opportunities that protection created, protecting public lands is always a good idea. We also have seen how this monument has helped us develop and foster a stronger community that comes together around the shared love for our surrounding mountains and land. It’s through protection that we can honor the history of this land and preserve that legacy for generations to come. Our monument has transformed our community and will continue to do so far into the future.”
Daniel Collay, Executive Director, Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, said, “I grew up in Oregon and have dedicated my life to working in the outdoors. My passion for plants, wildlife, and conservation drives everything I do, and I’m grateful to share it with visitors from around the globe, as well as with locals and people of all ages, including young learners, who come to experience the 114,000-acre Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Together, we believe in protecting this monument so that future generations can continue to cherish and protect it.
Straddling the Oregon-California border, Cascade-Siskiyou is an ecological gem, home to an extraordinary diversity of plants and animals. Its rich mosaic of forests, woodlands, grasslands, wet meadows, and interior desert makes it an unparalleled haven for wildlife. On any given hike, you might spot one of the 300+ species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that rely on this monument’s ecological integrity to thrive.”
Carmichael Dominguez, Former City Councilor, Santa Fe & Hispanic Community Organizer, EarthKeepers 360, “As a former City Councilor in Santa Fe, I represented the youngest, poorest, and only majority/minority district in the City. I understood the vital role public lands play in these populations’ quality of life. National monuments are crucial as they reflect the changing values of American society and provide a mechanism for preserving public lands for vulnerable populations. The Antiquities Act of 1906, which allows the president to designate national monuments, has been a cornerstone of federal preservation and can be an important tool to elevate the quality of life for people in general.”
Friends of the Amargosa Basin Executive Director Cameron Mayer, said, “This secretarial order mandates a 15 day internal review, which started on February 3rd, by assistant secretaries of fossil fuel and mining on public lands, with the potential to revisit or revise protections for certain lands that have been set aside or withdrawn from extractive uses. Assistant secretaries are specifically instructed to submit action plans for this review under the specified window.”
“This action is deeply concerning for not only its potential direct impacts to precious public lands that were purposefully set aside for their remarkable and unique cultural, historical, scientific, educational, and ecological, among other values, but for the undemocratic way in which it was drafted. The order itself does not use the words ‘national monument’ or ‘Antiquities Act’ but merely references U.S. code numbers. We would like to see a more transparent process that also allows for public input and requires broad public support, as the process for establishing protections dutifully requires.”
“The broader American public has routinely spoken out in favor of setting aside certain exceptional public lands for the benefit of future generations to enjoy as we do. These lands preserve our shared heritage, support our economy at every scale, allow for free and easy access to outdoor recreation for all, and support ecosystems that sustain us. This is about ensuring that our collective prosperity includes a vision that public lands are for everyone, and that certain lands set aside as national monuments or other conservation-oriented designations remain a prideful part of our legacy in perpetuity.”
Local Elected Officials
ARIZONA
Coconino County, Arizona Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors Patrice Horstman said, “Coconino County is home to Grand Canyon, five national forests, and five national monuments including our state’s newest national monument – Baaj Nwaav jo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Coconino County is proud to have worked very hard to encourage federal leaders to support protecting this important place and I am honored to be appointed to serve on the Commission working in collaboration with the Indigenous coalition to develop the management plan for this National Monument.
Our county is a special place, and is recognized as one of the premier locations in the country for outdoor recreation and activities like hiking, biking, climbing, and river rafting because of our beautiful public lands. These pristine outdoor landscapes are the heart and soul of our community, and permanent protections like national monument designations safeguards sacred ancestral lands for Tribes that have inhabited these lands for generations and enhance our strong outdoor and recreation-based economy. On top of that, preserving this unique site is incredibly not only popular here in Coconino County but throughout Arizona, across all ages and all political party affiliations.
Public lands are for the benefit of everyone, and we hope the incoming administration takes the time to have necessary conversations with the people who live, work, and play on these landscapes so they can better understand how important these spaces are to our community before taking irreversible actions that could result in them being locked off or sold to the highest bidder.”
COLORADO
Pitkin County, Colorado Commissioner and 10th Mountain Division descendant Greg Poschman said, Our Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument is a fitting tribute to the heroes who served our country in World War II, then came home to lead on preservation of a healthy natural world, and to build America’s skiing and outdoor recreation economy. For Coloradans and for all Americans, these important public lands are the sources of healthy, clean air and pure water, and they are the wellspring of our inspiration, identity, and history. These areas belong to all of us, and are most worthy of conservation.
Protection of national monuments engenders respect for the land and history. As more Americans vacation domestically and flee the heat of lower urban areas, preservation of rural wild lands and riparian areas for all to enjoy becomes more important. Our mountain communities must be prepared to welcome people who feel a connection to nature, and this necessarily includes enhanced protections of wild places so our children and future generations can share them also. Efforts to exploit, extract or privatize public lands in our national monuments is unadvisable, unconscionable, and unthinkable.”
Former Chaffee County, Colorado Commission Chair, former Friends of Browns Canyon Executive Director, and retired U.S. Navy Commander Keith Baker said, “We are lucky to have national monuments across the state of Colorado. Places like Chimney Rock National Monument in Southwest Colorado, Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, and our beloved Browns Canyon National Monument right here in Chaffee County provide tremendous benefits to our economy, our environment, and our community.
In Chaffee County, we know the tremendous benefits protected public lands have for our community. Residents and visitors to Chaffee County have always understood that Browns Canyon is a national treasure. The national monument designation was and is supported by hunters and anglers, businesses and conservation groups, veterans, and youth groups, and is a crown jewel in our public lands portfolio.
Presidents have long used their authority under the Antiquities Act to establish national monuments for sites that are important pieces of natural and cultural history. Preserving them for future generations is essential to maintaining our country’s shared past, which is what makes the incoming Trump Administration’s stance towards national monument designations so concerning. As we continue feeling the impacts of climate change, further protections for our most important landscapes are vital. I strongly urge President Trump to take seriously the need to conserve our public lands, and hope he uses his authority to continue protecting our outdoor spaces and the jobs and communities that depend on them.”
La Plata County, Colorado Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton said, “National monuments are integral to our way of life in the Four Corners. They provide key protections for the one-of-a-kind natural wonders and cultural sites that bring millions of dollars in revenue to our region, increase access for outdoor recreation, and help people appreciate and enjoy nature, all while supporting wildlife habitat and promoting water conservation. These unique landscapes are worthy of protection, and I hope the Trump Administration takes these benefits into consideration before making any decisions that would negatively impact the public lands we call home.”
Town of Ridgway Colorado Mayor John Clark said, “Communities like mine depend on plentiful, accessible public lands to support our economy and bring visitors to our region. This attack on our public lands is an affront to every Coloradan – especially when masquerading as an effort to secure the so-called “energy independence” of the world’s largest oil producer. I am disgusted that the Trump Administration has chosen to come after our cherished landscapes, and demand that they reconsider before selling them off or permanently destroying them by opening them up to needless oil and gas drilling.”
MONTANA
Former Mayor of Billings, Montana, Past President of the Montana League of Cities and Towns, U.S. Army Veteran of Vietnam, and Billings Businessman Chuck Tooley said, “National monuments and protected public lands are vitally important to us here in the West. Places like Pompeys Pillar National Monument, just east of Billings, which is a massive rock formation with indigenous petroglyphs, has a powerful effect on the imaginations of those who come visit. There are countless sites like it across the country that are just as worthy of permanent protection. Securing our clean air and water, our public lands, and our climate is becoming ever more important for future generations, and national monument designations can help provide us that protection. That’s why I want the incoming Trump Administration to listen to the voices on the ground and preserve not only these landscapes, but also the presidential authority to designate national monuments in perpetuity.”
NEVADA
City of Reno, Nevada Council Member Devon Reese said, “Protected public lands, like national monuments, are hugely important to Nevadans and Renoites. Places like Avi Kwa Ame, Tule Springs Fossil Beds, Gold Butte, and Basin & Range national monuments bring us peace of mind, protect important cultural resources, and generate economic revenue. Protected places like these help sustain our state’s vital outdoor recreation economy, which is why and how so many of our small towns and businesses thrive. The vitality of our communities is linked to the health of our public lands, which is why I am disappointed by U.S. Rep. Amodei’s legislation and the Trump administration’s actions that may put national monument designations in jeopardy. We should be encouraging more designations here in Nevada and across the country, so that more lands can be protected and more communities can benefit from the places they call home.”
NEW MEXICO
City of Las Cruces, New Mexico Council Member Becky Corran said, “National monuments, like the The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, provide a range of recreational opportunities for communities like Las Cruces, and draw tens of thousands of visitors to our region whose money is invested back into our community through infrastructure, economic development, and community programming. National monuments also lead to broader participation in nature-conserving recreation, and elevate a broader understanding of the land’s meaning in the context of our cultural and indigenous histories. The treasures protected under the national monument designation are irreplaceable to our communities, which is why I urge the incoming administration to protect our existing monuments and to refrain from shrinking or eliminating the ones that already exist.”
OREGON
City of Ashland, Oregon Mayor Tonya Graham said, “Being the closest city to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, we know that living next to this unique and beautiful monument brings both economic benefits and recreation opportunities for our residents. Protected public lands are so important to communities like Ashland. I encourage President Trump to recognize the importance of national monuments across the country, and keep them protected, so more communities can benefit as we have.”
UTAH
Town of Bluff, Utah Mayor Ann Leppanen, said, “Our small Town of Bluff, Utah, nestled in the southeastern corner of the state, sits among the grandeur of the American Southwest. For miles in any direction, we are surrounded by sweeping landscapes, the kind many only see on postcards. I’m proud to live here and proud to serve my neighbors as the town’s first mayor.
Bluff sits adjacent to 1.36 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument. Bears Ears is unique because it is the first national monument that came about because of the efforts of five sovereign Tribal Nations – the Navajo Nation (Diné), the Hopi Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute, the Ute Indian Tribe, and the Zuni Tribe.
Bears Ears has more than 100,000 estimated archaeological sites, as well as extensive and irreplaceable fossil sites and treasured natural resources throughout.
The attempts to again abolish the Bears Ears National Monument and eliminate the Antiquities Act are both a slap in the face to the tribes and destructive to the economy of our town and entire region.”
WASHINGTON
City of Leavenworth, Washington Mayor Carl Florea said, “Our community is surrounded by protected public lands, that locals and visitors alike come to recreate on and experience their beauty and solitude. These places, including national monuments like nearby Hanford Reach National Monument, also support our growing outdoor recreation and tourism economies. They help provide jobs and revenue to support local employees and projects. The monument, which was designated through the use of the Antiquities Act, also protects important archaeological and historic artifacts; significant geological and paleontological objects; and a diversity of native plant and animal species. National monuments are something to be celebrated, and I am gravely concerned that the incoming administration will instead work to shrink or eliminate these vital spaces entirely. Even worse, some are proposing legislation that would prevent future presidents from creating further monuments. I urge the Trump Administration to support more communities benefiting from protected public lands – as we have.”
National Organizations
Phil Francis, Chair of the Executive Council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, said, “These secretarial orders place energy development as the favored use of America’s public lands, which threatens existing land protections and conservation measures and priorities. In addition, SO 3418 “Unleashing American Energy” gives the Interior Department a very short 15 days to review millions of acres of public land. This review will include not only our national parks, but all the national monuments created by the Antiquities Act.
These lands must be protected for future generations. Our national parks and public lands are treasured by the American people as places for enjoyment, refuge, education, and adventure. They protect clean drinking water, air, and wildlife, preserve our nation’s cultural and ecological heritage, and ensure outdoor access for all Americans. In addition, our parks and public lands provide incredibly important support to local economies across the country.
We stand with advocates and communities across the country in support of our public lands and national monuments.”
Chris Hill, CEO of the Conservation Lands Foundation, said, “Conducting a slap dash, secret review of national monuments shows that this administration is scared of public scrutiny because they know how popular these public lands are. The majority of the country continues to show their love for public lands, including during the first Trump administration’s attempt to privatize the country’s sacred, historic and recreationally and culturally significant landscapes.
“These orders also willfully ignore the rural residents and communities whose personal and local incomes rely on these lands being protected from privatization. Outdoor recreation on BLM lands contributes more than $11 billion to the economy and substantial income to individuals, small and large businesses, and rural communities through hunting, fishing, camping, climbing, riding off-highway vehicles, and many other activities.
“With roughly 85% of BLM lands already available for energy production–and roughly half of existing oil and gas leases not being used–it’s crystal clear that these recent orders targeting the 15% of public lands that are protected for the public’s use have nothing to do with the nation’s energy portfolio.
“There’s really no explanation other than this administration is trying to sneakily and greedily sell off the 15% of protected public lands to the wealthy and well-connected, thereby blocking access for everyone else. It’s an attack that flies in the face of America’s ideals and the Conservation Lands Foundation will be unrelenting in our fight on the side of the people–85% of voters in the west–who support keeping public lands in the public’s hands.”
Conservation Program Director for League of Conservation Voters, America Fitzpatrick, said, “These new orders put the profits of oil and mining CEO’s above any other considerations and do nothing to lower costs for consumers – all at the expense of our treasured public lands and waters. Instead of prioritizing destructive drilling and mining above all other uses, the Secretary of the Interior should listen to the public and work to safeguard our public lands and waters for future generations.”
National Parks Conservation Association CEO and President Theresa Pierno, said, “This Secretarial Order aims to dismantle over a century of protections, threatening to open up monuments from Devils Tower to Bears Ears with a dangerous blanket order designed to prioritize industrial energy development at all costs,” said Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association. “If we lose these places to oil and gas development, we forfeit a century-old legacy that we will not pass on to our grandchildren. We can’t let that happen on our watch.”
National Wildlife Federation: “The Interior Department’s decision to walk back essential and fundamentally nonpartisan taxpayer protections is disconcerting. Polling has consistently shown that the American people want industry — not taxpayers — to foot the bill for cleaning up messes they leave behind,” said Abby Tinsley, vice president of conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “These secretarial orders reverse critical reforms and could make it harder for future generations to enjoy our public lands and wildlife.”
Alan Zibel, research director at Public Citizen, said, “Burgum’s vision of American energy ‘dominance’ continues the MAGA movement’s essential lie about U.S. energy policy. America’s energy ‘potential’ has already been unlocked due to a 15-year fracking boom that pushed production—and exports to foreign countries—to record levels.
“Oil and gas companies’ profits would be threatened if too much supply hits the market, so fossil fuel interests will ignore the Trump administration’s attempt to goose supply. At the same time, the oil and gas industry will push for the repeal of Biden-era environmental laws and fiscal reforms that imposed some measure of accountability on this reckless planet-destroying industry.
“Burgum’s Interior Department appears inclined to shrink or sell off public lands to fossil fuel interests and mining companies, while making expansion of renewable energy more difficult. This isn’t technology neutral ‘energy abundance,’ it’s a blatant giveaway to the fossil fuel interests who were generous benefactors to Trump’s campaign.”
Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program, said, “Donald Trump made it clear on Day One what his priorities for public lands and waters would be, and these orders are the next step in his reckless ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda. The lands and waters of this country belong to the American people for the benefit and enjoyment of all Americans – Donald Trump is working overtime to give them away to Big Oil CEOs, billionaires, and corporate polluters. But we’re working overtime, too, and we won’t stop until these lands and waters are protected for the next generation.”
Executive Director Jennifer Rokala, The Center for Western Priorities, said, “President Trump and Secretary Burgum are headed down the wrong path with this monument review. The last time Trump attempted to shrink national monuments, his efforts were met with near-universal condemnation. They should stop now, before they upset millions of Westerners by illegally reducing or eliminating national monuments. Voters want national monuments protected in perpetuity, not opened for drilling and mining. Coming on the heels of the National Park Service hiring freeze, this move shows blatant disregard for Westerners and America’s public lands.”
Anna Peterson, Executive Director of The Mountain Pact, an organization that works with local elected officials in over 100 mountain communities across the Western U.S., said “Public lands are at the heart of the American West. They are critical economic drivers that create thousands of good-paying jobs, supply our communities with clean water, and are home to priceless cultural and natural treasures that are key to our Western way of life. The Trump administration’s review is a flimsy pretext for a much larger assault on our outdoor heritage that puts the treasured outdoor spaces we love at risk in order to benefit corporate polluters and big oil – despite the fact that America is already the world’s largest producer of oil. We urge President Trump to reconsider this unnecessary and harmful order, and to instead focus on finding a more balanced approach that preserves and protects our irreplaceable public lands and supports the communities that depend on them.”
Dan Hartinger, senior director of agency policy for The Wilderness Society, said, “First impressions don’t get much worse than this. The new secretary hasn’t even had time to break in his chair at the Department of the Interior, and yet the Trump administration is already driving day-one actions to implement a drill-first agenda, including launching a secretive 15-day review of national monuments.”
“People in this country love public lands, consider them key to our shared national identity and want to see them managed in a balanced and responsible way. They don’t want to see these places neglected or wrecked by drilling or mining. Hiding the ball on a review of national monuments shows the White House and Interior know full well how unpopular these actions are. We hope Secretary Burgum will reconsider this approach and listen to the public about how essential protected public lands are to their local communities and ways of life.”
Laura Welp, Southern Utah Director with Western Watersheds Project, said, “As we face the challenges of climate change, drought, and shrinking habitats, we need protected lands where animals, plants, and birds can persist. This partisan attack on some of the nation’s last best places is bad for wildlife, bad for native ecosystems, and bad for the country. Western Watersheds Project stands with the American people in support our national monuments, and will fight to keep them unspoiled.”
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