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October 17, 2017
The Honorable Ryan Zinke, Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20240
Subject: Executive Order 13792 (National Monument Review)
Dear Secretary Zinke:
We are writing to you on behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition). With over 1,400 members, the Coalition is composed entirely of retired, former, or current employees of the National Park Service. Collectively our membership represents more than 35,000 years of experience managing and protecting America’s most precious and important natural and historic places.
We, the undersigned, are extremely disappointed with the results of your review of our country’s national monuments as part of implementation of Executive Order 13792. The Coalition actively participated in the public comment period and expressed strong objections to weakening protections on several occasions. We joined nearly 3 million people who spoke loudly in support of preserving these monuments and the values and economic and other benefits they represent. The results of your evaluation are directly counter to what the vast majority of commenters have called on you to do. This review has clearly been politically motivated and a monumental waste of government time and resources, especially when there are many other urgent issues facing our national parks and other public lands. Furthermore, the Interior Department’s ongoing failure to release the report or provide supporting documentation for your recommendations to the public is utterly unconscionable given the administration’s false allegations about the lack of transparency that occurred during the process that led to the creation of the monuments. All relevant information should be released to the public as soon as possible.
We join many others who strongly oppose your calling for the significant reduction or removal of protections for the natural and cultural resources, including many remarkable landscapes, currently protected in our national monuments. Given the rich history of conservation of public lands under the Antiquities Act of 1906 beginning with President Theodore Roosevelt, your determination that so many portions of existing national monuments do not meet the Act’s requirements is unprecedented, arbitrary, and unlikely to withstand legal scrutiny. Federal courts have consistently deferred to the President’s authority in establishing national monuments to use his discretion to determine “the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected” for “historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest.”
The recommendations that we find most unacceptable include the following:
• Bears Ears National Monument, Utah: Shrink (separate reports suggest by as much as 1 million acres) the national monument and allow ‘traditional’ uses like mining, logging and drilling in protected areas.
• Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah: Shrink the national monument and allow ‘traditional’ uses like mining, logging and drilling in protected areas.
• Cascade Siskiyou National Monument, Oregon: Shrink the national monument and allow ‘traditional’ uses like mining, logging and drilling in protected areas.
• Gold Butte National Monument, Nevada: Shrink the national monument and allow ‘traditional’ uses like mining, logging and drilling in protected areas.
• Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, New Mexico: Allow ‘traditional’ uses like mining, logging and drilling in protected areas; leaves open the possibility of shrinking the monument.
• Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico: Allow ‘traditional’ uses like mining, logging and drilling in protected areas; leaves open the possibility of shrinking the monument.
• Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine – Suggests that logging should be allowed in the national monument; leaves open the possibility of shrinking the monument. The National Park Service already has all the authority it needs to protect and manage the natural resources of the monument. The recommendation to “promote healthy forests through active timber management” is misleading and, absent specific authorization by Congress, would likely be illegal under the laws that apply to this monument.
• Northeast Canyons and Seamounts, Atlantic Ocean – Allow industrial-scale commercial fishing in the national monument; leaves open the possibility of shrinking the monument.
• Pacific Remote Islands National Monument, Pacific Ocean –Allow industrial-scale commercial fishing in the national monument; leaves open the possibility of shrinking the monument.
• Rose Atoll National Monument – Allow industrial-scale commercial fishing in the national monument; leaves open the possibility of shrinking the monument.
At your confirmation hearing, you described yourself as “an unapologetic admirer of Teddy Roosevelt.” His conservation legacy is eloquently described on the Department’s own website at: https://www.doi.gov/blog/theodore-roosevelts-legacy. Your approach to the national monuments under review is antithetical to this conservation legacy and what President Roosevelt believed should be done for present and future generations.
In closing, we began this year with hope that the support you declared for public lands and outdoor recreation would, in fact, translate into greater conservation accomplishments during your tenure as Interior Secretary. Instead, your review of national monuments marks a dismal day in the history of public lands conservation in the United States.
Sincerely,
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Executive Council:
Maureen Finnerty, Chair
Philip A. Francis, Jr., Vice Chair
Brenda Barrett
Maria Burks
Mark A. Butler
David M. Graber
Donald J. Hellmann
Douglas K. Morris
Michael B. Murray
Richard Ring
Sheridan Steele
Kate Stevenson
Members of CPANP
| Abigail B Miller | Gary E. Davis | Nancy Deschu |
| Alison Robb | Gary R Miles | Nancy F. Ehorn |
| Allen Bohnert | Gary William Johnson | Nancy russell |
| Amy Gilbert | Lizbeth Casey | Neal G Guse |
| Ann Childress | Gene Casey | Nelson Siler |
| Anne Worthington | George Alderson | Nicholas J Eason |
| Anne Worthington | Gilbert E. Blinn | Norah Martinez |
| Audrey Faye Calhoun | Gilbert Soper | Norman D. Hellmers |
| B Riley McClelland | Ginny Rousseau | Olav V. Olsen |
| B. William Henry | Gordon V. Gay | Oron L. Bass, Jr. |
| Barbara J. ("BJ") Griffin | Gretchen Luxenberg | Oron Lamar Bass, Jr |
| Barry T. Sullivan | H. Bryan Mitchell | Pamela Underhill |
| Bennie C, Keel | Hal J Grovert | Patrick Reed |
| Betty Irene McSwain | J. Douglas Cuillard | PATRICK RICHARD VIGIL |
| Bill Jackson | J. Eric Haugland | Paul A. Shackel |
| Bob Gerhard | J. Mel Poole | Paul Henderson |
| Brian R Adams | J.W. Howard | Paul K. Stevens |
| Bruce B. Moorhead | Jack E. Stark | Paul R. Anderson |
| Bruce Craig | Jack Ramsden | Peggy Dolinich |
| Bruce D. McKeeman | Jacqueline Gonzales | Peter C. Fitzmaurice |
| Bruce D. Murphy | Jacqueline Lowey | Peter K. Nigh |
| Bruce Dombrowski | James C Roach | Peter White |
| Bruce MacDougal | James C. Redford Jr | Phil Brueck |
| Bruce W Bytnar | James Ebert | Philip A. Francis Jr. |
| Calvin Hite | James Evans | Philip Heckman |
| Carl J. Douhan | James F. Martin | R. Bruce Edmonston |
| Carl S. Christensen | James L Hummel | Ramona Burks |
| Carol D. Shull | James Zinck | Randy W Turner |
| Carol J. Spears | Jams Evans | Rebecca Louise Harriett |
| Cary F Brown | Jane C. Anderson | Rebecca M. Post |
| Charles B Voll | Janet c wolf | Richard A. Rasp |
| Charles Barry Cooper | Janet L. Wise | Richard B.Smith |
| Charles E Schultheis | Janis Kozlowski | Richard C. Curry |
| Charles R. "Butch" Farabee, Jr. | Jared Cohen | Richard D. Falb |
| Cherry Payne | Jason Tillotson | Richard E. Wells |
| Cheryl Houghtelin | Jean Rodeck | Richard Ernenwein |
| Cheryl Louise Teague | Jeffrey D Manley | Richard H. Martin |
| Christian J. Malanka | Jerry M. Mitchell | Richard M. Bryant |
| Christine L. Shaver | Jerry R. Yarbrough / National Park Service Retiree | Richard W Gregory |
| Christopher Seymour | Jervis D Swannack III | Richard W. Frost |
| Chuck young | JH (Jack) Ramsden | Rick Jones |
| Claude Stanley Fowler, Jr | Jim Northup | Rick L. Mossman |
| Colin C. "Toby" Hastie | Joan Anzelmo | Robbyn Jackson |
| Colin C. Hastie | John C Reed | Robert Andrew |
| Cordell J. Roy | John E. Hunter | Robert D Dunnagan |
| Courtney Hotchkiss | John F Byrne | Robert E. Sellers |
| Craig C. Axtell | John Freemuth, Islands Under Siege | Robert Edward Woody |
| Cynthia M. Holda | John H. Jameson | Robert Hyde |
| D. Scott Hartwig | John K. Apel | Robert L Peterson |
| D. Thomas Ross | John M Morris | Robert Valen |
| Dale J. Antonich | John Maounis | Robert W Blythe |
| Dan Moses | John P. Bloom | Robert W Reynolds |
| Daniel J Jacobs | John P. Debo, Jr. | Robert W. Mackreth |
| Daniel J. Jenner | John R. Erisman | Robert Wjhite |
| Daniel Taylor | John Ritenour | Roberta Barrows |
| David A. Clary | John T. Conoboy | Roberta D'Amico |
| David B Shaver | John W Wade | Rodney L. Danner |
| David Buccello | Jon Boyce | Roger A. Rudolph |
| David C. Hartman | Jon Buono, AIA | Roger Jacob Siglin |
| David D. Roberts | Jon Paynter | Ronald A. Wilson |
| David D. Thompson Jr. | Jonathan B Halpern | Ronald G. Thoman |
| David H Wallace | Joseph Aull | Ronald G. Warfield |
| David Haet | Joseph Finan | Russell Case |
| David J Donohue | Joseph Lee Boyle | Russell Paul Smith |
| David K. Morris | Joseph P Hudick | ruth sommers |
| David L. moffitt | Joy Jamison | Sam Weddle |
| David N. Given | Katherine C. Ziegenfus | Sandra Hamilton |
| David Nathanson | Kathleen Lassiter Manscill | Sarah Bransom |
| Deborah K. Piscitelli | Kathryn Roney Faulkner | Sarah Olson |
| Deborah O. Liggett | Kathryn S. Brett | Sarah Peskin |
| Debra E. Levie | Kathy A Tonnessen, Ph.D. | Sarah Sklare |
| Dee Renee Ericks | Kathy Smith | Scott Sticha |
| Delora M. Loope | Kathy Tustanowski | Sean Smith |
| Denis M Osowski | Keith B. Dunbar | Sharon Paris |
| Denis P. Galvin | Ken Kehrer, Jr. | SHIRLEY M. CLARK |
| Dennis Burnett | Ken Phillips | Stephen R. Bruner |
| Denny Huffman | Kenneth E. Apschnikat | Steve Pittleman |
| Don Bachman | Kent R. Cave | Steve Whitesell |
| Don H. Castleberry | Kim Watson | Steven Gazzano |
| Don Jackson | Kristine Fister | Steven D. Bone |
| Don Neubacher | Larry Edwin Henderson | Steven Harrison |
| Donald A Falvey | Larry N Kilborn | Stuart L. Croll |
| Donald Barry | Larry Thomas | Suzanne S. Rozdilski |
| Donald Bruce Fladmark | Larry Walling | Terrence D. Moore |
| Donald E. Magee | Laura Gail Bishop | Terry Goodrich |
| Donald Fox | Laura Michele Lusk | Terry Michael Di Mattio |
| Donald H. Weir PhD | Laura Rotegard | Terry Savage |
| Donna M. Whaley | Laurel Munson Boyer | Thomas Allen Smith |
| Donna Williams | Leonard W. McKenzie | Thomas Griffiths |
| Douglas Stover | Leslie Starr Hart | Thomas M. Lorig |
| Dr. J. Scott Harmon | Linda A. Towle, Mesa Verde National Park, Retired | Thomas Patterson |
| Edward B. Patrovsky | Linda Finn | Thomas Ritter |
| Edward D Carlin | Lisa Sasser | Thomas W. Kopczyk |
| Edward F. Clark III | Lora Anderson Gale | Timothy J. Oliverius |
| Edward P Walzer | Luke Dalton | Timothy M Harvey |
| Edward Pontbriand | Lynn D. Jamison | Tom Haraden |
| Edward S. Kalbach | M. Susan Hurst | Tom Vaughan |
| Edwin A. Hession | Marcia Blaszak | Vaughn Baker |
| Edwin L. Rothfuss | Marcia Keener | Vernon C. Gilbert |
| Elaine D Hall | Maria Abonnel | Vince Pareago |
| Elizabeth K. Murray | Mark D Flora | Vito Spinale |
| Elizabeth Snyder | Mark Kelleher | W. Philip Koepp |
| Elizabeth Van Zandt | Mark Lewis | Warren E. Bielenberg |
| Ella S. Rayburn | Mary D. Partsch | Warren Hill |
| Elwood Lynn | Mary E. Elms | Warren Lee Brown |
| Erik R. Hauge | Mary G Martin | Wendy Artz |
| Erin Kaye Broadbent | Mary Partsch | William A. Sanders |
| Ernest Quintana | Maryanne Gerbauckas | William C Walters |
| Faye Walmsley | Matthew A. Ross | William E. Cox |
| Florence I. Townsend | Maureen D Welch (Mosie) | William Gibson |
| Frances Rutter | Michael C. Warren | William H. Ehorn |
| Frank Edward Hastings | Michael E. Gurling | William J Carroll |
| Frank Fiala | Michael H. Bureman | William J. Halainen |
| Frank J Deckert | Michael J. Spratt | WILLIAM LOFTUS |
| Frank P. Weed | Michael K. Johnson | William O'Donnell |
| Fred J. Fagergren | Michael Soukup | William P. Quinn |
| Gail C. Menard | Mike Tollefson | Wouter Ketel |
| Gary Brandow | Molly N. Ross | |
| Gary Cummins | Nancy A. Nelson |