October 18, 2021
Dear President Biden, Secretary Haaland, Secretary Raimondo, Secretary Vilsack, Chair Mallory, Ms. Gina McCarthy, and Administrator Spinrad.
On behalf of the undersigned organizations and the millions of members and supporters we collectively represent, we enthusiastically thank you for your actions restoring full protections to Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine national monuments.
By acting to protect Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, you honor the sacred landscape home to Indigenous Peoples, including the Paiute, Hopi, Zuni, Diné/Navajo, Ute, Acoma, and Jemez Pueblos, andUte Mountain Ute.
Because of your actions, we can rest assured that these irreplaceable national monuments will exist for generations to come. Thank you.
All three of these monuments protect biodiversity and critical habitat and we hope that last week’s proclamations will be precursors to future actions in pursuit of the administration’s goal of protecting ‘America the Beautiful.’ In his address, the President mentioned the Tongass National Forest, Bristol Bay, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Our old-growth forests and many other special, sacred and important places must be permanently protected from development if we are to achieve our shared goal of protecting 30 percent of our lands and waters to combat the climate crisis, preserve biodiversity, and address inequitable access to nature.
We also look forward to Bears Ears National Monument serving as a new model of collaborative management between Tribes, state and federal land agencies. The traditional knowledge and place-based conservation strategies of Tribal communities should play a significant role in shaping efforts to conserve and plan for a resilient future for this landscape that we all hold dear.
We are thankful to have leaders like you working to protect our lands and waters.
Sincerely,
| Alaska Wilderness League Archaeology Southwest Association of Zoos and Aquariums Azul Brown Girl Surf California Environmental Voters California Institute for Biodiversity Californians for Western Wilderness Center for Large Landscape Conservation Citizens Campaign for the Environment Coalition to Protect America's National Parks Connecticut Clean Water Action Connecticut League of Conservation Voters Connecticut Ornithological Association Conservation Colorado Conservation Council For Hawaii Conservation Lands Foundation Conservation Minnesota Conservation Voters of Idaho Conservation Voters of PA Continental Divide Trail Coalition Creation Justice Ministries Defenders of Wildlife Dolores River Boating Advocates Earth Ethics, Inc. EarthEcho International Earthjustice EarthKeepers 360 EcoFlight Endangered Species Coalition Environment America Environment California Environment Colorado Environment Connecticut Environment Georgia Environment Illinois Environment Maine Environment Maryland Environment Massachusetts Environment New Jersey Environment North Carolina Environment Oregon Environment Texas Environment Virginia Environment Washington Environmental League of MA Florida Conservation Voters Friends of Animals Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Friends of Plumas Wilderness, Quincy, CA Friends of the Earth Grand Canyon Trust Grand Staircase Escalante Partners Great Old Broads for Wilderness Great Old Broads for Wilderness GreenLatinos Greenpeace USA Gundalow Company Healthy Ocean Coalition HG Conservation Solutions Hispanic Access Foundation Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO) Illinois Environmental Council Inland Ocean Coalition Interfaith Power & Light International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute Kentucky Conservation Committee League of Conservation Voters LEGACY-The Landscape Connection Maine Audubon Maine Conservation.org Marine Conservation Institute Michigan League of Conservation Voters Mission Blue Mojave Desert Land Trust Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund Mystic Aquarium | Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club National Aquarium National Ocean Protection Coalition National Parks Conservation Association Native Movement Native Voters Alliance Nature for All NC League of Conservation Voters Nevada Conservation League Nevada Natural Resources Defense Council New England Aquarium New Jersey League of Conservation Voters New Mexico Wild New Mexico Wildlife Federation New York League of Conservation Voters NH Audubon Northern Alaska Environmental Center Nuestra Tierra Nz2 Ocean Conservation Research Ocean Defense Initiative Ocean River Institute Oceana Ohio Environmental Council Only One Open Space Institute Oregon Natural Desert Association Oregon Wild Oregonians For Wild Utah Patagonia PennEnvironment Pennsylvania Presbyterians for Earth Care Physicians for Social Responsibility Rachel Carson Council REI Co-op Resource Renewal Institute Restore America's Estuaries Rivers Alliance of Connecticut Roger Williams Park Zoo San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council Save Massachusetts Forests Save Our Shores Save the Sound Seacoast Science Center Seattle Aquarium Seeding Sovereignty Sheep Mountain Alliance Sierra Club Soda Mountain Wilderness Council South San Juan Southeast Alaska Conservation Council Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Standing Trees Vermont Surfrider Foundation TAO The Chaparral Lands Conservancy The Mountain Pact The Ocean Project The Student PIRGs The Trust for Public Land The Wilderness Society Tuleyome TwoRivers Action Coalition Vet Voice Foundation Virginia League of Conservation Voters Waitt Foundation Waitt Institute Washington Conservation Voters Washington Environmental Council Washington Friends of Wild Utah Western Colorado Alliance Western Slope Conservation Center Whale and Dolphin Conservation Wild Montana Wisconsin Conservation Voters Wisconsin Environment Women's Earth and Climate Action Network Zoo New England: Franklin Park Zoo & Stone Zoo |