Why do you love your public lands?

Public lands are an integral part of the American physical and social landscape. They are the manifestation of a radical notion that the most beautiful places in our country are too important to be owned by a single person, but rather belong to us all. In addition to being beautiful places to hike, camp, and explore, our public lands also provide the backbone for a growing economic powerhouse: the outdoor industry creates 7.6 million jobs in America and $887B in direct consumer spending. They provide a critical breathing space in an increasingly urban country. Getting outside and connecting nature is more than a fun activity—it has been scientifically proven to improve your health.

Right now, all this is being put at risk—but you can use your voice to help save our National Monuments.

On April 26, 2017 President Trump issued an Executive Order that requires the Department of Interior to conduct an unprecedented review of over two dozen national monuments and marine national monuments. This means over 11 million acres of public lands are being “reviewed” to “determine whether each designation conforms” to the laws as the Trump Administration interprets them. Make no mistake, this Executive Order is putting beloved spaces such as Giant Sequoia National Monument in California, Grand-Staircase Escalante in Utah and Craters of the Moon in Idaho in direct threat.

As part of this process, the Department of the Interior is seeking comments from the public (that’s you!) You can make a difference by sharing what public lands mean to you by writing a comment in the form below. We will be submitting these comments to the Department of the Interior on your behalf.

Our friends at Outdoor Alliance put together some tips to make your comments as effective as possible. Here they are:

• Emphasize that you are an outdoor recreationist and a stakeholder on public lands
• If you feel connected to Bears Ears or another National Monument, explain what it means to you personally
• Indicate your support for National Monuments and protected public lands in general
• Respond to the concerns that there was not adequate public outreach
• Affirm that you want to see Bears Ears, and other National Monuments, retain their protections

Your comment and name will be sent to the Department of the Interior in order to be included in the public record.

To submit comments online may have crashed or slowed down due to traffic. To contact the Department of Interior directly, you can send mail to:

Monument Review, MS-1530
US Department of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington D.C. 20240

National Monuments Being Initially Reviewed Pursuant to Criteria in Executive Order 13792:

Marine National Monuments Being Reviewed Pursuant to Executive Orders 13795 and 13792:

Cover photo by Hipcamp Field Scout Brian Chorski at Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument.