From a news release issued Friday:

"Off-road vehicle ('ORV') groups, out-of-state energy industry 'front groups' and ultra conservative politicians are lashing out at wilderness in Utah and we need your help to blunt their misinformation tactics.

"On Saturday, August 8, an anti-wilderness and anti-federal government rally self-titled 'Take Back Utah' will be held in Salt Lake City. This event is being organized by ORV organizations and out-of-state energy companies.

"Please donate whatever you can to help us combat these anti-wilderness efforts and continue our work to protect Utah's wild public lands for the enjoyment of all Americans!

"Three groups of particular interest sponsoring the August 8 rally are Americans for American Energy, the Western Business Roundtable, and the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States (IPAMS). They are part of a web of energy industry front groups working to ensure that wild lands everywhere are open to energy development. For example, according to Source Watch, Americans for American Energy is funded by Pac/West Communications, which received a three million dollar no bid contract from the State of Alaska to campaign for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  IPAMS’ membership includes international energy companies like Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Halliburton Energy Services Group, and Shell Oil—the same companies that made money hand over fist in the George W. Bush administration.  Several groups that advocate for unlimited ORV access on public lands are also sponsoring the event.

"Part of the reason these groups are spending money to organize rallies is because they fear we will be successful in working with Congress and the Obama administration to establish protection for Utah’s remarkable wilderness lands. Please help us prove them right by making a contribution to SUWA today.  Together, we can thwart the efforts of those who would wreak havoc on Utah's amazing wild land heritage through unfettered energy development and ORV abuse.

"Let's keep Utah’s landscapes in their natural, untrammeled state so that all Americans, young and old, can enjoy them."

(For an opposing view, see this post by LaVar Christensen at his "Citizens for Principled Government" blog.)