In response to Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland’s visit to Utah, and as we celebrate Earth Week, Anna Peterson, Executive Director of The Mountain Pact released the following statement encouraging swift action by President Biden to restore and expand protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments:
“Over 140 local elected officials from across the West, including Utah mayors, council members, and county commissioners support the swift restoration of protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. We thank Secretary Haaland for coming to Utah to listen to a diverse range of stakeholder groups, including many Indigenous leaders and Utah local elected officials and others, who want President Biden to restore or expand protections for these national monuments as soon as possible.
“These local and national treasures are at risk and we can’t wait for legislation. It’s time for President Biden to take immediate action to restore and expand protections that were stripped away by the previous administration. It’s past time for real collaborative management to begin with Tribes at Bears Ears and for the restoration of protections for these irreplaceable cultural, historic, and natural treasures.”
Founded in 2014, The Mountain Pact mobilizes local elected officials in over 80 Western mountain communities with outdoor recreation based economies to speak with a collective voice on federal climate, public lands, and outdoor recreation policy.
