We have solutions to the pollution and drought that plagues Utah.
Stop burning fossil fuels and protect our public lands. Our public lands offer amazing counters to the polluted skies we experience in Utah, and are safeguards against drought. Public lands sequester carbon, protect trees and our watersheds and allow species migration and health.
Of course, Trump, with the support of Utah delegates, is attacking them. Utah has been on a drive for years to acquire federal lands. We know if they did “own” these lands, management costs would exceed our budget, and they’d be sold off to developers and extractive industries.
Even so, Rep Maloy, in a sneaky move, sought a continuing resolution (CRA) to pull back management plans for Grand Staircase-Escalante. Congress has used this rule six times in the past year to attack public lands, pristine areas and forests, when the rule is not intended to affect management plans and had only been used a few times in the previous 30 years.
Trump and Congress have come for the Boundary Waters in Minnesota and land in Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota. Now he is coming for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument with the support and encouragement of Utah’s delegates.
We must bombard the Utah offices with calls to support public lands and oppose using the CRA. Besides the environmental impact of opening public lands to developers and extractive industries, the economic value is undeniable.
Utah needs to protect this revenue generator and our free outdoor meccas which earned $9.5 billion in 2023. Take a stand for keeping public lands for the public and call your representatives.
Patricia Becnel, Ogden