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Wednesday, June 7, 2017
The Honorable Ryan Zinke
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
Dear Secretary Zinke:
As former employees of the National Park Service, we appreciate the support you have expressed for our National Park System in your first weeks at the helm of the Interior Department. Today we respectfully request that you help preserve and protect the National Park System, which as you know includes many of our country’s national monuments established by Presidents under the Antiquities Act.
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks has already announced its strong objection to Executive Order 13792 issued by President Trump on April 26, 2017, directing you to review Presidential designations and expansions of national monuments since January 1, 1996. The national monuments subject to review protect exceptional natural and cultural resources owned by the American people, and they have already undergone public review and received strong public support. These national monuments also help to tell the rich and diverse story of America, and are key components of the natural and cultural legacy that this generation protects for future generations.
The larger National Park Service monuments that you have listed for initial review, including Grand Canyon-Parashant, Craters of the Moon, and Katahdin Woods and Waters, help to protect nationally significant geology, wildlife and plants, human history, and other natural and cultural resources already determined by the National Park Service to merit inclusion in the National Park System. The Coalition is committed to assuring that these special places stay in the Park System intact, and firmly believes that the President lacks authority to remove them from the Park System. For these and more reasons, this national monument review is a poor use of time and money for everyone, especially when there are many important issues facing our national park units and other public lands.
In addition to the monuments managed by the National Park Service, the national monuments managed by other land management agencies must not be compromised or diminished. Given the short period provided for comment on Bears Ears National Monument, please know that the Coalition joins with many others who are extremely concerned about the Trump Administration’s apparent interest in removing protections for the remarkable landscape and features of this sacred treasure in southern Utah, with its awe-inspiring views of sandstone canyons, desert mesas, and meadow mountaintops. Believing that you value Native American history, the Coalition expects that you will appreciate deeply the extraordinary quantity and quality of Native American relics, cultural sites, and sacred burial grounds located there. These and other cultural resources, coupled with the monument’s exceptional natural resources, eliminate any question as to whether Bears Ears National Monument meets the requirements of the Antiquities Act.
President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law and used it to protect places large and small for future generations. He well understood that waiting for Congressional action could lead to exploitation of extraordinary resources for private gain and irreversible damage to special places that should be protected for all Americans. The Antiquities Act today remains an important tool for protecting resources of value to the entire nation.
Please work with President Trump and all interested parties, including Native Americans and so many others wishing to preserve these special places, to ensure that the national monuments managed by the National Park Service and other agencies are protected for current and future generations by leaving protections in place and allocating adequate resources to land managers on the ground to protect this incredible national legacy.
The Coalition is committed to protecting and preserving these special places. Now is not the time to retreat. As the National Park Service begins its second century, let’s instead work together to strengthen the long-term foundation of our national parks and public lands.
Sincerely,
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Executive Council:
Maureen Finnerty, Chair
Philip A. Francis, Jr., Vice Chair
Brenda Barrett
Maria Burks
Mark A. Butler
David M. Graber
Donald J. Hellmann
Douglas K. Morris
Michael B. Murray
Richard Ring
Sheridan Steele
Kate Stevenson
de Teel Patterson (Pat) Tiller
Allen Bohnert
Amy Gilbert
Andrew T. Ringgold
Anita Badertscher
Ann Childress
Ann Rasor
Anthony D Sisto
B. William Henry
Barbara (B.J.) Griffin
Bill Pierce
Bob Gerhard
Brian R Adms
Bruce D. McKeeman
Bruce Daniel Murphy
Bruce Dombrowski
Bruce Edmonston
Bruce W Bytnar
Caleb G. Cooper
Carl S. Christensen
Carolyn Knoll
Cary F Brown
Charles B Voll
Cherry Payne
Cheryl Houghtelin
Chris Seymour
Clair A. Roberts
Claude Allen Duke
Clyde Stonaker
Colin “Toby” Hastie
Connie Rudd
Courtney Hotchkiss
Craig C. Axtell
D. Scott Hartwig
D. Thomas Ross
Dale Antonich
Dan Moses
Daniel E Sealy
Daniel J Jacobs
Daniel J. Jenner
Daniel Pontbriand
Daniel Taylor
David A. Clary
David B Shaver
David Barna, NPS Chief Spokesman, 1995-2013
David C Hartman
David D. Thompson Jr.
David Forney
David H Wallace
David Hollenberg
David L. Haet
David N Given
David Nathanson
David Parsons
David R Lattimore
Debra E. Levie
Dee Renee Ericks
Delora M. Loope
Denis Davis
Denis M Osowski
Denis P. Galvin
Denise Newberry
Dennis Burnett
Denny Huffman
Diane Allen
Dick Falb Denver
Don Castleberry
Don D. Bachman
Donald A Falvey
Donald E. Mgee
Donna Williams, Carlisle PA
Douglas DeNio, P.E.
Dr. Harold P. Danz
Dr. John Lemons
Edward Bruce Patrovsky
Edward F. Clark III
Edward Peter Walzer
Edwin A. Hession
Elaine D Hall
Elizabeth K. Murray
Elvira Arnberger
Emily Thompson
Erik R. Hauge
Faye Walmsley
Frank P. Weed
Fred C Bolenske
G. Bryan Harry
Gary E. Davis
Gary T Cummins
Gene Casey
Gilbert E. and Karen E. Blinn
Gilbert Soper
Ginny Rousseau
Gordon Vincent Gay
H. Bryan Mitchell
Henry Clay Warren Jr.
J. Douglas Cuilllard
James A Ebert
James A. Caufield
James F. Martin
James I. McDaniel
James M. Brady
James Phillip Corless
James R. Zinck
James Redford
Jane C. Anderson
Jane Margaret Sundberg
Janet L. Wise
Jay P. Eickenhorst
Jeff Ohlfs
Jeffrey Dean Manley
Jerry Freilich
Jerry L. Rogers
Jervis D Swannack
Jim Poole
Joan Anzelmo
John E. Hunter
John F. Byrne
John H. (Jack) Ramsden
John K. Apel
John M Morris
John M. Morehead
John P. Bloom
John Richard Erisman
John T. Conoboy
John W. Howard
John W. Wade
Jon Boyce
Jon Buono, AIA
Jon Paynter
Joseph Aull
Joseph Lee Boyle
Joseph Sovcik
Karel JoAnn Evans
Katherine C. Ziegenfus
Kathy Tonnessen
Kathy Tustanowski
Kenneth E. Apschnikat
Kevin M. FitzGerald
Kim Watson
Larry Lee Hakel
Larry Thomas
Larry W. Frederick
Leonard C Emerson
Leslie Starr Hart
Linda A. Towle
Linda Finn
Lisa Sasser
Lloyd N. Chapman
Luke E. Dalton
Lynn D Jamison
Maria Abonnel
Mary D. Partsch
Mary G Martin
Mary Susan Hurst
Maryanne Gerbauckas
Matthew Ryan Mosher
Max Old Bear
Meredith Ann Belkov
Michael C. Warren
Michael K. Johnson
Michael L Holmes
Michael Sutton
Michael Tollefson
Michael Wurm
Monika Mayr
Nancy Deschu
Nancy Kay Russell
Nelson (Si) Siler
Nicholas J Eason
Nicholas Shelby Beheler
Norah Martinez
Norman D. Hellmers
Nova Clarke
Olav V Olsen
Oron L. Bass, Jr.
Pamela Underhill
Patricia E. Bentley
Patrick H. Reed
Paul F. Haertel
Peggy Dolinich
Peter K. Nigh
Philip A. Selleck
R. Chuck Young
Ramona J. Burks
Randy W Turner
Ray Herrmann
Richard Alesch
Richard C. Curry
Richard Cronenberger
Richard E. Wells
Richard J. Hanks
Richard L. Ernenwein
Richard Smith
Richard William Frost
Rick Jones
Rick L. Mossman
Riley McClelland
Robert Arnberger
Robert D. Higgins
Robert G. White
Robert Joseph Abrell
Robert L Peterson
Robert Reynolds
Roberta Barrows
Roger Jon Cleven
Ronald A. Wilson
Ronald G. Thoman
Ronald G. Warfield
Russell P. Smith
Sam Weddle
Sarah Peskin
Scott Sticha
Sean Smith
Sharon Paris
Sheridan Steele
Sherry Justus
Stephen R. Bruner
Steven Gazzano
Steven Harrison
Stuart L Croll
Sue Christensen
Terrence D. Moore
Terry Goodrich
Terry Savage
Thomas A. Smith
Thomas Arthur Cherry III
Thomas E Haraden
Thomas Griffiths
Thomas M. Lorig
Timothy J. Oliverius
Timothy Manns
Timothy Mark Harvey
Tom Wilson
Vaughn Baker
Warren E. Bielenberg
Warren Hill
Warren Lee Brown
Weidner Philip Koepp
William C Walters
William F. Loftus, Ph.D.
William Gibson
William J Carroll
William J. Halainen
William L. Huie
William O. Fink
William Sanders