Ask Your Reps to Vote "No" to Remove National Monument Protections
Our national public lands are some of the last places to protect biodiversity as well and the living cultural traditions and cultural resources of tribes, as well as supporting climate mitigation and adaptation.. Their protection can support the thriving of nature and human communities to the glory of God. The current Congress has made extensive and inappropriate use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to dismantle protections for public lands:
The 119th Congress Becomes Worst Congress on Public Lands in Modern American History
On April 17th, the CRA bill (HJR140) to allow notoriously polluting copper sulfide mining by a Chilean company in the headwaters for Boundary Water Wilderness Canoe Area passed a 49-50 vote in the Senate. The next CRA bill coming up, HRJ 151/SJR 109, to dismantle the Management Plan for Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Ask your Representative to vote "no" today CLICK HERE The vote could take place in the House as soon as next week.
Last week, faith leaders from throughout the West issued a letter in opposition to the CRA for Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Utah expressing concern over the long-term consequences of the bill.
As leaders of faith, we urge members of Congress to oppose the use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the current management plan for Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument. If revisions are needed, they should be pursued through dialogue, debate, and collaboration—processes that reflect prudence and respect for public participation. The CRA would nullify the existing management plan and endanger any possible future protections. The current plan reflects years of scientific study, public comment, and Tribal consultation. The CRA, by contrast, would reverse that work through an expedited legislative end-run. This excuse for “legislation” is bad enough on its face; but even worse in the long run: By design it will render any good faith efforts to adopt future protections virtually impossible. (To sign the letter yourself as a clergy faith leader, email ron@barness.co).
At the 2024 General Assembly, held in Salt Lake City Utah, passed a policy to support protection of Grand Staircase Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments in perpetuity and act in solidarity with the Tribes for whom the land in these monuments are held sacred and contain important cultural resources. "DOE-8 On Protecting Utah's National Monuments and Wildlands for Ecology and Justice." Asking your Representative to vote "no" on the CRA is an important way to live out this policy of our church and a matter of justice for the earth and tribes. If you would like to do more, including hand delivering the faith letter to your members of Congress, please email Jenny at jehrestore@gmail.com.
Thank you for, reading, and putting your faith into action,
The PEC Advocacy Team
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