From the Evangelical Environmental Network (http://www.creationcare.org):
Pro-life Christians (all Christians—ed.) are called to be good stewards of the bounty upon which all life depends, to protect and defend the beauty and purity of the land and water, to have clean skies and fresh air for our children to enjoy. Our public lands are essential to our quality of life. They make available to everyone what belongs to God. They reflect our highest ideals as a nation: that everyone is welcome because all individuals are created equal, endowed with the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To step into a National Park or Forest or National Monument and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation is to experience freedom and the richness of life as persons made in the image of God.
That is why we all must strongly oppose the three most recent attacks on these special places:
- H.R. 4558 – Grand Staircase-Escalante Enhancement Act aka “The Grand Staircase Giveaway”
- H.R.4532 – Shash Jaa National Monument and Indian Creek National Monument Act
- H.R. 3990– National Monument Creation and Protection Act
The first two are quickly moving through committee, and the National Monument Creation and Protection Act has passed committee and could begin the voting process at any point. All three must be stopped in their tracks.
The Grand Staircase-Escalante Enhancement Act is a thinly veiled attempt to give away over 1 million acres of protected land. By naming the monument a “park”, the bill would shrink the protected land and hand over control to local officials and open it up for sale.
The Shash Jaa National Monument and Indian Creek National Monument Act continues the attack on Bears Ears. This bill would codify President Trump’s suggested slashing of Bears Ears, which is the largest elimination of protected land in history. The fight for Bears Ears is a fight for religious liberties, and we must continue to stand with the Native Americans and oppose any and all attempts to shrink or sell the land.
Finally, the National Monument Creation and Protection Act does the exact opposite of its name. This bill from Chairman Bishop guts the Antiquities Act and harms the future of our public lands. The Antiquities Act grants the president and congress the power to designate public lands as monuments, and is the epitome of bipartisanship. The Act has been used by 16 presidents, 8 from each party, to protect cultural and historical sites. If Chairman Bishop’s bill had been law, Teddy Roosevelt would not have been able to protect the Grand Canyon.
All three bills pose an immediate and dangerous threat to our lands and the ability to protect them.
We need you to join us today and call your representative and tell them that you oppose all three bills and will hold them accountable if these bills succeed. Don’t worry- we have resources to help you craft a message! Email us to let us know if you need further resources or to let us know you called/emailed!
For talking points on all three bills, click here. For a sample letter, click here.
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