The Obama Administration is coming to Utah and it’s your chance to tell them how you feel the U.S. Department of the Interior, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should handle the future of Utah’s outdoor lands.
Government representatives will be on hand at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City on August 3 from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM for a public listening session and conversation about conservation, outdoor recreation, and how Utah’s lands should be used and/or protected.
Utah has a lion’s share of land protection controversies, including a lot of back and forth over proposed new wilderness areas in Utah, especially in the southeastern part of the state like the Glen Canyon/San Juan River area, Cedar Mesa and Comb Ridge. In addition, a lot of heated debate surrounded the approval and subsequent revocation of proposed drilling sites near Utah’s National Parks. Whether you’re for or against further federal protection of Utah lands, this is the venue where you can make your voice heard, in person, to senior officials of the Obama administration.
The event is part of President Obama’s initiative called, “America’s Great Outdoors.” In April, Obama signed a memorandum detailing an agenda “worthy of the 21st century and to reconnect Americans with our great outdoors.” In doing so, the President is striving to bring change starting at the local level where protecting and restoring lands can best be done by the people that live there.
As his representatives travel the country, Obama indicated that “the sessions should engage the full range of interested groups, including tribal leaders, farmers and ranchers, sportsmen, community park groups, foresters, youth groups, businesspeople, educators, State and local governments, recreation and conservation groups, and others.” That means pretty much everyone who works, plays and loves the outdoors in Utah should make an effort to be a part of this event and be represented.
Here is all the info you need to attend:
When: Tuesday, August 3, 10:00 AM to 1:15 PM
Where: Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown
215 West South Temple
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
(801) 531-7500
Who: Senior leadership from the U.S. Department of the Interior, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies will be present to hear your thoughts and participate in a conversation about America’s Great Outdoors.
RSVP: This event is free and open to the public. For planning purposes it would be helpful if you would pre-register by Wednesday, July 28 by sending an email to americasgreatoutdoorsslc@blm.gov or a fax to (801)-539-4074 with your name, the name of any organization you are affiliated with, telephone number, and email address. Please let us know if you have any special needs. We will make every effort to accommodate everyone.
In the event you are unable to participate in person, please submit your ideas on the America’s Great Outdoors website at http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/.
If you have questions, please contact Jeanette Matovich at (801) 539-4232 or americasgreatoutdoorsslc@blm.gov.
Jared, thanks so much for posting this information on the America’s Great Outdoors listening session! I am the southwest regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association. We are currently working to ensure our national parks play a prominent role in any forward-thinking conservation initiative put forth by the administration. I hope that folks will join us at the Salt Lake City listening session on August 3rd, and advocate on behalf of our national parks. NPCA has posted some additional information on the session, which you can check out here: http://www.npca.org/take_action/upcoming_events/public-listening-session-on-2.html
Here are some of our main messages for those who choose to attend:
= Landscape Conservation: Here in Utah, we are trying to protect Canyonlands National Park. Over the long term, the park can’t retain its wildness and iconic remoteness unless the areas that are adjacent and connect to it are also protected. Threatened oil and gas development, adjacent off road vehicle use, tar sands development, and increased road building on lands adjacent to the existing park boundaries are below the natural drainage basin of the area and could be protected by expanding the national park.
=Use National Parks for Education/Service Learning: The national parks anchor larger outdoor classrooms where life-long learning takes place. In Utah, our many cultural national park sites allow visitors to step back in time and truly understand important pieces of our shared history. The Administration should do all it can to help support and significantly grow successful service learning and other education programs so that young people have an opportunity to learn about America’s history and heritage in our national parks and public lands.
•Successful example is the Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program at Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. These programs allows teachers to fully explore the park by being a ranger for the summer, so they can develop activities that will be used in the classroom during the school year and can enrich their students with a better understanding and appreciation of park resources.
=Land and Water Conservation Fund: Here in Utah we have been able to use the Land and Water Conservation Fund to protect wetlands adjacent to the Great Salt Lake as a way to protect important bird habitat for this critically vital Pacific migratory flyway, and as a recreational and educational resource for visitors. But LWCF doesn’t have adequate funding to meet so many critical needs. For example, we have willing sellers for private lands within Zion National Park and no money to purchase it, so it may end up being developed, with a loss of recreational opportunity and important habitat. The Administration must lead efforts to fully fund and dedicate permanent funding for LWCF and should be a key component for fulfilling the vision of the America’s Great Outdoors initiative and fund this program.
David Nimkin
Southwest Regional Director
National Parks Conservation Association