Millions of acres of America’s iconic wild landscapes are under threat. Wilderness areas and other wilderness-quality lands are where we and our families can enjoy nature and quiet recreation away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. These places protect and sustain clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, and Indigenous cultural and spiritual connections. Local communities rely on wild public lands for economic benefits from tourism and recreation, and their quality of life.
But now, the Department of the Interior is undergoing a sweeping “review” of the policies that help ensure our wild public lands are safeguarded for future generations. This review could open the door for industrial development, resource extraction, unsustainable motorized vehicle use, privatization, and other activities that threaten the wild character of these landscapes. Nearly 200 million acres of public lands within National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and places overseen by the Bureau of Land Management are at stake.
We have until August 14 to speak up for the wild places we love. Submit a comment today to defend America’s wilderness!
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More information: this action alert will deliver your comment to the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You can edit the message directly in the message box, or add a personal message above the message box. We strongly encourage making your comment your own! Feel free to use the below prompts and talking points (note that there is a character limit of 4,000 characters).
PROMPTS:
- Do you live near any wilderness areas or wilderness-quality lands, or are there particular wild public lands in your state that are worth mentioning?
- Do you have a favorite wild area within a National Park, National Wildlife Refuge, or public lands overseen by the Bureau of Land Management? How could lost protections or weakened management change the place you love?
- Do you have a favorite recreation or other activity you or your family enjoys when visiting wilderness areas and other wild public lands? Depending on the area, visitors can hike, camp, hunt, fish, picnic, paddle, climb, horseback ride, swim, ski, watch wildlife, and more.
- Are there cultural practices, spiritual benefits, subsistence activities, water resources, or other uses within wilderness areas that are important to you or your community?
