Medford, OR -- Oregonians gathered Sunday at the Bureau of Land Management Medford Office to demonstrate support for parks, monuments and public lands as Secretary Zinke visits Oregon. He visited Cascade-Siskiyou as part of his ongoing review of national monuments across the country. Already as part of the review Secretary Zinke has recommended eliminating portions of the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah and has signaled an intent to reduce protections elsewhere. More than 2.7 million people weighed in to protect national monuments during the public comment period on the review. The comments send a clear signal of support for safeguarding public lands in a decision making process by Sec. Zinke that has so far lacked transparency and logic.
In response Drew Kerr, Conservation Chair, Oregon Chapter, Sierra Club. issued the following statement.
“The message today from Oregonians to Secretary Zinke was clear-- leave our public lands and monuments alone. We love our public lands and want to see them remain protected, not sold out to corporate interests.
“Cascade-Siskiyou is a wonder of the natural world, preserved specifically because of the wealth of plants and animals found there and managed with an eye toward balancing working, natural and recreation lands. For many of us here in Oregon, wild places and the wildlife and recreation they support are an important reason why we live here. The Sierra Club will continue to work to ensure our public lands are protected for this and future generations.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters nationwide. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org.