REI Statement on Bears Ears National Monument Review

Secretary Zinke has said many times “you can love public lands as much as me, but you can’t love them more." This morning he said “over the course of time the Antiquities Act has done some great things for this country, it has preserved some of our finest treasures and the Antiquities Act overall has been nothing short of an American success.”

He did so while delivering a report to the President stating that the boundary of Bears Ears National Monument should be revised. It’s disappointing to see a native Montanan who grew up in the shadow of Glacier National Park - and who talks a lot about how much he loves our public lands - make this recommendation as his first big decision given the hundreds of thousands of people who shared their views on the economic, environmental, historic and recreational value of public lands.

It’s important to keep in mind that this is an interim report. The decision is not final. We now have just two months to unite as a community across party lines to ensure current protections remain in-tact for all national monuments under review. If Secretary Zinke truly is a Teddy Roosevelt conservationist, we appeal to him to honor that spirit and show his own leadership on behalf of America’s great outdoors.

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