“The president stole your land.” That’s the stark message today over at patagonia.com.
We join Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and the vast majority of our fellow citizens to express our deep disapproval of President Trump’s recent decision to shrink the boundaries of two national monuments. His unprecedented move reduces Bears Ears National Monument by more than 1 million acres—or 85 percent, and it removes 900,000 acres from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument—effectively halving it.
These monuments are in Utah, but make no mistake: they belong to all of us. They are part of the proud legacy of public land ownership all Americans enjoy.
Wyoming is home to our nation’s first national monument, Devils Tower. It’s also home to our first national forest and national park—the Shoshone and Yellowstone. At the Outdoor Council, we believe public lands are worth fighting for. They are essential to our quality of life today, and they’re a vital legacy to pass on to our kids and grandkids tomorrow.
At our 50th anniversary celebration in Lander this past September, we honored Yvon Chouinard with the Tom Bell Legacy Award. This award celebrated Yvon’s lifelong commitment to public lands, wildlife, and clean air and water. With that award, and now, we want to express our deep gratitude for Yvon’s and Patagonia’s unwavering support of grassroots conservation groups like ours—and the public lands we’re all working to protect.