LCV Launches Ads Urging Gosar to Stop Attacking Arizona National Monuments

Aug 16, 2017

With the futures of Vermillion Cliffs, Ironwood Forest and Sonoran Desert national monuments on the line, the League of Conservation Voters is investing $100,000 in a final push to urge Congressman Paul Gosar and other members of Congress to stop attacking our public lands and to ensure the Trump administration hears the overwhelming outpouring of support for our national monuments ahead of the August 24th deadline for its unprecedented monument ‘review.’

The current chairman of the anti-public lands Congressional Western Caucus, Gosar supports completely eliminating Arizona’s four national monuments caught up in the Trump administration’s dangerous and unnecessary review. Gosar even went further than the Trump administration, which has said they will not be making changes to Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument.

“Four generations of my family call Arizona home, and the next four generations of our communities also deserve to enjoy and be a part of the lands that reflect our histories,” said Jennifer Allen, Senior Vice President of Community and Civic Engagement at LCV. “Yet Congressman Gosar’s attacks on our national parks and monuments have gone even further than the Trump administration’s. This monument ‘review’ was launched with no evidence, no justification and no benefit to Arizonans or the nation as a whole. Monuments like Vermillion Cliffs, Ironwood Forest and Sonoran Desert – which are all under attack – have boosted tourism and offer incredible opportunities to appreciate and be in awe of Arizona’s majestic desert. They are too important to be at the mercy of the Trump administration and Congressman Gosar’s games.”

Starting today, LCV will run animated Facebook and Instagram ads urging Gosar to stop attacking our public lands and monuments, and encouraging his constituents to take action by calling his office and expressing their support for Arizona’s monuments. Gosar is one of four members of the Congressional Western Caucus included in the ad campaign.

LCV is also running ads encouraging monument supporters to call Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and tell him to stop playing games with our public lands and end his dangerous review without recommending any changes to national monuments. Additionally, the campaign includes promoted videos amplifying support for threatened public lands and outlining the risks of the Trump administration turning over these special places to Big Polluters.

“It’s time for Secretary Zinke to stop playing games with our public lands, our waters and our national monuments,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski. “People across the country have spoken out and shared their stories of the value these special places bring their communities, from boosting local economies to preserving our cultural heritage for the next generation. But Zinke is treating our national monuments like contestants on a reality TV show, and his anti-public lands allies in Congress are enabling this dangerous agenda. Let’s be clear: if the Trump administration attempts to revoke protections for our national monuments, the millions of families who hike, fish, and enjoy our parks and public lands won’t sit on the sidelines while they sell out these special places to polluters.”

An unprecedented 2.7 million public comments were submitted in support of protecting national monuments, including more than 350,000 from LCV members. LCV’s “Our Lands, Our Vote” campaign has been engaging people across the country to stand up for our public lands and waters throughout the summer.

 

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