Redrock Report
 June 2009

Find out what's happening this month with the redrock:
1.  Wild Utah Local Action Month is around the corner!
2.  The Interior Department finds flaws in December 2009 oil and gas lease sale.
3.  Sing along to a song about RS 2477!
4.  Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-MA) is among the recently added Red Rock bill cosponsors.
5.  Utah land exchange bill passes the House Natural Resources Committee.
6.  Let us know if you want to host a SUWA slideshow!

 

Get Involved by Participating in Wild Utah Local Action Month!

This summer, encourage your Senators and/or Representative to support Utah wilderness by participating in Wild Utah Local Action Month!  From August 3 - September 4, your congressional delegation will be working in their states and districts instead of their usual offices in Washington, DC.  This is a great opportunity to meet with your members of Congress to ask that they cosponsor America's Red Rock Wilderness Act or to thank them for their support.  Local meetings are especially effective because they show members of Congress that their constituents care enough about this issue to ask for and attend a meeting.

The SUWA grassroots staff is ready, willing, and able to assist you in setting up a meeting, helping you contact other Utah wilderness supporters in your area, providing you with the necessary information, and to answer any questions you may have.

To participate or to find out more information, please fill out this form or contact SUWA's National Grassroots Organizer, Jackie Feinberg, at jackie@suwa.org.

 

Interior Report Cites Flaws in Utah Lease Sale Process

Conservation groups applaud a report released last week from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that points to flaws in the BLM's controversial December 2008 Utah oil and gas lease sale.  The report indicates that among the BLM’s shortcomings was a failure to inform the National Park Service of a last-ditch effort that added more tracts of land to the lease sale.

“We are encouraged by the Department’s efforts to issue guidance on how best to protect our most sensitive natural and cultural treasures from oil and gas development, especially those that qualify as wilderness,” said Steve Bloch, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Conservation Director. “We are looking forward to working closely with the agencies as they improve the lease sale process in the future.”

Read the full press release.

Read a Salt Lake Tribune Editorial praising the report and an op-ed by SUWA's own Heidi McIntosh.



RS2477 Claims are "Highway Robbery"

Tumbleweedz YouTube

 

 

 

 

 

 


Tumbleweedz
The Tumbleweedz, a folk band in Kanab, Utah have just released the first popular song on the RS 2477 roads battle and the damage caused by ORVs in southern Utah.  A music video of the song, titled Highway Robbery, has debuted on Youtube.com.  Based on the number of hits and diverse comments on Youtube, the Tumbleweedz have scored a victory in the quest for inventive and relevant Redrock folk songs.

 

 

*New Cosponsor Spotlight*


Rep. Niki TsongasCongresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-MA) recently joined many of her colleagues on the House Natural Resources Committee as a redrock bill cosponsor.

The number of cosponsors of America's Red Rock Wilderness Act continues to grow!  Those recently signing onto to the bill are Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), and Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO).  If you live in New York or any of the above districts, please thank your Senator or Representative!

For a full list of cosponsors, click here.  If your members of Congress are not on the list of cosponsors, please ask them to sign onto the bill by clicking here!

 

Utah Land Exchange Bill Passes House Committee

Last week, the Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act of 2009 (H.R. 1275) passed the House Natural Resources Committee and is now awaiting a full vote in the House of Representatives.  SUWA and our partners in the Utah Wilderness Coalition strongly support this legislation, which would enable the federal government to acquire wilderness-quality lands from the state of Utah in exchange for lands more appropriate for economic development to benefit the state's schoolchildren.  This bill will protect iconic landscapes near Moab, such as Castle Valley, Onion Creek, and Sand Flats Park, from unfettered oil, gas, and other types of irresponsible development.  Many of the state parcels to be traded are completely surrounded by lands proposed for wilderness in America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, which would be strengthened by this bill.

We appreciate the substantial efforts made by Congressman Matheson and other cosponsors, the School and Institutional Trusts Land Administration (SITLA), and the Grand Canyon Trust in writing this legislation and commend them for meeting with so many interested parties.  This land exchange is a noteworthy example of how diverse stakeholders can work constructively together.  Further, this legislation provides a good example of how to balance conservation and development needs in a mutually beneficial way.  The Utah Wilderness Coalition looks forward to working with the bill’s supporters to help move this important land exchange bill forward. 

 

Host a Utah Wilderness Slideshow Near You!

Interested in seeing SUWA's multi-media slideshow presentation?  Let us know if you are involved with a group that could host the show or offer a venue!

To schedule a slideshow in the East or South, email Jackie Feinberg at jackie@suwa.org. 

To schedule a slideshow in the Midwest, email Clayton Daughenbaugh at clayton@suwa.org. 

To schedule a slideshow in the West, email Barbara Eubanks at barbara@suwa.org. 

Click here for a complete slideshow schedule.