The environmental vandal and scourge of wildlife Trump has announced plans to slash the size of two of Utah’s most beautiful National Parks provoking fury from environmentalists, Native American tribes, conservationists and all decent people who care for natural beauty and wildlife.
The uncaring Trump called for the 1.3 million acre Bears Ears National Monument to be cut back to 228,784 acres split into two separate areas.
He also called for Grand Staircase Escalante Monument to be slashed by 50% to just under one million acres and split into three areas.
Both parks are in the dramatic Southern Utah red rock country and are places of outstanding beauty and ecological significance.
The changes will make way for oil and gas drilling, mining and other resource extraction activities in the beauty spot.
In Trump’s psychotic world the only thing that matters is profit and short-term gain. The long-term damage to nature, people or wildlife is of no consequence. He is happy to destroy swathes of the most wondrous wilderness if it puts money into his pocket. The oil and mining companies are having a field-day. They’ve been after getting their hands on America’s most wondrous National Parks for decades.
All those who support Trump and love nature must surely now see what a callous monster he is.
Destroying nature for profit is just the start of it. He is also relaxing environmental legislation so industry can pour out more pollution into the air and water; he is relaxing employment legislation so that workers lose rights and employers can make more profit; likewise with health and safety.
Great for the businessmen like him. They’ll stack away the Billions into their offshore tax havens. Terrible news for the wildlife, workers and all of us who appreciate nature.
This is what happens when you put an uncaring louse in charge!
Supporters of Trump should feel ashamed. You’ve given licence to a criminal; a man lacking in empathy who doesn’t give a hoot for ordinary people or the planet.
A lot of assumptions here. It’s my understanding that the land in question will be turned back over to the power of the state rather than under Federal power. So, foremost a state’s rights issue.
In that part of the country the states and Fed own the majority of the land. In neighboring Nevada over %80…I’m pretty sure Utah is in the same ball park.
The National Park system isn’t quite the panacea a lot of folks make it out to be. The government has no qualms with the gutting of resources as they see fit for money from giant corporations….an example of the technocracy in which the State knows best.
I live down the road from one of the major National Parks. Most of it is restricted, off limits to citizens who instead are herded in to a single file line of cars from where they may catch a glimpse of a bear.
All part of the Trump masterplan I believe Jack. He is after reducing all the environmental legislation and giving a licence to pollute. He is hoping that the economic boost this will give will be enough to satisfy his followers. It is classic short-term thinking. The long-term damage to the ecology and landscape is irrelevant in his eyes. Just the money.
He is busy undoing all the good things that have happened for the environment. It is monstrous.
The mistake a lot of people make is thinking that this stuff is about “environmental protection” when, in truth it’s about environmental control and ownership. The Bureau of Land Management (Fed) is who sells the rights to graze cattle, water, timber, oil and gas drilling on Federally controlled land (and btw, mineral and water rights on a lot of “privately owned” land). So, really it’s a centralization of power where the State is the arbiter of which evil corporations get their hands on resources rather than the citizens, local or national and any local government.
People don’t seem to care a whit when the Federal Government sells drilling rights or clear cut timber contracts when the environmental effects are unseen to the public because hey, “it’s on protected land” and we all know the State will never deceive.
Jack – a good point – and a complex one. An environment can be managed in many ways to favour different outcomes and create different ecosystems. It is a complex business. It depends what you want as a climax as to what grazing, water regulation and tree felling you allow.
If the logging and mining companies get their way they will run roughshod over it all.
Right on, Opher, and the atrocities that he is doing while we are distracted are horrid. He said, “the clean water act is a destructive and horrible rule.” Yeah, for those who would pollute it and use it for fracking – money in their pockets at the expense of the Planet. Yes, people who support him should be ashamed. But then again, they get completely different info, where all is rosey and happy.
I find it all extremely distressing that anyone can behave in such a destructive cavalier manner. The environment is our most important asset. The man is a monster.
Hear, hear, Opher! It will be interesting to see what happens in those areas.
Hopefully the State will find a way of putting a stop to his plans.