Public lands in public hands – exposing greedy land-grabbers and fighting privatization

Several Western states—led by Utah—have demanded that all public lands inside their borders be handed over to them, claiming it’s required by the Constitution. This discredited theory is promoted by far-right groups whose corporate funders stand to profit from state ownership. Meanwhile, the impacts would be enormous: more clearcutting and mining, less environmental oversight and public access. Guardians organizes opposition to state efforts to steal public lands and works to expose the big-money interests behind the movement.

Too many members of Congress treat their districts’ public lands as personal fiefdoms. They sponsor legislation for land deals exempted from fundamental laws such as the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act in order to conceal that they serve the needs of the rich and well-connected rather than the public. Guardians exposes the politicians’ shady bills and organizes opposition to fight for the public’s interest.

National monuments protect priceless cultural and geologic treasures; for instance, Bandelier National Monument in Arizona preserves Ancestral Puebloan culture, including homes, kivas, and rock paintings, and Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in California and Oregon protects the biodiversity of a unique ecosystem at the junction of two mountain ranges. Unfortunately, national monuments are also a beachhead in current attacks on public lands: President Trump claimed to be restoring the rights of Utahns when he issued orders drastically shrinking Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments.

Guardians defends the rights of all Americans to preserve national monuments for future generations. We are committed to fighting monument reductions from the president and Congress.