STATEMENT Regarding Secretary Zinke’s Lack of Specifics and Real Information in the Summary Report about Nevada’s Gold Butte and Basin & Range National Monuments - Battle Born Progress
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STATEMENT Regarding Secretary Zinke’s Lack of Specifics and Real Information in the Summary Report about Nevada’s Gold Butte and Basin & Range National Monuments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 24, 2017

Contact: Annette Magnus, annette@battlebornprogress.org & Maria-Teresa Liebermann, mariateresa@battlebornprogress.org

LAS VEGAS – Today, Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke released a report summary of his review of 27 National Monuments. Nevada Conservation League and Battle Born Progress released the following statements in response to the summary:

Nevada Conservation League Executive Director Andy Maggi stated: “Earlier today, Secretary Zinke released the report he submitted to the White House on his review of several National Monuments, including Nevada’s Gold Butte and Basin and Range. While the report describes the process the review undertook and several themes found during the last few months — including the overwhelming support for maintaining existing monuments expressed during the public comment period — it does not detail any recommendations Secretary Zinke is making about the reviewed monuments themselves. Simply put, the report is incomplete. This lack of transparency fails to give the citizens of Nevada the answers they deserve after years of continued support for protecting Gold Butte and Basin and Range. Nevadans deserve and need to know that these national monuments will be protected completely and in their entirety for generations to come, and we won’t stop asking until we get those answers.”

Battle Born Progress Executive Director Annette Magnus stated: “Today, Secretary Ryan Zinke lived up to the new nickname we have given him, Sneaky Zinke, by releasing a sham report summary of a sham review of our country’s National Monuments. This summary is insulting to the millions of Americans across the country who made their support for these monuments clear throughout this “review” and who expected concrete answers from the Secretary today. Places like Gold Butte and Basin and Range in Nevada are irreplaceable treasures that need to be protected for future generations, and deserve to be protected in full as National Monuments. Today’s “report summary” is another example of Zinke’s disregard for Nevadans who have asked to keep our national monuments. When he visited our state, he spent less than a day here and ignored supportive stakeholders, elected officials and tribal leaders. This isn’t a game, this is about the millions of acres of our public lands that Americans enjoy for recreation and use for scientific discoveries.

ABOUT THE MONUMENTS REVIEW: Earlier this year, President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced an executive order directing the Department of the Interior to review public lands that have been protected under the Antiquities Act since 1996. Nevada’s National Monuments, Gold Butte and Basin & Range, are part of this review. Nationally, more than 2.7 million comments poured in during the Interior Department’s 60-day comment period – a record-breaking response. More than 98 percent of all comments received expressed support for maintaining or expanding national monuments. More than 90,000 comments were submitted in support of Basin & Range and Gold Butte National Monuments.

Spokespeople from these and other organizations are available for comment

Spanish speakers are available

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About the Nevada Conservation League: The Nevada Conservation League is the independent political voice of Nevada’s Conservation Community. We work to maintain and enhance the natural character of Nevada and the quality of life for Nevadans through effective advocacy, the election of pro-conservation candidates and building collaboration.

About Battle Born Progress: BBP, through strategic communication efforts, empowers, engages and mobilizes Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed.