At Your Favorite National Monument
Background
In April, The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration has a short list of six national monuments they’re considering slashing: Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon (AZ), Ironwood Forest (AZ), Chuckwalla (CA), Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks (NM), Bears Ears (UT) and Grand Staircase-Escalante (UT). President Trump has already signed a proclamation opening up the Pacific Islands Heritage National Monuments to commercial fishing.
Public land advocates have a narrow window to push back and protect these and other places. In 2017, Trump led the largest rollback of public land protections in history, slashing Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand-Staircase Escalante national monuments by 85 and 47 percent, respectively. In response, nearly 3 million Americans rose up in protest. Let’s build a loud community of public land defenders across the country. Let the Trump administration know these places are for the people - not billionaires or corporate polluters.
What Success Looks Like
We hope this day of action will generate media attention at local, state and national levels with visuals of people uniting across some of our country’s most precious landscapes. Even small rallies with honed messaging in critical locations are effective. Additionally, a social media element that reaches voters across the country who support public lands will create a powerful message.
We invite all public land defenders to participate, whether that’s by posting a photo of their favorite trails to social on June 7 or showing up in person on the land with friends and family.
How to Join
- Gather a Group: Bring friends, family, or your organization members to your favorite national monument, national park, or other close-to-home public land. Click here to view a list of national monuments and national parks in New Mexico.
- Before you go: If you are inviting a large group, call the land manager to see if a permit will be required for your expected group size or if there are any other considerations for First Amendment activities. Some monuments have designated First Amendment areas.
- Before you go: If you are inviting a large group, call the land manager to see if a permit will be required for your expected group size or if there are any other considerations for First Amendment activities. Some monuments have designated First Amendment areas.
- Make a sign (or print this one): Use example slogans or create your own.
- "Not for Sale / No Se Vende"
- “Protect Our Parks”
- “Public Lands in Public Hands”
- "Hands Off National Monuments"
- "Protect Sacred Sites"
- "Public Lands, Not Private Profit"
- Take photos
- Stand near a national monument sign, notable landmark or gorgeous view.
- Show your signs clearly.
- If you see signs of destruction and negative impacts from the DOGE firing spree (think: trash at trailheads, “closed” signs, etc), document them and upload to the shared Google drive folder.
- Share online - and pass forward
- Tag: #monumentsforall | #handsoff | #notforsale
- Tag: Sec. Burgum (@secretaryburgum) and your members of Congress (find your reps here)
- Tag: 5 friends, nominating them to go to their favorite monument, park or other public land with a sign.
- Sign and share the petition
- Call your members of Congress at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to let the Trump administration know that these places are not for sale.
Who’s Invited to Join
- Local residents
- Tribal Nations & Indigenous advocates
- Business owners
- Outdoor recreationists (hikers, climbers, birders, campers)
- Hunters & anglers
- Conservation groups
- Faith leaders
- Artists & youth
- YOU
Included in This Toolkit
- Save the date flyer
- Printable “Not For Sale” and “No Se Vende” signs (PDFs). This is design inspo to get you started, though feel free to make your own.
- Sample press release. We encourage grassroots leaders to customize this template for local media pitching ahead of the June 7 rally.
- Sample social media posts
- Sample emails/texts to invite friends
- Google drive for sharing photos
Why This Matters
The Trump administration is dismantling our parks to sell them off to billionaires and big corporations. These actions will cut off access to national public lands and destroy wildlife habitats. Removing these monument protections is part of the broader scheme to sell off public lands - and Americans’ shared national heritage.
We say: Enough is enough. These lands are not for sale.
