Letter to Utah Gov. Cox: Protect the Antiquities Act + Public Lands

Chris Schulte squeezing his way up Airwolf (V6). Photo by AAC member Dawn Kish

February 8, 2022

The Honorable Spencer Cox
Governor
State Capitol
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114

Dear Governor Cox, 

On behalf of our 1,000 members in the state of Utah, and our 25,000 members nationally, the American Alpine Club (AAC) is writing to express our immense concern with your office's hiring of a law firm for the purposes of litigating the protections afforded via national monument designation to both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante while simultaneously soliciting the Outdoor Retailer show to return to your state’s capitol. 

The AAC is a century-old, national non-profit organization that supports the climbing and human-powered outdoor recreation communities through education, community gatherings, stewardship, policy, advocacy, and scientific research. Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments are significant not only for our members who enjoy the climbing and other recreational opportunities afforded by these unique landscapes, but also for their extensive cultural and ecological values that have been cherished by Tribes such as the Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and Ute Tribe for time immemorial. It is for these reasons we advocated for the restoration of these monuments, following their reduction during the Trump Administration, and celebrated when the Biden-Harris Administration made the profoundly important decision to honor the voices of Indigenous communities, climbers, and conservationists by reinstating their protections.

Our advocacy over the years has been clear - we oppose any action aimed at weakening the efficacy of the Antiquities Act or any other bedrock environmental law that protects our nation’s lands and waters. With more than 100,000 Native American cultural sites, countless scientific and historical objects, and several thousand individual rock climbs that attract climbers from across the globe, we believe that the proper care and management of these objects accurately reflects the size of the monuments as designated by the Biden Administration.

More than that, these protections are in line with the Biden Administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, which aims to tackle the climate crises at home and abroad by conserving 30% of land and water by 2030. Ensuring these landscapes are protected helps our country address not only the climate and extinction crises, but it bolsters recreation-based economies which rely on public lands as the infrastructure for activities like climbing.

While we find it egregious that your office would consider filing a lawsuit against the Federal Government to remove protections from these sacred, wild, and recreation rich landscapes, we do not share this note as a boycott of the State of Utah or the return of the Outdoor Retailer to the Beehive state. Salt Lake City is home to one of the largest climbing communities in the country, and the state to that of some of our nation's most significant and historical climbing areas. Access to the outdoors attracts many of our members to live and work in Utah, and is certainly a reason amongst many in our community for bringing Outdoor Retailer back to the state. 

However, if your office moves forward with its intended litigation to erode protections afforded by the Antiquities Act to monuments in Utah (and potentially across the country), we will urge that the Outdoor Retailer show not return to UT, or boycott the show itself. We stand with our partners at The Conservation Alliance and Outdoor Alliance, who have already asked your office to respect our industry's values and the lands we cherish.

We urge you to take our request seriously and abandon your efforts to remove protections to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. Instead, we welcome you to join the outdoor industry in creating a strong and vibrant future for the public lands and outdoor recreation economies across the American West, one that values the perspectives of tribal, outdoor, conservation, and local communities as well as the majority of Utahns and Americans.

Thank you, 

Jamie Logan, AAC Interim-CEO

AAC Policy Committee Members:

Peter Metcalf
Pete Ward
Rob Deconto
Graham Zimmerman
Katie Stahley
Nina Williams

CC:

Taylor Luneau, AAC Policy Manager
Amelia Howe, AAC Advocacy and Government Affairs Manager
The Honorable Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Department of Interior
Herve Sedky, CEO, Emerald
Lise Aangenbrug, Executive Director, Outdoor Industry Association
Adam Cramer, Executive Director, Outdoor Alliance
Shoren Brown, Interim Executive Director, The Conservation Alliance
President Stuart Adams, UT State Senate
Speaker Brad Wilson, UT State House

Statement on Bolting Petroglyphs Near Moab, Utah

We unequivocally condemn the recent actions at Sunshine Wall, near Moab, Utah that compromised the integrity of petroglyphs, sacred Indigenous cultural artifacts.

It is essential that climbers understand the significance of petroglyphs, not only as a window into the past but as an ongoing and vital part of Indigenous culture and identity to this day, and are committed to protecting these sacred sites. The cultural and spiritual value of these places cannot be measured, and we firmly support efforts to protect them. We are currently reaching out to our friends and partners in the local and national tribal, climbing, and land management communities to discuss how to best proceed with the current situation and prevent such instances from occurring again.

Signed,

American Alpine Club
Access Fund
Friends of Indian Creek
Salt Lake Climbers Alliance
Western Colorado Climbers’ Coalition

AAC Releases Statement on Antiquities Act Review

Betsy Manero climbs an Indian Creek classic. The Creek, a part of Bear's Ears National Monument, is now under threat.

Emma Longcope photo. 

The American Alpine Club is concerned by Zinke’s recommendation to modify 10 national monuments, including reducing Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, Nevada’s Gold Butte, and Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou.

Any modifications to these monuments will impact the future of critical climbing resources on our public lands and the Antiquities Act—the law signed by President Theodore Roosevelt to protect the important archaeological, historic and scientific assets that face imminent threat.

The American Alpine Club is fiercely committed to our country’s national monuments—their wild landscapes and cultural and scientific resources.

AAC Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order for a Review of Existing National Monument Designations under the Antiquities Act

Photo: AAC member Jason Gebauer

AAC Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order for a Review of Existing National Monument Designations under the Antiquities Act

April 26, 2017: This morning President Trump signed an executive order instructing the Interior Department to review all national monuments designated under the Antiquities Act since 1996. An interim report will be concluded within 45 days and a final report within 120 days of the order.

The American Alpine Club is concerned by how this order will impact the future of critical climbing resources, our public lands and the Antiquities Act—the conservation tool used for more than 100 years to safeguard our country’s important archaeological, historic and scientific resources on public lands. 

Under this review will be the newly designated Bears Ears National Monument—the first national monument to recognize rock climbing as a valued activity in its proclamation. In addition to its spectacular climbing areas, Bears Ears includes more than 100,000 Native American cultural sites. “The creation of Bear Ears National Monument—with its iconic desert climbing, wild canyons and Native American artifacts—represents the best, highest value, and most sustainable use possible of these iconic and spectacular landscapes which are on par with Canyonlands, Arches and Yellowstone,” says AAC board policy member Peter Metcalf. “We must be fearless in communicating unambiguously to the president about our absolute commitment to our country’s monuments, especially Bears Ears.”  

Just this week, the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) released its new data: The outdoor recreation economy generates over $887 billion in consumer spending and supports 7.6 million American jobs. The U.S. Department of the Interior reports that visits to our national parks added $35 billion to the U.S. economy in 2016 alone. As OIA’s Executive Director Amy Roberts says, “Monuments, many of which have become national parks, have created economic prosperity and jobs in local communities for decades. The vast majority of Americans value their national parks and monuments and want these lands protected.”

AAC Policy Director Maria Povec is currently in D.C. with the Outdoor Industry Association to educate elected leaders about the importance of public lands to the climbing community and the benefits of the outdoor recreation economy. In early May, the AAC will be back in D.C. with the Access Fund to “Climb the Hill” and advocate for places we climb, land management agencies and policies that support outdoor recreation. As Metcalf says, “We best ensure our continued privilege to climb, in part, by educating others about the integral role our public lands play in the vibrancy of our economy, our cultural history, bio-diversity, and the quality of our lives.”