As our 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt worked tirelessly to stop special interests from developing and privatizing the wild lands that he treasured, conserving more than 230 million acres by establishing 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, four national game preserves, five national parks and 18 national monuments. When Donald Trump became president, sportsmen and women had high hopes that the administration would commit to, in President Trump’s words, “honoring the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt.”
As a hunter, angler and American public land owner, I urge President Trump, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to uphold Roosevelt’s vision for our public lands, waters and wildlife by doing the following:
• Maintaining and expanding fish and wildlife habitat conservation practices on our public lands and waters;
• Sustaining and enhancing hunting and fishing access great places to get afield
• Robustly funding important conservation and access programs;
• Implementing collaboratively designed sage grouse habitat management plans;
• Upholding the integrity of the federal Antiquities Act and our national monuments.
Theodore Roosevelt did not let pressure from well-moneyed special interests stop him from protecting millions of acres of our public lands for the benefit of fish, wildlife and sportsmen. Neither should our leaders now. I urge President Trump, Secretary Zinke, Secretary Perdue and Administrator Pruitt to stand up for hunters and anglers by standing up for our American public lands and waters.
