Return to RCDP 2017 – 2020 Resolutions

Protect Our National Monuments and Public Lands

Whereas, President Theodore Roosevelt in his first term as President made environmental conservation a cornerstone of his Presidency and dedicated Devils Tower the first United States Monument in 1906 thereby setting our Country on a course of preservation of unique public lands keeping them for the public in perpetuity, and

Whereas our national monuments and parks are treasures that must be protected from exploitation, destruction and provide beautiful places in which people can find history, beauty, solitude and spiritual rebirth, and

Whereas our national monuments and parks also provide economic benefit to the communities that surround them and if destroyed can never be replaced.

Therefore be it resolved that the Riverside County Democratic Party vigorously opposes the movement and/or any plans of the current presidential administration to declassify 23 national monuments in 11 states including the Sonoran Desert, the San Gabriel Mountains, Cascade Siskiyou and parts of the Grand Canyon to declare they are not public lands and open them for private development and oil/gas drilling, and

Be it further resolved that this resolution be forwarded to the Mike T. Reynolds, Acting Director, National Park Service, Senators Feinstein and Harris and the California Democratic Congressional Delegation requesting that they vigorously oppose declassifying any of our National Monuments and actively support keeping all of our National Monuments and public lands public.

Passed unanimously 6/12/17