This Saturday is National Public Lands Day, and in honor of that, we’re bringing you a special behind the scenes episode about our Keep Parks Public tour featuring the team here at CWP.  As many listeners or Look West subscribers may know, the CWP team embarked on a 10-day journey that took us from Denver to Las Cruces, Tucson, Flagstaff, Moab, Salt Lake City, Grand Junction, and Jackson Hole over the past month and a half.

The main goal of the Keep Parks Public tour was to highlight the impacts President Trump’s staffing and funding cuts are having on public lands across the West. But we ended up covering a lot more than that. We talked to local political and business leaders, conservation advocates, former park rangers and superintendents, and public land lovers at every stop on our trip— and the message from everyone was clear: public lands are not ok. Nor are the people who care for them. 

We’re going to share what we learned on the tour and play some of the best quotes from our live events. Then we’ll close out by reading you some of the 150+ comments folks have submitted through our Keep Parks Public website answering the question: Why do public lands matter to you?

• After defeating plan to sell public land, coalition of Colorado advocates keeps up the fight – Colorado Sun
• “Keep Parks Public” tour stops in Tucson to push back against national park cuts – KGUN
• What Was Learned From the Latest Fight Over Public Lands? – Outside
• 109th anniversary of National Park Service comes amid big proposed cuts, uncertainty about the future of public lands – Rocky Mountain Community Radio
• ‘Keep Parks Public’ tour concludes in Grand Junction – KREX
• After national parks hearing, MAGA forces continue public land assault, greens say – WyoFile

• • Tell us: Why do public lands matter to YOU?
  • Keep Parks Public Instagram

Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss 

Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org

Music: Purple Planet

Featured image: CWP photo at Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in Las Cruces, NM

The post How people across the West are fighting to protect public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.