What Americans want

While Republicans in Congress continue their tone-deaf and wasteful push for the Keystone XL pipeline, the president has been out connecting with the American people, finding out what they actually want and working to make it happen. At a recent event in Chicago, the president announced he would designate the Pullman Historic Site, along with the Honouliuli Internment Camp in Hawai’i and Browns Canyon in Colorado, as national monuments. 

The new monuments, including the birthplace of the first African-American union in America, the largest prisoner-of-war camp and longest used World War II internment camp, and a premier trout fishing and outdoor recreation destination, represent the span of what our country’s public lands should represent — our full American story. These monuments embody the historic, cultural, and natural wonders that make up our nation’s outdoor legacy.  And thanks to Obama’s action, they will now be permanently protected as places of remembrance, historic contribution and inspiration for future generations.  

{mosads}Like other national monument designations before, the latest additions to our conservation system have broad public support. Recent polling from Colorado College’s Conservation in the West series shows that in western states in particular, people use public lands and want to see more done to protect them. Ninety-five percent of respondents had visited their public lands — the majority more than six times a year — and unsurprisingly, the top priority identified for these public lands was protection and conservation.

Places like Browns Canyon are the lifeblood of many communities.  As one of the most popular whitewater rafting destinations in the country, a gold medal trout fishing location, and a unique low-elevation four-season outdoor recreation center, Browns Canyon is a major tourism draw.  Outdoor recreation and tourism already bring in millions to the local economy every year — $55 million from commercial rafting alone, for example.  Recognizing the area as a national monument will ensure that it continues to contribute to the economic vitality of nearby communities.  

Of course, the benefits of permanently protecting the area as a national monument extend beyond the economic: Browns Canyon and other public lands are vital to the outdoor lifestyle so central to Colorado.  That was made abundantly clear at a public meeting I attended before the designation, where I heard one person after another testify about the importance of Browns Canyon to their quality of life.  

The beauty and the opportunities for adventure offered by the rugged landscape, plateaus and rushing water are irreplaceable.  Browns Canyon provides a haven for people looking to get away, but also prime habitat for wildlife. Golden eagles, big horn sheep, elk herds and a wide variety of birds all call this area home.  

Thanks to its new protection as a national monument, this natural treasure will now be safeguarded for future generations. That’s where Obama’s other big announcement in Chicago comes in — the launch of the Every Kid in a Park initiative to help every 4th grader in the country visit our public lands.

Children are becoming increasingly disconnected from the natural world at a time when a growing body of research shows just how important spending time outdoors is to health, academic performance, and overall well-being. Connecting more children, from all walks of life, to our outdoors and protecting more places for them to learn from, experience, and explore is the kind of positive progress that delivers real benefits to all Americans.  

Americans have a strong desire to continue our nation’s proud conservation legacy, to expand the diversity of our conservation system, and to make it more accessible to all. Thankfully, President Obama, at least, has been listening. As some in Congress continue to fritter away precious time, I hope that President Obama will continue to do the work urgently needed to preserve our wild places, and ultimately, ourselves. 

Scott is president of the Sierra Club.