ACTIVATE for Public Lands Day: Fighting against climate change and corporate domination

It’s no secret: Reliance on a fossil fuel-powered economy is hurting our pursuit of climate goals. Nature is not accessible to all people. Large, connected landscapes are how to preserve drinking water and healthy wildlife populations.

Yet, public lands are still largely managed for resource extraction. Roughly one-quarter of U.S. emissions from oil, gas and coal come from public lands. Communities and wildlife deserve better!

That’s why this Public Lands Day, we’re encouraging people to speak up for nature, wildlife, and equitable access to the outdoors! Supporting public lands means taking action to care for them.

Let’s demand that the federal government pay more scrutiny to the development of fossil fuels on public lands and the pollution they generate. Call for a just transition away from oil and gas extraction to a clean energy economy. Tell the White House to ensure a cleaner, brighter future for all by modernizing and strengthening federal environmental laws. Encourage your Congressperson to co-sponsor public lands legislation, such as the Roadless Area Conservation Act or Enviromental Justice for All Act.

• An effort is underway to strengthen and modernize the National Environmental Policy Act. We need to improve the law’s implementation to better address environmental injustice and protect communities from pollution. Let your voice be heard. 
• Reforms to The Bureau of Land Management’s oil and gas leasing program are ongoing. Climate impacts and conservation needs need to be front and center—along with ensuring polluters pay to clean up their own messes. Tell the BLM now.
• Years of advocacy by the Tribal leaders has led to President Biden recently announcing the designation of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona! Send him a “thank you.”
• Many insurers have made the call to stop financing or insuring oil and gas development in the Arctic. They know drilling in the Arctic is bad for business. Send a message to the holdouts: It’s time to take strong climate action and stop backing Arctic drilling. 
• If we want to save our wildlands for future generations, we must be prepared to stand up for them. Use this action toolkit to get started.