1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

SAVE THE BISON. Preserve the prairies. Support the Bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management act Thousands of Americans asked the senate not to confirm Steve Pearce for BLM. Now that the senate approved him in a most irregular mass-confirmation, we need our elected representatives to listen and act against the damage Pearce is unleashing. Private short term gain and favors to chums should NEVER guide policy about our national lands or any shared resources. That is corruption. And in the case of recent policy change proposals related to buffalo grazing, that corruption also will bring desecration and environmental harm. I ask you: To OBJECT TO THE RESCISSION: "Pearce's confirmation The Bureau of Land Management just finalized rescission of the Biden-era Conservation and Landscape Health Rule-better known as as the Public Lands Rule. That rule placed conservation on equal footing as extractive activities like mining, grazing, and drilling on BLM-managed public lands. Conservation is now, once again, an afterthought by the BLM, which manages more public land than any other federal agency. " " the former policy required science-based decision-making, conservation considerations within multiple land uses and a focus on sustaining public lands for the long-term benefit of wildlife and the American people," National Parks Traveler wrote. Today's Public Lands Rule rescission drew immediately condemnation."" Why do you want to allow the rape and pillage, pollution and destruction of our shared treasure and legacy? We say NO. Allowing cattle grazing on the bison lands is environmentally destructive: "Environmental groups that have urged less intensive grazing called the administration's actions a big step backward on conservation and warned that cattle and sheep grazing would remain the biggest factor in public lands degradation in the West. The Western Watersheds Project, based in Hailey, Idaho, said the proposal stretches the law to expand livestock grazing by giving it a production-oriented definition in the permitting regulations. The organization's policy director, Josh Osher, called it a "blatantly illegal effort to redefine livestock grazing."" Read Alison Flint, acting VP for Federal Policy at the Wilderness Society: "Public lands provide us the freedom to explore the great outdoors. Congress directed the BLM to manage public lands in a way that balances uses like outdoor recreation with needs as varied as grazing, energy development and conservation of wildlife habitat... The administration's rescission of the BLM Public Lands Rule flouts both the agency's legal mandate and the overwhelming wishes of the American people for public lands to be managed in a balanced and sustainable way that conserves special places for future generations." The decision to favor cattle over bison is environmentally unsound. The administration’s proposal sets a dangerous precedent on public land management, reversing longstanding practice. Bison provide important environmental, economic, and cultural value. They are now present on less than 1% of their range. Here is how the WWF describes the benefits of bison: "Restoring bison unlocks environmental, economic, and cultural benefits well beyond this one species. The presence of bison herds makes grasslands healthier and more productive thanks to their grazing and wallowing habits. For example, bison aerate soil with their hooves, which promotes water absorption and microbial enrichment. They also create depressions in the ground (known as wallows) from rolling around and packing down soil, which collects rainwater that many animals rely on. The restoration of bison as wildlife to grasslands landscapes—primarily on Tribal and federal lands—can lead to greater plant species diversity as well as higher numbers of pollinators and birds. Bison meat is also one of the healthiest and leanest forms of protein. Growing the bison population helps improve food security, which in turn strengthens public health—particularly for Tribal Nations. Bison are key to many Indigenous food sovereignty initiatives and to economic and cultural revitalization efforts within these communities." Bison are far more environmentally beneficial than cattle. This is why Stronger federal support is needed for bison restoration efforts led by Tribal Nations. Congress can help by passing the bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act The Dept of the interior should not be kicking bison off federal public lands to favor cattle grazing for private profit. Like the Rape of the Boundary Waters legislation the harmful approval of Pearce passed by one vote. Shame on the GOP and the non-voting Dems Benett and Murray. -- investigate the corruption that motivates the policy change: "Trump official says she's involved in policy changes that benefit her family's ranches, video shows A top Interior Department official acknowledged her involvement in grazing policies that benefited her family's ranches, while speaking at an event in December." -- pass the Indian buffalo management act -- STOP confirming nominees who are bent on private profit and environmental exploitation for private gain. -- Apply NO MEANS NO to protecting OUR land, environment, and future sustainability from greedy exploiters, polluters and destroyers