1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

I am writing in the deepest opposition to the Department of the Interior’s recent announcement promoting Dateline Resources’ speculative mining in Mojave National Preserve at Colosseum Mine. Time is precious at protecting our National parks, the jewels of this country. i urge you to reach out to Secretary Burgum and voice your strong opposition to this effort moving forward. The Mojave National Preserve was established by Congress through the California Desert Protection Act in 1994. There are policies in plave that establish its existence, and protect it. These policies are there for a reason. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has no jurisdiction over these lands and it is unacceptable that an expired 1985 BLM plan of operations is being used to justify new exploration of minerals inside of a national park unit. These acts disregard National Park Service jurisdiction, undermines the Mining in the Parks Act, and directly promotes destruction of landscapes protected as a national park. Once this policy breach is followed through with, the rest of our parks will follow suite. This is UNACCEPTABLE! Bulldozers have already torn through sensitive park habitat and restoration areas – destruction that should never occur in a national park. I urge you to take action and hold the Department of the Interior accountable to follow processes established by law to protect our national parks. This administration must retract their announcement and protect National Park Service lands from unauthorized, speculative mining operations. Please, do what you are in your role for. Protect our parks! We only have so much time before they are permanently depleted.