JANESVILLE-A Wisconsin nonprofit has begun an extensive ad campaign blasting Paul Ryan for supporting moves by Donald Trump to rescind “National Monument” protection for some public lands. The group announced the ads have been running across Paul Ryan’s district, in Racine, Kenosha, and Janesville.
Former presidents have placed a number of parcels of land under federal protection using the “Antiquities Act,” but President Trump recently signed an executive order that could lead to some lands losing federal protection and potentially even being sold to private concerns.
The nonprofit, Wisconsin for Public Lands, issued the following statement:
Our Public lands are under unprecedented attack. Congress has already voted to make it easier to sell off public lands and the Trump Administration just signed an order that could result in millions of acres of public lands going up for sale.
Speaker Paul Ryan has supported these moves and has appointed Representative Rob Bishop as Chair of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources. He’s unapologetic in his work to end funding for our shared public lands and dismantle the foundation of this great American legacy. His goal is simple – remove all federal funding at all costs, even if that means closing parks or selling them to the highest bidder. This is unbelievably short sighted and foolish.
Public lands are vital to Wisconsin’s economy – without them, we fail, and the numbers are staggering. Outdoor recreational tourism is the second largest industry in Wisconsin. It brings almost $11 billion to our state and sustains over 140,000 jobs annually. We can’t afford to lose this. Taking away funding from public lands jeopardizes Wisconsin’s economy and hurts Wisconsin’s residents and families.
We need Speaker Ryan and our members of Congress to understand that protecting our public lands is protecting Wisconsin families and the beautiful legacy we share. Failure to protect public lands is a failure to protect our future. We’re paying attention.
In the ad, a Wisconsin couple getting ready for a camping trip to a National Park in the western United States learns that these lands are under threat. They say they are calling Paul Ryan to protect public lands, and a narrator then encourages listeners to visit WisconsinForPublicLands.org.
The ad can be heard here.
