A Call to Honor Conservation Legacy of Teddy Roosevelt

Washington, D.C. - On June 8, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act, landmark legislation to protect historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest for future generations. On June 8, 2004, the anniversary of the legislation, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups were vocal in expressing their concerns for the current state of our national parks and monuments. Specifically, the identified these problem areas for the national parks: chronic underfunding; noise and air pollution; development pressures; destructive ORV use; oil and gas drilling. ?EUR??,,????'??As Theodore Roosevelt said, conservation is our patriotic duty. We must rediscover the moral commitment to conservation that the Antiquities Act embodies and pass on our nation's rich heritage to unborn generations," said Jim DiPeso, policy director of the Republicans for Environmental Protection. "The Bush administration has systematically reversed the strong conservation legacy that President Teddy Roosevelt started when he signed the Antiquities Act 98 years ago,?EUR??,,????'?? observed Carl Pope, Sierra Club executive director. ?EUR??,,????'??We must act now to restore and protect the clean air, clear vistas, and unscathed landscapes that should be the standard for America's public lands." The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a prime example of air pollution. It?EUR??,,????'???s asserted that visibility in summer months is down from 77 miles to 15. Further, the park?EUR??,,????'???s maintenance backlog is nearly $170 million. Snowmobile use in Yellowstone National Park each winter is so heavy that it not only disrupts the quiet splendor of our nation's first national park, but has prompted some park employees to wear gas masks in protest. Oil and gas development has increased under the Bush administration, with oil rigs and drilling pads making their way onto lands protected as parks and monuments. Padre Island National Seashore, the longest undeveloped barrier beach in the world and home to the endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, is now occupied by a series of drilling sites. A recent survey by the Coalition of Concerned National Park Service Retirees of 12 representative national parks found cuts in budget, staff and key visitor services. For more information, please visit www.protectamericaslands.org or www.sierraclub.org/wildlands/antiquities