DENVER August 25, 2017 – As the National Park Service celebrates its 101st birthday today, the Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Advocacy Director Jesse Prentice-Dunn:

“It is the height of hypocrisy for Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to celebrate our parks the day after he proposed wiping vast parts of our national monuments off the map. Indeed, Secretary Zinke has launched an unprecedented attack on the Antiquities Act—the law that protected or expanded half of America’s national parks, and nearly 70 percent of national parks in the West.

“America’s national parks have been called our nation’s ‘best idea’ with good reason—for the last century, presidents have recognized the need to protect our most precious public lands. Today, sadly, our park service is led by an administration that is trying to lay off park rangers and eliminate protections at a time when our parks are more popular than ever.

“We call on Secretary Zinke and President Trump to honor our nation’s parks by fully funding the National Park Service and ending their unprecedented crusade against America’s protected lands.”

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