Vet Voice Applauds Udall Antiquities Act
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Vet Voice Foundation is applauding the introduction of “The ANTIQUITIES Act” of 2018 by Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico. After the largest attack on protected public lands, by President Trump and Interior Secretary Zinke, in American history—elimination of 2 million acres—this bill provides protection to ward off future attacks on our national monuments.
This legislation, cosponsored by Senators Tom Udall, Kamala Harris, Dianne Feinstein, Martin Heinrich, and Catherine Cortez Masto, enumerates the 51 national monuments established under the Antiquities Act from January 1996 to April 2017. Under Senator Udall’s leadership, the bill would designate over 249,000 acres of federal public lands in New Mexico as wilderness and adds over 111,000 acres of wilderness in southern Nevada. In addition, it would expand protection for the Bears Ears National Monument to over 1.9 million acres.
The Vet Voice Foundation supports the protection of these lands, as many Veterans return home and find benefits in the outdoors. Senator Udall’s bill will also preserve opportunities for hunting, tourism, conservation, and more.
“I support any legislation that protects, and especially legislation that increases, our National Monuments and Wilderness areas. The majority of our lands our mechanized and civilized. So few wildlands are left for wildlife habitat and for our citizens to find tranquility and solitude,” said Navy SEAL Team 5 veteran Brett Myrick, from New Mexico.
Founded in 2009, the Vet Voice Foundation mobilizes veterans to become leaders in our nation’s democracy through participation in the civic process. VVF offers veterans the opportunity to continue serving their communities by finding a new mission in domestic and foreign policy campaigns that are important to America.
Vet Voice Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for charitable and educational purposes.
