Patagonia is leading the charge along with other outdoor retailers in decrying President Donald Trump's splitting and size reduction of two national monuments in Utah.
The Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, which together included more than 3 million acres, will be split into five different entities totaling only 1.2 million acres under orders Trump signed Monday.
Patagonia posted a full-page message on its website homepage declaring on a stark black background, “The President Stole Your Land.” A link gives more information about the two monuments and other land conservation efforts, calling Trump’s executive order “an illegal move.”
Land conservation advocates argue that reducing the size of federally owned lands opens them up to development and industrialization, whereas conservation protects fragile ecosystems and sites with historical significance.
Conservatives, on the other hand, decry the many regulations federally protected land forces on local cities and towns located on or near them, arguing that large federally protected land reserves hurt local economies and also cost taxpayers more money in taking care of the land.
Patagonia suggested it would use the courts to fight against Trump’s order to restructure and reduce the size of the monuments, BuzzFeed reported.
REI also used part of its homepage to protest Trump’s action and argued that it “hurts the people” who love the outdoors.
Keen Footwear released a statement that called the order an “attack on America’s natural and cultural heritage,” BuzzFeed reported.
Some on Twitter said Trump wasn’t actually “stealing” land but is giving it back to Utahns to use as they see fit.
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