Rep. Grijalva sent a letter (text below) to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on Oct. 3 urging the end of mining, drilling and other extractive activities on federal lands until employees and visitors are no longer locked out. The letter highlights the risk of environmental damage, the shortage of manpower available to respond to emergencies, and the economic damage being done to small businesses – such as concessionaires and outdoor guides – currently unable to access the public lands on which they rely for income.
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Oct. 3, 2013
The Honorable Sally Jewell
Secretary of the Interior
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240
The Honorable Tom Vilsack
Secretary of Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
Washington, D.C. 20250
Dear Secretary Jewell and Secretary Vilsack,
Despite the federal government shutdown making national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges
and many other important sites unavailable to the public, oil and gas drilling and other extraction
activities continue on our federal public lands. The lack of oversight of these potentially
hazardous activities greatly concerns me, especially because of the scarcity of manpower to
respond to emergencies, pollution issues or other rapid response needs.
I am equally concerned about the many businesses that rely on our public lands. Concessionaires
that operate facilities within our public parks and other federal lands have been locked out by the
shutdown. So have river and trail guides who rely on public lands and waterways to make a
living. Small businesses cannot afford to be cut off from their main – in some cases sole – source
of income.
This disparity greatly disturbs me, as does the ongoing environmental risk to sensitive outdoor
areas. I urgently request the immediate cessation of mining, drilling and other extractive
activities on our federal public lands until we end the shutdown and cease the lockout of federal
employees and visitors.
Very respectfully,
Rep. Raul M. Grijalva
Ranking Member, House Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation