TIME for a call for action... and just because this is within the US, I encourage international voices to get involved. The more voices, the more pressure to protect the forests.
The US government is dismantling the National Forest Service. The national forests make up more acreage than our national parks. The US has 193 million acres of national forests. On Tuesday, March 31st, Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins ordered the closure of every US Forest service regional office in the country. This includes more than 50 research and conservation offices across the country. The headquarters has been moved to Salt Lake City to center it with individuals in the federal level government who are eager for clear cutting and mineral extraction in national lands (both forests and parks). This comes in tandem with the diminishing of coastal protections from the Endangered Species act in which the administration has opened coastal waters to drilling regardless of the areas' endangered species or impact to endangered ecosystems.
What you can do:
Contact state and federal representatives. Don't know yours.. check this out to find your state and local officials. This site allows you to find federal and local officials that represent you. International people can reach out to their prime ministers, parliament, etc and encourage them to come to the call of rhe US public as they fight to protect thier natural wonders.
If you have the power to public speaking, go and speak at the local, state or federal listening events where the general public can speak. Frame to protecting the forests for use, income, and the ecological services they provide. If you want help, i speak on conservation and environmental protection all the time. I am happy to help you write, review your speech, tutor you in public speaking, just reach out.
Contact companies that survive on outdoor activities.. REI, Patagonia, Bass pro-shop, companies that sell hunting gear and guns, people who make tents and kayaks and the rest. Write to the companies and express our need for thier lobbying power. Frame it around the use of their equipment in the national forests and public lands.
Contact agencies that offer travel and tours of national forests. Again, frame it as a use of thier services to travel to and book travel to these national forests. Expedia, Travelocity, amtrak, airlines, etc
If you know, or are, and influencer that has a substantial platform...encourage them to bring the topic to the forefront to inform thier followers.(or your own follwers)
And then if you can, donate to forests protecting organizations that can fight.
If you need help locating any local or state or federal companies or people to contact, I am here to hunt down that information for you.
