Americas Great Outdoors, Sierra Clubs new report outlining a vision for protecting our natural
heritage. The places profiled in the report were chosen by citizen conservationists in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for the unparalleled recreational opportunities, clean water and wildlife habitat they provide.
“Protecting America's natural heritage means that we have to protect places
big and small,” said Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director. “Americas
Great Outdoors is Sierra Clubs vision for our backyard treasures as well
as national gems like the Arctic Refuge and Giant Sequoias. All of them are
beautiful, all of them are threatened, and all of them can be saved.”
In the Americas Great Outdoors report, people tell of their efforts to
revitalize communities and keep them poison-free. Others focus on
encouraging the implementation of clean energy sources to protect our
coasts and wild places from drilling and free children and adults from the
pollution that causes asthma, sewage-contaminated water and global warming.
There are accounts of neighbors working to build communities where growth
is well-planned to create more livable neighborhoods. There are people
fighting to see that their taxes are invested wisely to benefit all — not
just developers or a favored few.
“All across America, communities are uniting to protect the neighborhood
special places where they camp, hunt, hike, fish and find solace and
solitude,” said Pope. “Americas Great Outdoors outlines ways we can work
together to make our neighborhoods safe and healthy places to live and
highlights those natural treasures that can still be saved if we summon the
foresight to act now.”
The report highlights a variety of landscapes, from the famed Everglades in
Florida to those best-kept secrets closer to home like Washington D.C.s
Anacostia River, Valle Vidal in New Mexico and Gulf Islands National
Seashore off the Mississippi coast, whose cherished retreat and refuge are
no longer guaranteed.
“We are fast approaching the point where no place is sacred, where no part
of America is safe from drilling, logging or development,” said Pope.
“Across the country, Sierra Club is working with others to save open
spaces, leave trees standing, keep communities intact, and connect citizens
with their neighbors in order to care for our lands and wildlife.”
In addition to highlighting 52 local treasures, the report addresses the
overall threats to federally-protected places like National Parks, National
Wildlife Refuges, National Monuments, National Forests and our coasts.
“Adding the word National to the name of a forest, park or seashore was
once a certainty of protection. That is no longer true,” the report reads.
“The stories in Americas Great Outdoors highlight the threats to national
and neighborhood special places, and they show how powerful public
participation can be,” said Pope. “Sierra Club members and others are
continuing the legacy of democratic participation by working for positive
solutions that ensure the protection and restoration of our natural
heritage for future generations.”
