Statement from Conservation Lands Foundation on the State of the Union

The Conservation Lands Foundation, the only organization dedicated to protect, expand and restore the National Conservation Lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), applauded President Obama’s mention of the importance of the conservation of our nation’s public lands. While President Obama has discussed climate change in previous State of the Union addresses, this speech makes the first time he has specifically addressed land and water conservation. In response to the remarks, Brian O’Donnell, Executive Director of the Conservation Lands Foundation, made this statement, “We are heartened that President Obama made a strong case for conservation in his speech. With Congress unable to make progress, President Obama is the ‘Conservationist-in-Chief’. We are ready to get behind him as he leads to protect clean water, wildlife and our natural heritage." The 112th was the first Congress since World War II to fail to protect a single new acre of public land as a Park, National Monument or Wilderness. Midway through the session, the 113th Congress is poised to repeat history. “In 2013, President Obama took an important step in protecting America’s outdoor heritage and honoring our nation’s history when he designated five new national monuments in response to locally-driven efforts in order to permanently protect a diversity of lands and waters that honor our country’s heritage and conserve open space important for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation,” commented O’Donnell.“We are grateful for President Obama’s leadership in advancing conservation at a time when it’s desperately needed.”  Press Release

Their website is here.  Bruce Babbitt, Cecil Andrus and actor Edward Norton are on the board.  Their mission is to expand BLM's NLCS.