Contact: Shantha Ready Alonso shantha@creationjustice.org

WASHINGTON (August 13, 2020) – The Trump Environmental Protection Agency today attempts to roll back protections against the oil and gas industry’s dangerous, preventable emissions of the powerful climate pollutant methane.

Methane pollution, along with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that accompany it, is a serious danger to human health, as well as powerful greenhouse gas that accelerates the climate crisis.

Creation Justice Ministries Executive Director Shantha Ready Alonso said of the announcement, “The Trump Administration and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s rollback of important methane pollution standards is irresponsible, unethical and immoral. Children, older adults, communities of color, and low-income communities will bear the most severe and unjust burdens of methane pollution. Decision-makers in Washington have turned their backs on their responsibility to protect future generations and the planet. Each of us shares a responsibility to uphold respect for our neighbors, and to care for all of God’s creation. Now more than ever, we must work together to protect the health and safety of our communities, and work to achieve climate justice.” 

(Washington, DC -- July 22, 2020) --- Creation Justice Ministries celebrates the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in the US Senate as well as the US House of Representatives, and anticipates its signing into law by President Trump, who has previously indicated his intention to sign it.

This landmark conservation bill ensures the Land and Water Conservation Fund will be fully and permanently funded. Public opinion research shows an overwhelming majority of voters support ambitious efforts to protect America’s land, water, and wildlife, and with this vote our elected leaders have shown they are listening. This bill not only addresses the protection of US natural spaces; it helps expand access to parklands so that all communities have equitable access to outdoor recreation.

Creation Justice Ministries Executive Director Shantha Ready Alonso said of the bill's passage, "Land and water conservation are powerful tools to tackle the climate crisis, and this bill is an important step towards an inclusive plan with natural solutions that benefit all. We are especially grateful to our elected officials on both sides of the aisle who have had a long and steady track record of championing our public lands by investing in the Land and Water Conservation Fund as well as our national parks."

Many of Creation Justice Ministries' partners have worked hard toward this day. Arizona Faith Network, for example, educated faith communities on the importance of the Land and Water Conservation Fund for years, and most recently organized June 2020 and March 2020 letters to their US Senators urging them to pass this legislation. Arizona Faith Network Executive Director Rev. Katie Sexton said of the legislation's passage: “Arizona is home to some of the most beautiful public parks and greenspaces, and we are so proud of the successful, bipartisan effort to pass this bill that will enable us to protect these treasures for future generations. As people of faith we know that these places are essential to both the physical and spiritual health of our communities.”

Rev. Clifford Bahlinger, a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a former Park Ranger with the National Park Service and an advocate for Creation Justice expressed his thanks, "The Great American Outdoors Act" is a major victory for our parks. Fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund creates a fixed funding source as we go forward. It is a breath of fresh air to see leaders from both political parties supporting this legislation. As a former National Park Service Ranger, I am thrilled to know that the Great American Outdoors Act will cut in half the $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks. This funding in our parks will create jobs, and help to preserve our national parks and monuments.  Creation Justice has been a vocal advocate for this important legislation. We give thanks for the many partners who supported this legislation through the years."

The Great American Outdoors Act will also help in America’s economic recovery. The Act will provide massive economic benefits in the short and long term as it will put tens of thousands of people back to work while boosting outdoor recreation and tourism, strengthening our local economies when they need it most. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Shantha Ready Alonso,  shantha@creationjustice.org  202-618-2501 (mobile)

Washington, DC --- Today, members of the US House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released a recommendations report, Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America.

Creation Justice Ministries Executive Director Shantha Ready Alonso said of the report, “At last, substantive, moral, federal climate policy leadership is emerging from Congress. We are grateful to the members of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis for the foundation they have laid through these crucial recommendations. Christian communities stand ready to advance climate solutions that are not only good for God's creation, but that also foster care for our neighbors, through racial and economic justice."

Religious communities, including Creation Justice Ministries, have a long track record of calling on the US Congress for climate action. Many religious organizations maintain offices near Capitol Hill to engage with federal public policy matters of profound concern to congregants, including the climate crisis. While religious communities are deeply concerned about emissions reductions and are taking action to bring congregations, retreat centers, and other religious facilities to net zero, their main policy focus is on justice aspects of the climate crisis. 

Priorities in the report that religious communities most strongly support include: environmental justice policies that counteract devastating disproportionate pollution burdens borne by low-income communities as well as communities of color; nature-based climate solutions like increasing the resilience and mitigation capacity of land and ocean ecosystems that uphold the integrity of God’s creation; adaptation support for farmers and ranchers; planning for natural disaster resilience as well as just recovery; protections for communities’ physical and mental health; workforce development for a just transition to a more sustainable economy; and international climate finance measures such as the Green Climate Fund.

We need your help to take action to protect the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts.

1. Write an op-ed or letter to the editor
2. Sign and share our petition
3. Contact your member of Congress

Write an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor
One of the best ways to ensure that the spotlight on saving the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts is to express to your local and regional media that you care. Please consider writing a letter to the editor or an op-ed about what the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts mean to you and why it’s important to protect them. We've included what local and regional media has said about the decision. We also encourage you to check out this resource for writing an op-ed. To see how some faith leaders have spoken out on the decision made by President  Trump, check out our press release. 
See national news clips on this issue on our national toolkit page. Please see the following resources for helping to craft and pitch an op-ed. If you have additional questions, please contact info@creationjustice.org

​Connecticut News Clips:
Governing Like a Disney Villain - The Day (6.14.20)
Conservationists Mull Lawsuits as Feds Roll Back Ocean Protections - Public News Service (6.9.20)
​
Sign and Share Our Petition
Build momentum! Sign our petition for the faith community on why the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts are so important. And once you’ve signed, share it with others on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - wherever you show up in your community! Link to share petition: https://creationjustice.salsalabs.org/canyonsandseamounts

Contact Your Member of Congress
Call your members of Congress to tell them why protecting God's marine creation matters to you and your community, and that the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument needs strong conservation protections. Call the Capitol switchboard at: (202) 224-3121.

Here's a script you can use when making these calls/emails: 
Hello I'm ______ (name) with ________ (faith community affiliation) in ___ (city). I would like to leave an urgent message for the Member's communications staff. On World Environment Day, President Trump rolled back vital protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Faith communities worked hard to win this historic and vital biodiverse, climate resilience sanctuary for God's marine creation. I am appalled. I respectfully request the member publicly rebuke the President's action, then take further action to uphold and strengthen conservation protections for all national monuments, including this marine national monument. If you would like to follow up with me for next action steps on this issue, my contact information is __________. Thank you.

 Blumenthal Introduces Measure to Protect Northeast Canyons and Seamounts (6.10.20)

We need your help to take action to protect the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts. We ask that you take action in these three ways. Please see details/resources within this document for more information. 

1. Write an op-ed or letter to the editor
2. Sign and share our petition
3. Contact your member of Congress

Write an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor
One of the best ways to ensure that the spotlight on saving the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts is to express to your local and regional media that you care. Please consider writing a letter to the editor or an op-ed about what the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts mean to you and why it’s important to protect them. We've included what local and regional media has said about the decision. We also encourage you to check out this resource for writing an op-ed.  To see how some faith leaders have spoken out on the decision made by President  Trump, check out our press release. 
See national news clips on this issue on our national toolkit page. If you have additional questions, please contact info@creationjustice.org

Rhode Island News Coverage
Point Judith Fishermen Optimistic as Restrictions Lifted (6.13.20)

Sign and Share Our Petition
Build momentum! Sign our petition for the faith community on why the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts are so important. And once you’ve signed, share it with others on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - wherever you show up in your community! Link to share petition: https://creationjustice.salsalabs.org/canyonsandseamounts

Contact Your Member of Congress
Call or set up a virtual visit with your members of Congress to tell them why protecting God's marine creation matters to you and your community, and that the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument needs strong conservation protections. Call the Capitol switchboard at: (202) 224-3121.

Here's a script you can use when making these calls/emails: 
Hello I'm ______ (name) with ________ (faith community affiliation) in ___ (city). I would like to leave an urgent message for the Member's communications staff. On World Environment Day, President Trump rolled back vital protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Faith communities worked hard to win this historic and vital biodiverse, climate resilience sanctuary for God's marine creation. I am appalled. I respectfully request a forceful public statement rebuking the President's actions. If you would like to follow up with me for next action steps on this issue, my contact information is __________. Thank you.

Joint Statement by Senators Whitehouse and Reed (6.5.20)
Cicilline Slams Trump Decision to Remove National Enironmental Protections for National Marine Monument off New England Shore (6.5.20)
Langaven Statement on President Trump's Decision (6.5.20)

We need your help to take action to protect the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts. We ask that you take action in these three ways. Please see details/resources within this document for more information. 

1. Write an op-ed or letter to the editor
2. Sign and share our petition
3. Contact your member of Congress

Write an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor
One of the best ways to ensure that the spotlight on saving the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts is to express to your local and regional media that you care. Please consider writing a letter to the editor or an op-ed about what the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts mean to you and why it’s important to protect them. We've included what local and regional media has said about the decision. We also encourage you to check out this resource for influencing the media. To see how some faith leaders have spoken out on the decision made by President  Trump, check out our press release. 
See national news clips on this issue on our national toolkit page. If you have additional questions, please contact info@creationjustice.org

So far, we have not found any New Hampshire-specific media coverage. Please help change this!


Sign and Share Our Petition
Build momentum! Sign our petition for the faith community on why the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts are so important. And once you’ve signed, share it with others on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - wherever you show up in your community!

Link to share petition: https://creationjustice.salsalabs.org/canyonsandseamounts

Contact Your Member of Congress
Call, snail mail or email your members of Congress to tell them why protecting God's marine creation matters to you and your community, and that the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument needs strong conservation protections. Call the Capitol switchboard at: (202) 224-3121 or check out this website to find your representative's websites!

Here's a script you can use when making these calls/emails: 
Hello I'm ______ (name) with ________ (faith community affiliation) in ___ (city). I would like to leave an urgent message for the Member's communications staff. On World Environment Day, President Trump rolled back vital protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Faith communities worked hard to win this historic and vital biodiverse, climate resilience sanctuary for God's marine creation. I am appalled. I respectfully request a forceful public statement rebuking the President's actions. If you would like to follow up with me for next action steps on this issue, my contact information is __________. Thank you.

Tweet by Senator Shaheen (5.6.20)

We need your help to take action to protect the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts. We ask that you take action in these three ways. Please see details/resources within this document for more information. 

1. Write an op-ed or letter to the editor
2. Sign and share our petition
3. Contact your member of Congress

Write an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor
One of the best ways to ensure that the spotlight on saving the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts is to express to your local and regional media that you care. Please consider writing a letter to the editor or an op-ed about what the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts mean to you and why it’s important to protect them. We've included what local and regional media has said about the decision. We also encourage you to check out this resource for writing an op-ed.
To see how some faith leaders have spoken out on the decision made by President  Trump, check out our press release. 
See national news clips on this issue on our national toolkit page. Please see the following resources for helping to craft and pitch an op-ed. If you have additional questions, please contact info@creationjustice.org

Massachusetts Media Response:
In Another Step to Remove Environmental Regulations, Trump Moves to Allow Fishing in New England Conservation Area By: David Abel, Globe Staff
“Why the New England Aquarium is Fighting Back Against the Trump Administration” By Nik DeCosta Kilpa, Boston.com staff
“Trump gutted protections for the Atlantic’s only marine monument — now what?” Op Ed By Miriam Goldstien in the Boston Globe
Statement on Trump Administration’s rollback of protections for Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument New England Aquarium

Sign and Share Our Petition
Build momentum! Sign our petition for the faith community on why the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts are so important. And once you’ve signed, share it with others on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram wherever you show up in your community!

If you’re a faith leader, consider adding the petition to your newsletter or website. To see how other faith leaders have spoken out on the decision made by President  Trump, check out our press release. 

Link to share petition: https://creationjustice.salsalabs.org/canyonsandseamounts

Contact Your Member of Congress
Call, snail mail or email your members of Congress to tell them why protecting God's marine creation matters to you and your community, and that the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument needs strong conservation protections. Call the Capitol switchboard at: (202) 224-3121 or check out this website to find your representative's websites!

Here's a script you can use when making these calls/emails: 
Hello I'm ______ (name) with ________ (faith community affiliation) in ___ (city). I would like to leave a message. On World Environment Day, President Trump rolled back vital protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Faith communities worked hard to win this historic and vital biodiverse, climate resilience sanctuary for God's marine creation. I am appalled. I respectfully request you do what you can to uphold and strengthen national monument conservation protections, including this important marine monument. If you would like to follow up with me for next action steps on this issue, my contact information is __________. Thank you.
​

 (6.5.20
We need your help to take action to protect the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts. We ask that you take action in these three ways. Please see details/resources within this document for more information. 

1. Write an op-ed or letter to the editor
2. Sign and share our petition
3. Contact your member of Congress

Write an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor
One of the best ways to ensure that the spotlight on saving the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts is to express to your local and regional media that you care. Please consider writing a letter to the editor or an op-ed about what the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts mean to you and why it’s important to protect them. We've included the statements made so far from congressional members as a great starting point to respond to, as well as what local and regional media has said about the decision. We also encourage you to check out this resource for writing an op-ed. To see how other faith leaders have spoken out on the decision made by President  Trump, check out our press release. If you have additional questions, please contact info@creationjustice.org

Maine Media Response:
“Trump Didn’t Save Maine’s Fishing Industry” Editorial Board of The Bangor Daily News (6.5.20)
In Maine. Trump rescinds protections on marine national monument off Cape Cod  News Center Maine (6.5.20)
Trump Opens Atlantic Marine Monument To Fishing During Maine Roundtable Maine Public Radio (6.5.20)
Trump opens marine monument to fishermen, promises trade relief Portland Press Herald (6.5.20)
Opinion: Trump Rights a Wrong by Opening Monument to Commercial Fishing Portland Press Herald (6.10.20)
Suit Claims Trump's Decision to Open Up Seamounts Unlawful Maine Public Radio (6.17.20)
Environmental Groups Sue Trump (6.17.20)

What The Maine Delegation Has Said So Far:
Chellie Pingree: Representative, District  1
Link to official statement

June 5, 2020: “President Trump spent much of his roundtable saying he could fix trade policies that have hurt Maine fishermen with the stroke of a pen, but it is his failed trade policies that caused China to retaliate with a lobster tariff. The congressional delegation wrote to him last June to help our fishermen and he did nothing.”
“President Trump had four years to meet with Maine fishermen who have been devastated by his reckless trade and commerce policies, but did not. When Congress approved $300 million in COVID-19 relief money for the fishing industry, the Trump Administration dragged its feet to release that money. Forget the fact that the President doesn’t have explicit legal authority to unilaterally open up a national monument for commercial fishing, this will be tied up in the courts for years. This move will not provide economic benefits to the fishing industry at a time when markets have been lost, the global supply chain in shambles, and boats are tied up at the dock.”

Jared Golden: Representative, District 2
Link to statement
“While I’m glad to hear that the president will also hold a roundtable with representatives of Maine’s fishing industry while he’s in our state, I have to ask: where has he been for the past four years? Lobstermen have been raising the alarm with the White House for some time, and I have been asking for help from the Trump Administration since I came to Congress. Last July, I led the Maine delegation to formally request that the president intervene to block his own administration’s proposed regulations on the lobster fishery. Nearly a year later, we still haven’t received a response or seen any action against these harmful regulations. I genuinely hope the president commits the full power of the presidency to protecting Maine’s lobster industry, and I am ready to work with him — as I have been for some time now — if he will commit to taking action. This debate has been going on throughout his presidency. We are long past the time for roundtables — Maine lobstermen need action.” – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) (6.4.20)

Members of Maine’s congressional delegation panned the decision. U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from the 2nd Congressional District, said the policy change would mostly benefit fishermen in Massachusetts. (Bangor Daily news 6/5 article)

Angus King: Senator, Independent
“The President’s decision today to roll back the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument designation won’t improve the prospects for our fishermen a fraction as much as reconsidering the tariffs that have wiped out years of time, toil, and energy invested by our seafood industry in developing new markets around the globe. To make matters worse, while other agricultural producers, who are suffering similar losses as a result of these trade wars, receive significant support – financial and otherwise – Maine’s seafood industry has largely been left to weather this storm alone. If the President truly wants to take action to help Maine lobstermen, I’d urge him to start with those tariffs.” 
Maine Senator Angus King (6.5.20 in News Center Maine)

Susan Collins: Senator, Republican
“I have worked closely with Maine fishermen, lobstermen, and industry leaders on the most pressing issues they face, which include addressing trade barriers with China and the E.U., ensuring the impending right whale regulations are based on sound data and do not impose an unfair burden on Maine’s lobstermen and women, and providing direct financial relief to help offset the economic harm caused by COVID-19. The federal government should direct its focus to resolving these challenges rather than reopening the debate over this national marine monument.” ~ Maine Senator Susan Collins (6.8.20 in Bloomberg Law)


Sign and Share Our Petition
Build momentum! Sign our petition for the faith community on why the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts are so important. And once you’ve signed, share it with others on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - wherever you show up in your community! If you’re a faith leader, consider adding the petition to your newsletter or website.

Link to share petition: https://creationjustice.salsalabs.org/canyonsandseamounts

Contact Your Member of Congress
Call your members of Congress to tell them why protecting God's marine creation matters to you and your community, and that the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument needs strong conservation protections. Call the Capitol switchboard at: (202) 224-3121 or check out this website to find your representative's websites!

Here's a script you can use when making these calls/emails: 
Hello I'm ______ (name) with ________ (faith community affiliation) in ___ (city). I would like to leave a message. On World Environment Day, President Trump rolled back vital protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Faith communities worked hard to win this historic and vital biodiverse, climate resilience sanctuary for God's marine creation. I am appalled. I respectfully request you do what you can to uphold and strengthen national monument conservation protections, including this important marine monument. If you would like to follow up with me for next action steps on this issue, my contact information is __________. Thank you.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:       Shantha Ready Alonso, Creation Justice Ministries 202-618-2501 (mobile)  shantha@creationjustice.org

Washington, DC --- Today, the US Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422) with a strong bipartisan 73-25 vote. This bill, for the first time, will permanently and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) with $900 million annually. The bill also will create a five-year fund to reduce the current $20 billion deferred maintenance backlog on federally managed public lands. Now, the US House of Representatives must pass the companion bill, so a final version can be signed into law.

Creation Justice Ministries Executive Director Shantha Ready Alonso commented on the passage of the bill, “Religious communities strongly support increasing peoples' access to parks. Faith communities know first-hand that in this time of a pandemic and profound reckonings with our country’s racism, we are all in desperate need of the physical and mental healing power of God's creation. The Land and Water Conservation Fund is particularly suited to provide much-needed access to safe, well-maintained parks in communities of color, and it is long past time to rectify disparities in access to outdoor recreation opportunities. I look forward to a near future when park planners can leverage these new resources to prioritize recreation spaces in under-served communities.” 

Religious communities know much is at stake for their local communities to benefit from public lands funding. In years leading up to the bill’s passage, religious communities have shown support, most recently with a letter from 50 Arizona clergy to Senators Kyrsten Synema and Martha McSally which stated, “Beloved places such as South Mountain Park, Cortez Park, Sahuaro Ranch Park, White Tank Mountain Regional Park, and Veterans Memorial Park have benefited from LWCF, and this must continue.” Organizer of this letter Rev. Katie Sexton of Arizona Faith Network said of the Senate Bill's passage, "As people of many faiths, we are grateful that our Senators recognize the sacredness of creation and have worked to protect it. In these anxious times, God's creation helps to heal our wounds. Today's vote brings us one step closer to ensuring God's creation continues to endure as a place of Sabbath, refuge, and joy for generations to come.”

Religious communities are responding pastorally and practically to economic distress from the pandemic, and also welcome the job opportunities that will come from this legislation. The bill will put tens of thousands of people back to work and deliver real, enduring benefits to our public lands and the US economy. Research on the impact of the LWCF shows that $1 spent generates $4 in economic value from natural resource goods and services alone. A just-released economic analysis shows that every $1 million invested in LWCF could support between 16.8 and 30.8 jobs. Alternative uses of the funds would create fewer jobs - for instance, the oil and gas industry would support half as many jobs per $1 million investment.