Dear Defender of Public Lands for the People,
Thanks to you, we’re nearing 1,000 signatures on our petition. That’s begun to attract some media attention. The more people hear about it, the more they recognize the system is undemocratic, unnecessary, and unfair.
There is one thing you can do to help us to win from here.
Keep sharing the petition with your friends and family on social media and by word of mouth. The vast majority of signatures come this way. Our ads only reached a small fraction of the public—YOU. But through your efforts, we can reach more.
The link to share it is: https://www.change.org/parksforthepeople
You can also donate money to change.org who will promote the petition. Over 30 individuals and organizations have donated over $500 in total to get the message out. If that’s something you can afford to do (even $5 helps), you can do so here.
If you were one of the people who already donated to spread the word, that is incredibly generous. Thank you! If you can’t afford it, please don’t worry. This isn’t about money. We’re all doing what we can for a principle we are passionate about.
We also need is the support of our elected officials at the local, state, and national levels. I’ll keep you updated on that. But we’re hoping to meet with Congressman Joe Neguse when he comes to Estes Park later this month. We also need you and everyone who cares about this to engage with the public meetings the Park has set up later this month for your ‘input.’
I’ll have more details on that next week when they become available. The meetings will be all on-line, so anyone, anywhere in the country (or from around the world) can participate. Let’s show them our passion when the time comes.
In the meantime, thanks again. You’re making a difference. Please feel free to comment below the petition as well. Your comments show our elected officials (and Park officials) that the public strongly disagrees with this unfair system.
Speak up. Your voice is being heard. And spread the word. Public lands belong to the people.
Yours,
Dan
PS This is truly a national issue. What happens in Rocky Mountain National Park could be the model for restrictions in National Parks and National Monuments all over the country. That’s why people from 38 states, the District of Columbia, and four different countries have signed up to protect public lands for the people.
The only states we’re missing are Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Nevada, New Mexico, South Carolina, Vermont, Utah, and Wyoming. If you know someone there that cares about this issue, get in touch and ask them to sign. Every little bit helps show elected and unelected officials that people all across the country care about fair access to public lands now and into the future.
https://www.change.org/parksforthepeople
PPS The picture was taken from just past Rainbow Curve on Trail Ridge Road this weekend. The road is closed to cars from Many Parks Curve. But you can hike or ride your bike up if the weather is good. If you have the chance to do this, I highly recommend it. It's breathtaking to be on top of the world without the sound of a car or a plane. The road typically opens to vehicles around Memorial Day (by which time you'll need a reservation to even drive up it). If the weather is good and you have the lungs, go for it!