美國影星勞勃瑞福（Robert Redford）近日加入一個由國會、環境、
自然資源保衛委員會（Natural Resources Defense Council）、南猶他州荒野聯盟（Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance）與地球正義（Earthjustice）組成的聯盟在記者會上聲明，他們是以合法途徑來反對土地管理局釋出鄰近拱門國家公園和大峽谷國家公園（Arches and Canyonlands National Parks）、恐龍國家保護區（Dinosaur National Monument）與九哩峽谷（Nine Mile Canyon）共超過11萬公頃的土地。
猶他州土地管理局自布希政府任內至今已經釋出多項造成爭議的買賣，而現在面臨出租的野生地區因為牽涉到國家公園而更具疑議。
2008年11月，國家公園局要求土地管理局排除會對國家公園造成衝擊的93塊拍賣地，而土地管理局至今僅延遲了其中33區的拍賣。
其他原告團體包括大峽谷基金會(Grand Canyon Trust)、山巒俱樂部(Sierra Club)、荒野協會（Wilderness Society）、國家公園保育協會(National Parks Conservation Association，NRDC)以及史跡保存國民信託(National Trust for Historic Preservation)。
他們描述拍賣荒野的潛在危害：「這些釋出地的發展將損害拱門國家公園、大峽谷國家公園與恐龍國家保護區的品質。出租國有地地將在猶他州最難得的野生景觀區如荒野峽谷(Desolation Canyon)上開鑿鑽井台、管線和道路，這些都是美國中心48州裡最大的無道路區之一。」
他們也在控訴中提到：「這些行為也將損害九哩峽谷，此區有極具價值的史前考古遺跡與石刻藝術，土地管理局自己也因此稱其為世界上最長的戶外藝廊。」
「史跡保存國民信託」主席Richard Moe表示：「九哩峽谷常被譽為世界上最長的藝術走廊，因為它包含美國最密集的史前考古遺跡，如1萬幅美國原住民印第安人的石刻藝術圖像。我們將九哩峽谷列為全美11大最瀕危史跡之一，峽谷附近的石油與天然氣開鑿卡車正對它造成可能是永久的傷害。土地管理局決定核准更多土地釋出，等於是同意灰塵和化學物質以及更多的卡車侵擾去損害這塊危脆之地。」
這些地區於2008年10月底和11月初在6項資源管理計畫中出租給工業用，此計畫將影響300萬公頃的公共土地。
原告團體抨擊這些計畫通過得如此之快，使釋出地能在歐巴瑪政府於2009年1月20日上任前迅速出租。國家公園保育協會資深發言人Sharon Buccino表示：「布希政府急著出租這些地，土地管理局的連夜規畫無法針對聯邦法律所要求對美國自然與文化遺產的保護作全面的分析。」
荒野協會的Dave Alberswerth表示：「雖然我們的短程目標是取消出租案，但往後我們仍將促請歐巴瑪政府修正土地管理局這6項計畫，確定沒有新的釋出地是野生地或是其他保育區。如果不修正，這些土地利用計畫繫著的只是終將滅絕的短視遺產，因為這些土地破壞後無可替代。」
地球正義的發言人Robin Cooley表示：「布希給了石油和天然氣公司永久的聖誕假期，他挾持美國民眾的西部自然遺產，讓給那些會因個人私利而破壞它們的人。」
Today, Robert Redford joined members of Congress and a coalition of environmental, preservation and business groups in an effort to stop the Bureau of Land Management from auctioning Utah wilderness to oil and gas companies.
At a news conference, the environmental and preservation groups led by Natural Resources Defense Council, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, and Earthjustice announced that they are taking legal action against the Bureau of Land Management to halt the leasing of more than 110,000 acres of land near Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Dinosaur National Monument, and Nine Mile Canyon.
The Utah Bureau of Land Management has conducted a series of controversial lease sales throughout the Bush administration, but the upcoming sale has been unusually contentious because of the sensitivity of the wilderness lands and because BLM inadequately consulted with the National Park Service.
In November, the Park Service asked BLM to omit 93 parcels of land that would impact parks and BLM has since deferred the sale of 33 of these parcels.
Other plaintiff groups are the Grand Canyon Trust, the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
They describe the potential damages of the sale, "Development of these leases will degrade air quality at Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Dinosaur National Monument. It will lead to construction of well pads, pipelines and roads in some of Utah's most impressive wilderness quality landscapes such as the Desolation Canyon wilderness character area ... one of the largest roadess areas in the lower forty-eight states."
"These activities will also harm Nine Mile Canyon, an area that BLM describes as 'the longest outdoor art gallery in the world' because of its substantial concentration of prehistoric archeological sites and rock art," the lawsuit states.
"Nine Mile Canyon is often called the world's longest art gallery because it contains the nation's densest collection of prehistoric rock art sites, including over 10,000 Native American rock art images," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
"We included Nine Mile Canyon on the list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places because it's being damaged, perhaps permanently, by oil and gas drilling-related truck traffic near the canyon," he said. "BLM agrees that dust and chemicals from the traffic are damaging this fragile place, which makes its decision to approve even more leases - and more truck traffic - bewildering."
These lands were made available to industry in late October and early November through six resource management plans that will affect three million acres of public lands.
The plaintiff groups argue that these plans were hastily approved so the leases could be sold before President-elect Barack Obama takes office on January 20, 2009.
"The Bush administration has rushed to get these leases out the door," said Sharon Buccino, senior attorney for NRDC. "In their midnight maneuvering, BLM failed to complete the analysis required by federal law for the protection of America's natural and cultural treasures."
"Although the short-term fix is to cancel the lease sale, in the longer term, we will be urging the Obama administration to revise six recently finalized BLM land-use plans for Utah and make sure no new leases are issued on lands deserving wilderness or other protection in the meantime," said the Wilderness Society's Dave Alberswerth. "If not fixed, the land-use plans would cement a short-sighted legacy of destruction for these irreplaceable lands."
Robin Cooley, the Earthjustice attorney who is handling the lawsuit, said, "Bush is giving oil and gas companies the Christmas of a lifetime by robbing the American people of their Western natural heritage and handing it over to those who will gut it for personal gain."
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
