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Honor the National Park Service Founders with Action to Combat Climate Change

Aug 26, 2024 | PDA News

Help Advance the Nation’s First Climate Preserve Now by Designating the Shawnee National Forest as a National Monument

 

Yesterday marked the 108th anniversary of the National Park Service, founded to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.”

Today we honor that milestone with a call to action.

In the campaign to create Illinois’ first national park and the nation’s only preserve dedicated to reducing the effects of climate change, the Shawnee National Park and Climate Preserve movement has recently been prominently featured in Chicago and downstate Illinois newspapers. New endorsements for the initiative include several regional municipalities, numerous environmental groups, business interests, and the Carbondale Branch of the NAACP. PDA activists have sent over 8,000 letters of support to members of Congress urging passage of the Shawnee National Park and Climate Preserve initiative.

With less than five months remaining in the current presidential administration, a legacy movement has surfaced, “A Monumental Vision for America’s Forests.” 

This push encourages President Biden to take executive action to protect federal forestland currently unprotected from commercial interests by creating seven new forested national monuments across the country, including the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois.

This designation would be a major step toward establishing the Shawnee National Park and Climate Preserve and the President’s stated commitment to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change target, known as the 30 X 30 initiative. The 30 X 30 initiative calls for restoring and protecting 30 percent of the Earth’s natural lands and waters by the year 2030, to counter the effects of climate change and address planetary biodiversity loss.

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View from High Knob, Shawnee National Forest in Illinois

This campaign would also protect the Green Mountains National Forest in Vermont, three national forests surrounding the heavily visited Great Smoky Mountain National Park, national forests in Oregon, Washington, and in Colorado, along with the Sierra National Forest situated between Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks in California. To support old-growth forest protection, climate change mitigation and the biodiversity crisis, please email President Biden, encouraging him to take action on the Monumental Vision for American Forests proposal.

If you can, please volunteer and/or donate to support PDA’s efforts in fighting the climate crisis.

For a greener planet,

Debra Schrishuhn and John Wallace for the PDA National Team

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4 Comments

  1. Michael Scott

    I was just looking at the endorsement page. I didn’t see one Illinois congressional leader in support of your efforts to make the Shawnee National Forest a National Park and Climate Preserve.

  2. Rhonda Rothrock

    Just another way for Mr. Wallace to avoid accepting the fact that our Shawnee National Forest will never be His National Park and climate preserve.* (*No such thing, although the 7 Wilderness areas in the Shawnee NF would, by Mr. Wallace’s definition, qualify as climate preserve.)
    His National Park proposal, based on disinformation and a public history of disdain for the US Forest Service, does not have the congressional support in Illinois that it requires. Nor is it supported by thousands of southernmost IL or others throughout the state. A huge array of citizens, including biologists, ornithologists, botanists, equestrians, hikers, climbers, cyclers, hunters, local business owners, and locals who were born and raised aside the Shawnee NF do not support the park proposal. Democrats and Republicans alike want our Shawnee to remain a National Forest, managed by the US Forest Service.
    We would not have a Shawnee National Forest had it not been built 90 years ago by the US Forest Service with the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Work Project Administration, see https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5335268.pdf . The area of southernmost Illinois between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers was logged multiple times by European settlers. The land was cleared, over grazed, and not replenished, leaving behind erodible soils. Had the area not been labeled “Suitable for Tree Crops Only”, acquired by the federal government, and designated the Shawnee National Forest, there would be little to no forest here today. Southernmost Illinois would have eroded away into the two big rivers. Non-native pines were planted to prevent erosion with the knowledge that they would also provide a source of timber. Many other species of deciduous tree species. Many of trees the US Forest Service planted back then are now reaching maturity but there is very little old growth here.
    You might have acquired 8,000 signatures in support for a Shawnee National Park by spreading your proposal via the web to folks who don’t know the history and truth of our Shawnee National Forest, but there’s a huge array of citizens who don’t support the National Park proposal and will be very upset to find out their opinions are now being usurped.
    By attempting to get this/his national monument designation for our beloved Shawnee National Forest, Mr. Wallace admits that he’s hoping to get one step closer to his National Park and climate preserve. By using this national monument idea, he is purposely skirting the lack of congressional support for his national park proposal and avoiding any further opposition by also skirting a public comment period.
    This Dem, joins many many other Dems and Repubs in saying NO to a Shawnee National Monument and No to a Shawnee National Park!

    • Michael Scott

      I completely agree. I find it v very ironic that some members of this group are the same ones decades ago, who wanted to restrict the number of visitors. Looks like a Trojan horse to me.

  3. Mark

    Sounds hypocritical to me! Want a preserve, but inviting thousands of people to ascend upon the Shawnee National Forest. How many families will be removed through eminent domain? Increase in fees we know will happen. What Congressional support do you have? Local Sierra Club have a position? More restricted use will happen! Please don’t scream TIMBER! The photos you share are lumber yards! What percent of Shawnee is timbered? You want a National Park… but want a Climate Preserve? Talk to the 645 families displaced in the Smokey Mountains. 12-14 million visitors a year! That oughta help a Climate Preserve. This will never happen in the near future…. If ever.

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