The Latest On Bears Ears

An update from our CEO, Peter Dering, and the Conservation Alliance's John Sterling.

By Peak Design

June 1^st, 2017

one thing at a time

Peter here, Founder and CEO of Peak Design. I was about 15 minutes away from pressing the publish button on this Field Note when President Trump announced his plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, an agreement that even ExxonMobil endorses.

In some ways, that makes the rest of this Field Note seem less significant. In other ways, it makes it all the more important for companies like ours to use our voice and our money to fight for the things we hold dear. Things like science, diplomacy, and the will of a vast majority of Americans.

So, let's continue our discussion on Bears Ears. We'll surely be talking Paris Agreement more in the future, but we should all probably take a minute to digest that first.

it's in our mission

Earlier this year Peak Design followed the lead of Patagonia in boycotting this year’s Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, in an effort to convince Utah's government leaders of the environmental and economic benefits of federally protected lands and specifically Bears Ears National Monument. I want to take a moment to give you an update on that situation, but also want to reiterate why Peak Design…a company that makes products to help you carry stuff…took a stand in the first place.

The common tie that binds Peak Design customers has to do with a an appreciation of utility, aesthetic, perhaps minimalism, and for many, photography. These qualities are entirely apolitical. As a result our customers somewhat uniquely bridge the divide between right and left in the polarized world we live in.

We think this is a good thing, and it was very much on display in the comments of the post I wrote announcing our position. People thoughtfully and respectfully spoke their opinions about this very hot-button issue. I took the time to reply to many of the comments, and I know I walked away with a much better sense of the issue from all vantages. The most common sentiment in the comments was one of gratitude for hosting a forum on the internet for reasonable discussion. That might be one of the bigger accomplishments we’ve ever had.

Since the decision to stand with Bears Ears, we wrote down and shared our values and intentions as a company in our mission statement. For those who haven't seen it, here's the short version:

01. MAKE THE BEST THINGS.

02. SUCCEED AT THE EXPENSE OF NOBODY.

03. TREAT OUR CUSTOMERS AS PEERS.

04. OFFSET OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

05. USE OUR VOICE TO INSPIRE POSITIVE CHANGE.

06. PRIORITIZE HAPPINESS OVER GROWTH.

I think that the decision to boycott and the way in which we tried to foster the discussion were an example of our mission in action. Namely, treating our customers as peers and using our voice to inspire positive change.

As for the boycott and its results…well, they’re mixed. Here’s our take, plus a wonderful synopsis put together by John Sterling, Executive Director of the Conservation Alliance.

In November, the PD team gathered in a lodge atop Mount Tamalpais to draft our company mission statement.

outdoor retailer leaves utah, trump seeks to unlock federally protected land

In one way, the boycott worked. Patagonia’s actions stirred not just small brands like us, but many other notable outdoor industry veterans to follow suit, and the Outdoor Industry Association listened. They took action to move the show out of Salt Lake City. And indeed, that is happening. 2017 is the last time the show will be in Utah, at least for the foreseeable future.

But that’s not the end goal we're fighting for. It was a necessary component of our desired outcome, but what we really wanted was for the government of Utah to change their course...for them to allow the federal protection of Bears Ears. They have not done that.

A couple months after OIA announced their Utah pullout, another thing happened. President Trump ordered a review of the boundaries of all national monuments over 100,000 acres, citing that “the Antiquities Act does not give the federal government unlimited power to lock up millions of acres of land and water, and it’s time that we ended this abusive practice.”

Deep breath. To us, it feels like Trump doubled down on the same misguided narratives that fuel Governor Herbert's policies on Bears Ears. Below, John Sterling, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance, gives a soup-to-nuts rundown on what the heck is going on, where we stand on it, and why.

Last week the PD team unplugged and enjoyed one of our local Federally protected lands, the Point Reyes National Seashore.

the skinny on this whole ordeal, in the words of john sterling

In late April, President Trump signed an executive order directing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review all national monument designations larger than 100,000 acres from the past 21 years to determine whether their boundaries are consistent with the intent of the Antiquities Act. This is an unprecedented move that has the potential to reduce in size some of the most spectacular landscapes managed by the federal government. The order itself does not make changes to any monuments, but it sets in motion an appraisal of monuments designated by three previous Presidents with the implication that some of them should be reduced in size.

Trump’s order affects anywhere between 24 and 40 national monuments designated by Presidents Obama, George W. Bush, and Clinton. In announcing the review, Secretary Zinke said that he will make a recommendation on the boundaries of the Bears Ears National Monument within 45 days, and issue a final report with recommendations on all monuments within 120 days.

The Bears Ears landscape is exactly the kind of place the Antiquities Act intended to protect. It is rich in cultural history, archaeological sites, and recreation opportunities. I have explored the area several times over the past 20 years, and each visit reveals something new. My wife and I took our kids there last month, during their spring break. The trip – with two other families – gave us the opportunity to teach our children about the cultural history of America; a history that is largely untold in our schools. And you could not ask for a more spectacular classroom.

In announcing the review of national monuments, both President Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke pushed the false narrative that the Bears Ears was designated without public input. The effort to protect the Bears Ears was led by an unprecedented coalition of five Native American tribes with strong cultural connections to the landscape. Supporting the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition’s push for the monument was a broad group of stakeholders including outdoor businesses, recreation groups, and the conservation community. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell held a public meeting near the landscape in July, 2016, providing people the opportunity to comment about the proposed national monument.

President Obama designated the monument in December, protecting 1.35 million acres of land notable for the dense concentration of archaeological sites that lie within its sandstone canyons and on its mesa tops. The monument was also designated to preserve the landscape’s world-class recreation opportunities: rock climbing at Indian Creek; backpacking in Grand Gulch; canyoneering in White Canyon; and mountain biking in Lockhart Basin.

The boundaries closely mirror those proposed for protection in Utah Congressman Rob Bishop’s Public Lands Initiative legislation. Bishop is a prime opponent of the monument, but failed to move his own legislation despite his position as Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee.

In an ironic twist, Trump signed the executive order one day after the Outdoor Industry Association released its updated Outdoor Recreation Economy study, which shows that outdoor recreation generates $887 billion in consumer spending annually, and supports 7.6 million jobs in the US. Protected public lands, including national monuments, are important economic drivers, particularly in rural Western communities that attract new residents and visitors drawn to outdoor recreation opportunities. Outdoor recreation is a huge economic engine, and national monuments fuel that engine.

What’s Next?

Because President Trump’s review of national monuments is unprecedented, we don’t know exactly what to expect. It is not clear whether the public will have the opportunity to weigh in on the review. Before signing it, Trump called the order an attempt to “give power back to the states and to the people.” But the order itself directs Zinke to consult with appropriate Cabinet secretaries, Governors, and other state and local government officials. The order does not require any public process. It appears that the review process will be far less transparent than the process that led to the designation.

We do know that Secretary Zinke must make a formal recommendation about Bears Ears National Monument within 45 days (roughly June 9th). There is endless speculation about how Zinke and Trump might change the Bears Ears boundaries, if at all. Some members of Utah’s political leadership have asked Trump to rescind the monument designation entirely. That move is likely illegal, as the Antiquities Act gives the President explicit authority to designate National Monuments, but does not give the same power to rescind those designations. Such a move would be immediately challenged in court. A few Presidents going back to Woodrow Wilson have changed the boundaries of National Monuments, but the most recent adjustment I can find was in 1955 when President Eisenhower knocked 25,000 acres off the 1.4-million-acre Glacier Bay National Monument (now National Park).

The Conservation Alliance and Peak Design oppose any effort to change the boundaries of existing national monuments through executive action. National monuments designated since 1996 protect landscapes with important recreation, cultural, and habitat values. During the Obama presidency, The Conservation Alliance worked closely with member companies to demonstrate outdoor business support for protecting new national monuments. These monuments preserve important recreation amenities that benefit all Americans.

We believe that any serious review of national monuments will conclude that these are special lands and waters, beloved by millions of Americans for their cultural, recreation, and habitat values. The Conservation Alliance will work closely with Peak Design, our other member companies, and our partners in the outdoor industry to engage in this issue, and to demonstrate to political leaders the important role national monuments play in the outdoor recreation economy.

what do you think?

Debate is a healthy thing when it's done respectfully. Tell us what you think about Bears Ears, about national monuments, about Trump's executive order, and about companies who share their political views with their customers. We read and appreciate all honest, open discussion, even (and sometimes especially) if it doesn't align with our views.