Letter to Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the Interior - Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Review

Letter

Dear Secretary Zinke:
We write in support of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and we urge you to maintain in all respects both the original designation from 2000 and the recent expansion in January 2017.

Since its establishment in 2000, the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument has protected some of the most biodiverse public land in the United States. It is an ecological crossroads in an area of unique geology, biology, climate, and iconic American landscapes -- the place where the volcanoes of the Cascade Range, plants and animals of the Basin and Range Province, and the world-renowned biodiversity of the Klamath-Siskiyou mountain block come together.

However, the original designation left a patchwork of vital habitat and watersheds unprotected. In order to adequately preserve the region's ecological integrity, a growing number of scientists concluded the boundary of the national monument should be expanded to better protect the area's ecological function as an important Pacific Northwest biological connectivity corridor and the remarkable variety of species that depend on the area's continued ecological integrity.

As we highlighted in our letter to you on May 8, 2017, the decision to expand the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument was the result of a robust public process that included four public meetings and a subsequent public comment period to ensure all citizens and stakeholders had an opportunity to submit more detailed written recommendations.

For your reference, we have attached our previous letter outlining in detail the public process that led to the expansion of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

We hope that you will consider the diverse public support and the public input process that led to expanding the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument as you review national monument designations. It is also important that you consult with the State of Oregon, local governments and federally recognized tribes as well as the Oregon Congressional delegation.

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