The last several years have seen a radical shift in the way America’s public lands are managed. The Bush administration has directed federal agencies to consider oil and gas drilling and mining as the highest priority use for public lands and is actively assisting industry to expand drilling in several key places. This extraction imperative threatens to scar wild landscapes, pollute streams and destroy important wildlife habitat for species that live in these lands and waters.

Special areas in the Rocky Mountains, like Valle Vidal in New Mexico, the Red Desert in Wyoming and the Roan Plateau in Colorado are at risk of oil and gas drilling. Allowing drilling in these spectacular areas would tarnish our natural legacy, harm numerous species and eliminate recreational opportunities for families and sportsmen.

The oil companies want to use the specter of high gasoline and home-heating prices to weaken the resolve of key decision-makers. That's where Sierra Club comes in. By activating their members, and building new support they can make sure that our lawmakers know that Americans want our wilderness areas protected.

Work with us to build support for Sierra Club's wilderness protection campaign.

About Sierra Club: Sierra Club is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization. The club's mission is to explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth; practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; and educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.

> More on our work with the Sierra Club.