Video: The Fight for America’s Public Lands
Patagonia’s film “Public Trust” focuses on threats to the Boundary Waters, oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and mining in the Bears Ears National Monument area. For 24 hours only, starting today at 3 pm MDT, you can watch the full film online. A simple $5 donation to Backcountry Hunters and Anglers gains you access.
In a time of growing polarization, Americans still share something in common: 640 million acres of public land. Held in trust by the federal government for all citizens of the United States, these places are a stronghold against climate change, sacred to native people, home to wildlife and intrinsic to our national identity. But today, despite support from voters across the political spectrum, they face unprecedented threats from extractive industries and the politicians in their pockets. Part love letter, part political exposé, Public Trust investigates how we arrived at this precarious moment through three heated conflicts—a national monument in the Utah desert, a proposed mine in the Boundary Waters and oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—and makes a case for their continued protection.