W E S T E R N  F R O N T S
CASCADE-SISKIYOU, GOLD BUTTE, GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE AND BEARS EARS

 

 

 

 

 

BY RICK SILVA
WITH SOUND DESIGN BY KUEDO + HOLY OTHER
ASSISTANCE WITH DRONE CINEMATOGRAPHY BY ZACK DOUGHERTY

IN THE FALL OF 2017 A MEMO WAS LEAKED FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. THE MEMO OUTLINED PLANS TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE BORDERS AND PROTECTIONS FOR FOUR WESTERN NATIONAL MONUMENTS: CASCADE-SISKIYOU (OREGON AND CALIFORNIA), GOLD BUTTE (NEVADA), GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE, AND BEARS EARS (BOTH IN UTAH0. ON DEC 4, 2017 THE ADMINISTRATION SIGNED PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATIONS ELIMINATING PROTECTION OF PUBLIC LANDS AND SACRED INDIGINOUS SITES IN GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE AND BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENTS. BEARS EARS ALONE WAS SLASHED FROM 1.3 MILLION ACRES TO 200 THOUSAND ACRES, REDUCING ITS SIZE BY 85%. IN THE SUMMER OF 2018 MINING COMPANIES STAKED CLAIMS FOR OIL, GAS AND URANIUM IN BOTH GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE AND BEARS EARS.


MINERAL APOCALYPSE / TRANSPARENT EARTH
AN ESSAY ON WESTERN FRONTS BY GEOFF MANAUGH