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The Public Lands Alliance (PLA) releases the following statement from President and CEO Dan Puskar:

"All Americans have the right to explore, discover and enjoy their public lands. Public parks, forests, wildlife refuges, lakes and other lands are owned by and for the people. And all people should feel welcomed within them when they arrive as a birder, a jogger, or a protester exercising their right to speak truth to power and to assemble peaceably.

"Spurred by the events of recent weeks, the Public Lands Alliance (PLA) voiced our concerns about the treatment of protesters in Lafayette Park with Congress and the Secretary of the Interior. PLA also held a virtual Town Hall with our member leaders from across the nation to discuss strategies for embedding anti-racism, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in our organizations and programs.

"Moving forward, PLA is committed to its vision, to work for the day when America’s public lands are understood and appreciated, preserved and conserved and enjoyed by all. PLA will engage land management agencies to help us achieve this vision, together with our nonprofit members and corporate partners. We will strive to listen and learn, as we fully acknowledge there is work to be done within our own organization. We will utilize our platform to lift up the voices of people of color within the public lands community. We ask others who share our vision to help us elevate diverse voices, for we will only eliminate discrimination when we all stand together.”

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