LTE: Confirming Rep. Haaland as Interior secretary would benefit outdoor recreation opportunities in Utah

This piece originally appeared as a Letter to the editor in The Salt Lake Tribune on January 26, 2021.

By HECHO National Advisory Board Member, Representative Mark Archuleta Wheatley | The Public Forum — 1/26/2021 6:00 AM MST

Like so many people during the pandemic, getting outdoors has been invaluable for my mental health — hiking at one of my favorite state parks, Antelope Island, has offered me solitude and respite. To continue to enjoy the special places we all love, we need to conserve these places and the wildlife they support. That’s why I support the nomination of Congresswoman Deb Haaland for Interior Secretary. I know she will ensure that our public lands and waterways are safeguarded for our families to enjoy and that she will ensure more people have access to the outdoors.

Every American deserves to enjoy the outdoors and Rep. Haaland has worked to expand access for Indigenous communities and communities of color. As Congresswoman, she introduced the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act which would make the outdoors more accessible while creating jobs in the outdoor industry in states like Utah. She has a deep respect for the outdoors, and played a key leadership role in the Great American Outdoors Act that conserved public lands and waters, increasing opportunities for parks, trails, hunting and fishing access, and recreational facilities across the nation. Rep. Haaland’s track record of stewardship allows our community to preserve the multicultural traditions reflected in our diverse landscapes.

Despite their increasing popularity, these places are also in danger — from climate change, forest fires, and backlogs of maintenance. Sen. Mitt Romney and his colleagues should swiftly confirm Rep. Haaland’s nomination so she can bring her leadership and passion for conserving our beloved public lands to the Department of the Interior.

Rep. Mark Archuleta Wheatley, Salt Lake City