State Lands initiative q&A
1. What is this petition all about?
Since President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke recently removed federal protection from the Bear’s Ears and Grand Escalante National Monuments in November, we have been looking for a way to fight back and prevent America’s beautiful natural parks and reservations from being opened up to development. Our solution to the problem? Using states’ rights to push governments to protect their natural resources from private development.
2. Why New Hampshire?
A lot of reasons. First, New Hampshire has a greater percentage of its landmass under the protection of the federal government than any other state in New England (13.8%), meaning that there’s a lot of land that could be exposed to mining and development should Secretary Zinke turn his eye on it. Secondly, the laws regulating the disposal of state-protected reservations are relatively lax in New Hampshire: state forests are treated the same way as buildings and railroads in this regard! Finally, New Hampshire is where a majority of Ridj-it adventures go: we love the State and National Parks of New Hampshire.
3. Do I have to be a resident of New Hampshire to participate?
For now, yes. We’re starting with the State Lands Protection Initiative in New Hampshire. If you are a resident of another US state and want to start a similar movement where you live, contact us at info@ridj-it.com!
4. How does the petition work in New Hampshire?
The petition will work as a sort of demonstration to the NH State Legislature to show that their constituents (a.k.a. their voters) care about this issue. In New Hampshire, a common citizen cannot put forth a bill directly to the State Congress: only members of the Congress can. Once we have signatures, we will approach select legislators and hopefully find one who will champion our cause.
5. Why do I need to give out my name, email address, and ZIP code?
A legal virtual signature requires that you submit your full name and email address. Your ZIP code will help us demonstrate that you are a legal resident of New Hampshire and give us an idea of which district you vote in, which will help us choose members of the New Hampshire State Congress to approach.
6. Will my information be given out to any 3rd parties?
Your information will only be seen by us and select members of the New Hampshire State Congress. We absolutely will not give out your personal information to any other 3rd parties for the purposes of marketing.
6. Will my information be given out to any 3rd parties?
Your information will only be seen by us and select members of the New Hampshire State Congress. We absolutely will not give out your personal information to any other 3rd parties for the purposes of marketing.
7. Are there any costs involved in signing this petition?
Nope! It’s 100% free to participate!
8. Will I be signed up for any newsletters?
We will send you an occasional update about the status of the petition to keep you informed, but we will not send you any marketing or other unrelated emails.
9. What more can I do to help beyond signing the petition?
MAKE SOME NOISE! Share this blogpost on social media using the hashtag #SLAPI, tag your representatives in the state legislature, and tell all your friends and family to do the same! The louder we are about this, the more the representatives know that we care. And when the holders of Congressional seats know that their constituents care about something, they’ll do something about it before they find themselves up for re-election.
10. Will I be considered a superhero for doing this?
YES! Wear your cape and wear it proud!
This blogpost will tell you more about the State Lands Protection Initiative, and you can sign the petition here. Check back on the Ridj-it blog and social media accounts for updates about how the campaign is progressing.
