Email From Robert Redford & the NRDC:

[orleans]

It's Inauguration Day and all of us are focused on the historic proceedings in Washington. But I wanted to share a fantastic piece of environmental news because I know it will lift your spirits even more.

On Saturday night, a federal judge ruled in our favor and blocked the Bush Administration from proceeding with the lease sale of 110,000 acres of Utah's Redrock wilderness to oil and gas companies.

This is a huge victory for our nation's legacy of public lands -- and a final rebuke to the Bush Administration as it slinks out of town.

As you know, Bush's Bureau of Land Management auctioned off our Redrock wildlands on December 19, and was determined to close those transactions before the Obama Administration could take office.

But thanks to your outpouring of financial support, NRDC and our environmental partners raced to federal court and asked for a temporary restraining order.

This weekend, Judge Ricardo M. Urbina granted that restraining order, saying that "the development of energy resources...is far outweighed by the public interest in avoiding irreparable damage to public lands and the environment."

The case will be heard later in 2009. Until that time, the government is prohibited from cashing the checks that industry issued for the contested wilderness.

Of course, we're hoping that President Obama's Interior Department will act quickly to reverse Bush's attempted giveaway of our natural heritage.

Indeed, this terrific court victory, combined with President Obama's inauguration, should herald a new era in which America strives to secure a clean energy future without destroying our birthright of public lands.

On behalf of the entire Board and staff of NRDC, I want to thank you again for your online activism, for standing with us at the critical moment, and for making this historic victory possible.

Sincerely,

Robert Redford
Trustee
Natural Resources Defense Council

[Kaleko]

1. Most excellent. No, we won't give up.

[Raine]

2. A wonderful new era

for the environment with Obama as President ... I'm thrilled!!!! :bounce: