Stacey Abrams on Trump Gutting America's National Parks

National parks and public lands tell us who we are - and remind us of how we fit into the grander scheme of things. They give people the chance to connect with the awe-inspiring beauty of nature, create jobs and fuel economic growth, and preserve vital historical and cultural landmarks. But despite their broad, bipartisan popularity, Republicans appear determined to dismantle our parks and auction off our natural history to the highest bidder. Back in February, the administration began gutting the National Park Service—firing over a thousand employees. And the destruction hasn’t stopped. At the center of this assault is Trump’s barbaric megabill that guts a wide variety of crucial programs. The version that recently passed the Senate further slashes the National Parks Service budget and opens public lands to private development and fossil fuel development… all to help fund tax cuts for billionaires. This week, Stacey sits down with former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, who walks us through the rich history of public lands as cultural and historical resources and the devastating impact these proposed cuts could have. Then, conservation activist and Outdoor Afro founder Rue Mapp joins the conversation to share the importance of public lands for all of us, including marginalized communities who do not always have access to the outdoors, how we can protect these lands, and how we fight to keep them public.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 - Trump’s Megabill is a Disaster for America
02:51 - National Parks at Risk Under Trump
09:07 - Intro to Deb Haaland, Fmr. Secretary of the Interior
10:47 - National Parks as a Pillar of Democracy
13:04 - How National Parks Shape Us
16:13 - Preserving Our Cultural Heritage
19:00 - Ad Break 1
22:00 - Whitewashing America’s History
25:14 - Trump’s Budget Cuts to Public Lands
27:52 - Indigenous Voices Speak Out
31:17 - Politics vs. Preservation
34:45 - How to Help Protect Federal Land
36:45 - Intro to Rue Mapp, Founder & CEO of Outdoor Afro
40:09 - The Black Connection to Nature
44:03 - Ad Break 2
46:40 - Public Lands & DEI
50:56 - Why Public Lands Are Worth Defending
54:27 - Republican Attacks on Public Lands
58:30 - What You Can Do to Help
01:01:10 - Stacey’s Toolkit

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Photos courtesy of AP Photo Archive

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