The very public fight between the outdoor gear company, Patagonia, and public lands policymakers continued this week, when the company's founder rejected an offer to testify on Capitol Hill.
The company filed suit shortly after the Trump administration shrunk specially protected areas what used to be the Bears Ears National Monument and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. On Twitter, Patagonia declared: “The president stole your land.”
This is the largest elimination of protected land in American history.
— Patagonia (@patagonia) December 4, 2017
Take Action: https://t.co/biZPxo7PHh#BearsEars pic.twitter.com/OqW9FHPk3Q
And the U.S. House Resources Committee, led by U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, seemed to call for a boycott of Patagonia products, saying: “Patagonia is lying to you.”
.@Patagonia doesn't want #MonumentsForAll, they just want your money #BearsEars pic.twitter.com/2nuvfS0imZ
— Natural Resources GOP (@NatResources) December 8, 2017
Bishop’s invitation to the company’s founder last week acknowledged "his strong feelings on the topic" and asserted Congress was the proper place to discuss public lands.
Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard replied this week, describing Washington as "Orwellian" and "shackled to special interests of oil, gas and mining."
