The Environmental Defense Initiative

Petitions

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An image of a protest with many people holding various signs for environmental protection.

An image of a protest. One of the protesters is holding a sign that reads '#ACTNOW'.

Protect Our Public Lands: Stop Trump's Deforestation Agenda

The Trump administration recently passed a devastating executive order called, "Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production" to increase domestic timber production, reversing environmental policies that encompassed over half of the land protected by the US Forest Service in the process. President Trump's continued push to exploit public lands for deforestation and industry gain is detrimental to our environment and the health of our planet. Our national forests, parks, and public lands are meant to maintain biodiversity and protect wildlife habitats, not to fuel corporate greed. Since President Trump was inaugurated, he passed numerous executive orders that put millions of acres of undisturbed land at risk of logging, mining, and industrial development. These destructive practices threaten our ecosystems, endangered species, and the air and water we all depend on. Additionally, disturbing these forests will destroy thousands of old, fire resistant trees that will leave lands more susceptible to forest fires. Old trees are often carbon-rich and are therefore essential to fighting climate change. With them gone, the impacts of global warming will increase exponentially and species residing in these forests will become endangered. We demand that the Trump Administration revoke the executive order "Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production" that ordered over 280 million acres of public lands and national forests be destroyed to increase timber production. This executive order directly contradicts the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which both work to protect public lands. The United States has become a country that is fiercely committed to protecting the environment and fighting for a more sustainable future, as evidenced by its environmentally friendly legislation and policies. We depend on the environment and its resources to survive. We must give back to it by upholding our commitment to environmental conservation. Sign this petition to protect our forests, our climate, and our future.

Protect the East Fishkill from the Woodland Estates Luxury Apartment Complex

Woodland Estates is a proposed rental development community in the town of East Fishkill calling for 468 luxury apartments in 23 buildings, 900 parking spots, and various lavish amenities. While this project may satisfy the growing demand for single-family homes in East Fishkill, it will have severe environmental repercussions including worsened air quality and local ecosystem damage. The luxury apartment complex will occupy 35 acres of undeveloped land and include lavish amenities such as clubhouses, pools, and pickleball courts. Considering East Fishkill has no shortage of these kinds of facilities, the exorbitant amount of land that the project would take up is completely unnecessary considering the development would harm local ecosystems and displace native species. In addition, the plan calls for the waste system of the apartments to connect to the general waste facilities of East Fishkill. The construction of this system would involve drilling underneath Shenandoah Creek, a process that would create noise pollution, destroy natural habitats, and disturb wildlife. Moreover, building these apartments would cause serious congestion on NY-376, lengthening commute times and thus increasing vehicle emissions. Allowing the Woodland Estates to be built would drastically reduce air quality and destroy fragile ecosystems in East Fishkill. Our town needs to emphasize the protection of natural lands, rather than construct unneeded luxury apartments with unnecessary amenities. We cannot compromise the health of our environment for the sake of capital gain. Sign our petition today to urge the town planning board to reject the Woodland Estates community development project.