We are so proud of Terry Tempest Williams, one of our original ITP Grant Partners, with what she has done as "Bidder 19" in acquiring a 10-year oil and gas lease on over 1700 acres of land in Utah as part of the "Keep it in the Ground" movement.  She is representing our democratic rights to participate in a Bureau of Land Management public auction selling oil and gas leases on federal land.  "...for those of us who see them as the public commons, to be thrown into the public auction—that is not public at all, but a secret society for oil and gas companies."

Terry described the auction: "...the auctioneer begins. A parcel is shown. It may be—in our case, it was 800 acres, and the bidding begins at two dollars an acre. And I think the thing that was so heartbreaking for me and shocking is you hear these lands go up, and they’re commodities, they’re a piece of meat. They’re our public lands. And one of the auctioneers—the auctioneer said, you know, "$2? Anybody want $2? $2.25? $2.50? Anybody want $2.50? $3?" And then he says, "Come on, men. This is a lot of scenery going to waste. $3? Anyone going to $3? $3.25?"

Terry was interviewed by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now - see the full video interview below.

http://www.democracynow.org