On April 8, the Associated Press reported that Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson may still sell the Christmas Mountains to private interests and continues to block efforts by the National Park Service to protect the land as part of Big Bend National Park. 

The Christmas Mountains should be able to have a permanent home as part of Big Bend National Park. Sign our petition and tell Gov. Rick Perry not to let them be sold to private interests!

National parks have been called America’s “best idea,” and Big Bend is living proof. One of the last remaining wild corners of the United States, it offers a unique mix of desert wilderness, canyons, spring-fed oases and forested mountains.

Just as awe-inspiring are the Christmas Mountains that rise up above Big Bend’s northwest border, with a view the National Park Service has likened to “being on a mountain island surrounded by a desert sea, within which float other mountain islands.”

When the Christmas Mountains were donated to the state of Texas nearly two decades ago, it was with the intent of keeping them preserved and open to the public forever. That’s why it’s so unbelievable that the Texas Land Commissioner has proposed selling the mountains to private interests.

It’s time to protect the Christmas Mountains forever—it’s time to make them a part of Big Bend National Park.

A chance to protect the mountains forever

In 2008, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson tried to sell the Christmas Mountains to private interests. Environment Texas stopped him, and Big Bend National Park offered to purchase and permanently protect the land.

But Commissioner Patterson rejected the offer because the National Park Service prohibits hunting. Now, Commissioner Patterson is trying to sell again to private interests.

Big Bend has made the offer—we just need to convince a majority of the School Land Board, including Gov. Rick Perry’s appointee, to accept it. We stopped the Christmas Mountains from falling into private hands once. This time, we can save them forever.