PETA Offers Wyoming Governor Hard Cash in Return for Placing Pro-Vegan Sign in Grand Teton National Park

Proposal Follows Freudenthal's Threats to Sell Grazing Land for Development

For Immediate Release:
July 8, 2010

Contact:
Michael Lyubinsky 757-622-7382

Cheyenne, Wyo. -- This morning, PETA sent a letter to Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal with a proposal that should make him--and taxpayers--smile: PETA has offered to rent land in Grand Teton National Park to help the governor increase the financial returns on two square miles that are currently being used for cattle grazing. Freudenthal has reportedly grown impatient negotiating with the Interior Department and is considering selling the land. As part of the offer, PETA would place a pro-vegan sign in the park and request the removal of the cattle ranchers. The sign would read, "Stop Grazin' and Start Savin'--the Park and the Planet. Go Vegan" --a reference to the negative effects that grazing has on local habitats and to the damage that the meat and dairy industries inflict on the global ecosystem.

"Our proposal would immediately provide Gov. Freudenthal with the profit that he is seeking from the land and save animals' lives," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "It would also save the land from development while informing the park's visitors of the environmental and health benefits of going vegan."

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA's letter to Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal follows.

July 8, 2010

The Honorable Dave Freudenthal
Governor of Wyoming

 
Dear Governor Freudenthal:

I am writing on behalf of PETA, the world’s largest animal rights organization, which has more than 2 million members and supporters. After learning of your efforts to obtain more revenue from Grand Teton National Park and hearing about the resultant uproar among local residents who fear the prospect of commercial development in this magnificent location, we came up with an idea that would raise funds while keeping the park in public hands: You could rent the space to PETA so that we can erect a sign reading, "Stop Grazin’ and Start Savin’--the Park and the Planet. Go Vegan. PETA," until a permanent solution is found. We will pay more than the $3,000 that cattle grazing reportedly brings in each year, and our message will help protect the park and the planet. I’ve attached an image of our proposed sign.

Cattle grazing harms Grand Teton’s sensitive ecosystem, endangering indigenous plant and animal species while promoting soil erosion. On a larger scale, raising animals for food is a leading source of deforestation as well as air and water pollution, and a recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change.

Grand Teton visitors who go vegan because of our sign would also prevent cattle from being dismembered while they’re still conscious (a common result of the use of overly fast slaughter lines and malfunctioning stunning equipment).

Please contact me so that we may discuss this further. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid E. Newkirk
President