Tim DeChristopher, 27, a University of Utah economics student and environmental activist, brought 22,500 acres of land between Arches and Canyonlands national parks that he doesn’t plan to develop or even pay for, after being asked if he wanted to bid at a U.S. Bureau of Land Management auction for oil and gas parcels.

According to news reports he “caused chaos” in the auction room.

Investigators filed reports to federal prosecutors, based on DeChristopher’s own account of his auction activities. No decision on charges against DeChristopher was expected until after the holidays, and the case would go to a grand jury first, said Melodie Rydalch, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office.

Many of the 13 parcels DeChristopher won were the subject of the lawsuit or protests filed by the National Park Service. Environmental groups, led by the NRDC, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, and Earthjustice, filed suit in federal court to halt the sale. A deal was reached only hours before the auction was to take place, allowing the sale to proceed but requiring the BLM to temporarily prevent issuing leases on 80 of the parcels set for auction that include the most sensitive wilderness areas. The injunction will remain in effect until January 19th, giving time for federal judge Ricardo Urbine to hear the case.

Tim DeChristopher Statement

“I have been an environmentalist for most of my life. I have marched, held signs, written letters and spoken to my Congressman. I have built trails and removed invasive species in National Parks. I have educated friends on climate change and donated to a dozen different groups. Countless others have done all these same things for decades in defense of our wilderness and a livable future.

It hasn’t worked. Even with a new administration, we are not on track for a livable future. This has been made clear by James Hanson, Bill McKibben, Al Gore and many others. The legitimate pathways to power have not provided us with the ability to defend the survival of our civilization. Yesterday I decided that the crisis facing us requires more critical action than has been taken in the past. When faced with the opportunity to seriously disrupt the auction of some of our most beautiful lands in Utah to oil and gas developers, I could not ethically turn my back on that opportunity. By making bids for land that was supposed to be protected for the interests of all Americans, I tried to resist the Bush administration’s attempt to defraud the American people.

At this point it appears that I was successful in my attempts to disrupt this fraudulent auction. The federal officials who took me into custody said that I cost the oil companies in the room hundreds of thousands of dollars and prevented 22,500 acres of land from being sold for fossil fuel development. I had a very open conversation with the federal agents about my motivations and values. They were friendly, respectful, and somewhat sympathetic. (editors note. It is never a good idea to talk to federal agents or any police. Always ask to speak to a lawyer before answering questions from police)

What I did no doubt puts me at significant risk, including prison. But my future was already at significant risk. As we get closer and closer to the point of too late, we have less and less to lose from resisting. Accepting the true depth of the climate crisis is extremely scary, but the purpose of fear is to motivate us to action. Many of us have sat around countless times saying how much we needed someone to do something. If I am not willing to take a stand for my generation, then who will? This year I have come to terms with the idea that I might be my own best hope to defend my future. Hopefully all of us will realize that we are the ones we have been waiting for.”

Posted: 12|23|08 at 11:14 am. Filed under: US News.