“Bidder 70” Screened at UUF

Tim DeChristopher

BIDDER 70, the story of a principled young man and the bravery of his commitment to a livable world, will be screened at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on Oct. 21 at 4:30 pm. Admission is free and the screening will be followed by a discussion.

In December 2008, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) auctioned off hundreds of thousands of pristine acres surrounding Utah’s treasured national parks for oil and gas exploitation. Environmental groups protested politely, but one University of Utah student stepped across that proverbial “line in the sand.”

Tim DeChristopher entered the BLM auction, was offered bidder’s paddle #70 and by the time he put his hand down, had won 22,000 acres of glorious red-rock for $1.8 million with no intention to pay or drill.

In February 2009, the new Obama administration’s Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar, agreed on the significance of the auctioned parcels and invalidated the entire auction because of the land’s “proximity to landscapes of national significance.” Nevertheless, on April Fool’s Day, DeChristopher was indicted on two federal felonies with penalties of up to ten years in prison and fines of $750,000.

BIDDER 70 follows DeChristopher as he maneuvers legal purgatory over two years and nine trial postponements. With the threat of prison looming, DeChristopher steps up his activism and matures into a charismatic, ingenious and non-violent climate justice leader. DeChristopher was found guilty on both counts and was sentenced to two years in federal prison. DeChristopher is currently finishing up his parole while attending Harvard Divinity School to become a UU minister, which was paid for by UU’s from all over the country.

The UU Fellowship is located at 10341 Hwy. 42 in north Ephraim. For more information call 920.854.7559.