For readers who like national monuments, Trump’s desire to erase Obama’s legacy has resulted in a reduction of two of monuments from Obama’s era. From The Salt Lake Tribune:
To the cheers of Utah politicians and dismay of environmental and tribal groups, President Donald Trump swept into Utah on Monday and erased most of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National monuments — shaving 2 million acres from their boundaries and replacing them with five smaller monuments.
The historic move was swiftly met with a lawsuit filed by a coalition of conservation organizations and threats of another from American Indian groups, as opponents claimed the reductions are illegal and denounced them as potentially opening pristine lands to development. Protesters along Trump’s route and in downtown Salt Lake City shouted and waved signs opposing his changes, and for a time halted traffic.
But, as Steve Benen points out, Interior Secretary Zinke is playing the “say the opposite of reality” game:
Before the ceremony, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke told The Salt Lake Tribune: “The president is delivering on his campaign promise to give the state and local communities a voice, which I think is absolutely important. Public lands are for public use and not for special interests.”
Trump’s order specifically authorizes grazing in the Bears Ears area as well as motorized recreation and American Indian gathering of wood and herbs, and it asks Congress to pass legislation to mandate co-management by tribal leaders.
It’s the monuments that are protected, while land under BLM‘s sway is wide open to special interest use – they need only pressure the right person.
