Interior Secretary Recommends Shrinking 6 National Monuments

WASHINGTON (AP) — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is recommending that six of 27 national monuments under review by the Trump administration be reduced in size, with changes to several others proposed. A leaked memo from Zinke to President Donald Trump recommends that two Utah monuments – Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante — be reduced, along with Nevada’s Gold Butte and Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou. Two marine monuments in the Pacific Ocean also would be reduced under Zinke’s memo, which has not been officially released. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Trump ordered the review earlier this year after complaining about improper “land grabs” by former presidents, including Barack Obama. National monument designations add protections for lands revered for their natural beauty and historical significance with the goal of preserving them for future generations. The restrictions aren’t as stringent as for national parks, but some policies include limits on mining, timber cutting and recreational activities such as riding off-road vehicles. The monuments under review were designated by four presidents over the last two decades. Several are about the size of the state of Delaware, including Mojave Trails in California, Grand-Staircase Escalante in Utah and Bears Ears, which is on sacred tribal land. No other president has tried to eliminate a monument, but s...
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