Scientists File Lawsuit Against National Monument Reductions

The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) is suing to block the downsizing of two national monuments in Utah ordered by President Trump. The lawsuit claims that only Congress can change the boundaries of monuments. Protections would be lifted from 85 percent of Bears Ears National Monument and 50 percent of Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument. Trump called the creation of these national monuments “abuses” of power by his predecessors. According to P. David Polly, president of SVP, “There were multiple reasons for making them monuments, but in both cases paleontology was one… After the [Grand Staircase] monument was established, a lot of the dinosaur material was discovered.” Approximately 10 percent of SVP members have conducted long-term research in these national monuments or made short-term research visits to the sites. SVP decided to pursue a lawsuit because “the damage to the science and the damage to the legal protections that we fought for is potentially so great here that, given that we can make a good case, it was a no-brainer,” said Polly. The society subsequently joined a second lawsuit filed by a broad coalition of Native American, conservation, and historic preservation organizations. The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology is a member organization of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Learn more at http://vertpaleo.org/Society-News/SVP-Paleo-News/Society-News,-Press-Releases/Grand-Staircase-Escalante-...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news