SOUTHERN UTAH, Sept. 18, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is recommending that Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments be reduced in size.
That’s according to a leaked memo from Zinke to Pres. Donald Trump. The White House has not yet responded to verify the memo or deny its message.
Other national monuments Zinke is recommending be reduced, according to the memo, are Nevada’s Gold Butte, Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou and two marine monuments in the Pacific Ocean, a The Washington Post article says. The Wall Street Journal first obtained the memo and reported the story.
In all, Zinke recommends reducing six of 27 national monuments he looked at after Trump ordered the review earlier this year, saying previous presidents had used the Antiquities Act inappropriately.
Utah leaders, including Gov. Gary Herbert and several senators, have supported the reduction in monument size, inspiring ire from multiple environmental groups and costing Utah its lucrative deal with the Outdoor Retailers’ show, which is in favor of preserving wild lands.
No information has been released about the suggested size of a potential reduction in Bears Ears or Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.
