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Secretary Zinke Continues His Attacks on Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante

Aug 24th, 2017 Written by suwa

In August, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke sent his final monument report to the White House.

Remarkably, Secretary Zinke refused to divulge what his final recommendations are. But early reports from the Washington Post indicate that Zinke is recommending President Trump unilaterally (and illegally) shrink both Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments.

Secretary Zinke’s illegal recommendations to the president are the latest salvo in this administration’s continued attacks on America’s public lands.

It’s outrageous that after 99% of the more than 2.8 million comments received by the secretary supported keeping our monuments protected, Secretary Zinke is still recommending that the president illegally attack our national treasures.

The truth is, President Trump doesn’t have the legal authority to modify a national monument. If Trump follows Zinke’s recommendations, SUWA’s attorneys—working in concert with our partners from around the country—will quickly challenge his illegal action in court.

To avoid years of costly litigation, President Trump would do well to simply throw Secretary Zinke’s report in the White House trash.