Saturday, August 26, 2017

Monuments Face Downsizing, Commercial Exploitation

Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke submitted his draft report on the fate of 27 national monuments to President Trump. Twenty-Seven monuments have been under review due to an executive order the President issued in April. While details of changes to specific monuments have not been released, several are being targeted for reduction because of heavy lobbying by the logging, mining and cattle industries, along with the state’s politicians. Two threatened monuments are in Utah, including the controversial Bear’s Ears, which Zinke has already targeted for downsizing. Also on the line for possible reduction are several in California, particularly Giant Sequoia National Monument in the southern Sierra. Pacifica’s Vic Bedoian reports from Fresno.