Trump Illegally Dismantles Utah Monuments
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Donald Trump today traveled to Utah to announce that he will dismantle Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments to open them up for fossil fuel development and other destruction. Trump is shrinking the monuments despite the fact that over 99 percent of the 2.8 million public comments received by the Department of the Interior opposed changing the current boundaries.
Friends of the Earth has filed a lawsuit to compel the Department of Interior to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request for records pertaining to documents, communications, meeting notes, records and travel expenses as part of the review of the national monuments by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Associate Deputy Secretary James Cason.
Ben Schreiber, Senior Political Strategist at Friends of the Earth, issued the following statement:
Donald Trump is overseeing the largest elimination of protected areas in U.S. history. Dismantling these monuments is Trump’s latest gift to the corporate interests who backed his campaign. This action is unprecedented and will end up in court.
Public lands are to be managed for the public, not plundered by private interests that want to make billions off public resources. The majority of Americans want to keep fossil fuels in the ground.
Expert contact: Ben Schreiber (202) 222-0752, [email protected]
Communications contact: Patrick Davis (202) 222-0744 [email protected]