Environmental Groups Suing To Block Trump’s Scale Back Of Utah Monuments

Protesters march from the Utah State Capitol through downtown Salt Lake City during President Donald Trump's visit Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. Roughly 3,000 demonstrators lined up near the State Capitol to protest Trump's ... Protesters march from the Utah State Capitol through downtown Salt Lake City during President Donald Trump's visit Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. Roughly 3,000 demonstrators lined up near the State Capitol to protest Trump's announcement of scaling back two sprawling national monuments, and his declaring that "public lands will once again be for public use." (Benjamin Zack/Standard-Examiner via AP) MORE LESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Environmental groups are suing to block President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back a national monument in Utah just hours after the decision was announced.

The lawsuit filed Monday by Earthjustice on behalf of several groups challenges the reduction of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which has been a source of Republican frustration since it was created by Bill Clinton in 1996.

The monument near the Arizona border contains a rich cache of dinosaur fossils and vast coal reserves.

Trump said in Salt Lake City that Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument will be reduced by half, from nearly 3,000 square miles (7,770 square kilometers) to 1,569 square miles (4,064 square kilometers).

He also reduced Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. A coalition of American Indian tribes plans to sue over that decision.

 

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  1. Riot police earlier cleared protesters from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Welfare Square.

    Let that sink in.

    Yesterday, at the Capitol building …

    Meanwhile, back at the White House, a barely pubescent boy clinches his fists, stamps his feet and screams “kretén, kretén!” as his mother nods knowingly.

  2. Avatar for milt69 milt69 says:

    My big frustration is that these legal disputes are being funneled right to the racist elf and the DOJ. It’s like Orange Hitler’s personal attorney. He is (has been) ruining this Country!

  3. Great! Let’s open up another coal mine!
    I swear if oil was found at Arlington Cemetery these assholes would want to drill for it!

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