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
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

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.

 

Latest News
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: