The Trump administration's national monuments 'review' is a sham | Brian Calvert Read moreIn a leaked memo, the interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, wrote that the boundaries of some national monuments were “arbitrary or likely politically motivated or boundaries could not be supported by science or reasons of resource management”. Conservationists immediately vowed to fight any move to refashion monuments declared by presidents over the last century. Such restrictions have proved controversial in places such as Bears Ears national monument in Utah, which was designated by Barack Obama in December and has been forcefully opposed by Utah Republicans in Congress. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The US secretary of the interior, Ryan Zinke, left, takes a horse ride with local ranchers during a tour of the Bears Ears national monument in May 2017. The Cascade-Siskiyou national monument in Oregon, the Gold Butte national monument in Nevada and the Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument in Utah should also have their boundaries changed, Zinke’s memo says, although there is no suggestion as to what extent.

Source: The Guardian September 18, 2017 18:37 UTC