A grizzly bear cub a few miles from the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park in Montana. (Alan Rogers/Casper Star-Tribune via AP)Federal officials on Monday moved to block new mining claims at the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park, the latest push by the Obama administration to protect environmentally sensitive areas during the president’s final months in office. Mining claims will be prohibited on about 30,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land near the park’s northern entrance in Montana. The prohibition will remain in effect for two years while officials gather public comment and evaluate whether to designate the area off-limits to new mining claims for an additional 20 years. “These proposed mines would harm Yellowstone resources, wildlife, visitor experience and adjacent communities,” Theresa Pierno, president of the National Parks Conservation Association, said in a statement Monday.

Source: Washington Post November 21, 2016 22:46 UTC