Trump travelled west to announce his intention to shrink the Bears Ears and the Grand-Staircase Escalante national monuments. Zinke accompanied Trump aboard Air Force One, as did Utah’s Republican senators, Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee. Hatch and other Utah Republican leaders pushed Trump to launch the review, saying the monuments declared by Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton locked up too much federal land. Trump exited the plane with Hatch and was greeted by cheers from a crowd assembled for the arrival. Democrats and environmentalists have opposed the changes, accusing Trump and Zinke of engaging in a secretive process aimed at helping industry groups that have donated to Republican political campaigns.

Source: thestar December 04, 2017 21:02 UTC