Biden to restore national monument protections slashed by Trump


Donate
WASHINGTON — Three national US monuments will have their protected status restored Friday, continuing Joe Biden’s efforts to roll back the environmental policies of his predecessor.
Under Donald Trump protections around natural areas — often home to endangered species or archaeological sites — were rolled back, outraging conservationists and Native American communities.
“President Biden will sign three proclamations restoring protections for Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monuments,” the White House said Thursday.
Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante will return to its original size of 1.87 million acres, after Trump cut about 45 percent of its land in 2017. Bears Ears will actually expand under Biden’s plans.
In maritime areas — Northeast Canyons and Seamounts — the capture of red crabs and American lobsters will be slowly reduced under new fishing protections, until the practice is banned there from September 2023.
Biden will sign the orders on Friday, US media reported.
The areas are home to more than 100,000 archaeological sites, including rock art that is at least 5,000 years old and the remains of 21 previously unknown dinosaur species.
POST YOUR COMMENTS
MAORANDCITIES.COM uses both Facebook and Disqus comment systems to make it easier for you to contribute. We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. All comments should be relevant to the topic. By posting, you agree to our Privacy Policy. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, name-calling, foul language or other inappropriate behavior. Please keep your comments relevant and respectful. By leaving the ‘Post to Facebook’ box selected – when using Facebook comment system – your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the “X” in the upper right corner of the Facebook comment box to report spam or abuse. You can also email us.