Scholars argue that "the President does not have the authority to reduce a national monument after it is created without congressional approval."
Regulatory Review. Tribes and western scholars argue that only Congress - not the president - has the power to shrink a national monument.
E&E News. Navajo Nation leaders deny Republican Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s statements that they’re working to end the lawsuit over Bears Ears. "We will continue to fight - our position has not changed," says President Nez.
ABC News Utah. "A 13-day run from Bears Ears National Monument came to an end Monday night at the Utah State Capitol as a Diné Indigenous woman - Davina Smith - completed 330 miles to bring awareness to issues close to her heart."
"Runners alongside Davina have included kids, youths and senior citizens. Few are experienced runners. As to why they’re running, they mention the shrinking of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, contamination from uranium mining, air pollution, the destruction of the Amazon rain forest, the Utah Inland Port and environmental justice."
PBS News Hour. "The Trump administration is responsible for the largest reduction of federally protected land in U.S. history."
The state of Utah filed to intervene in the lawsuit, but Shaun Chapoose (Ute Tribal Business Committee Chair) says, "Our argument was never with the state. Because it never was a state issue. It was a federal issue."
The New York Times. "Over all, the revised rules appear very likely to clear the way for new mining, oil and gas drilling, and development in areas where protected species live."
Documents reveal Interior officials worked with the conservative group, Americans For Prosperity (AFP), to rescind the original Bears Ears National Monument.
BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT, UTAH (August 5, 2019) - The Bureau of Land Management on July 26th, 2019, announced the availability of their proposed Monument Management Plans (MMPs) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the illegally revoked and replaced Bears Ears National Monument (BENM). Despite repeated requests to halt the planning process until the courts review Trump’s
