Pingree calls national monument reductions ‘deeply troubling’

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement on President Trump’s decision to slash the acreage of both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. She is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, which oversees funding for the Department of the Interior.

“President Trump’s decision to severely shrink these national monuments is deeply troubling for the precedent he is setting. If he is allowed to undermine the process our country has for conserving its most special places, how can we know if any public lands are truly protected for the future?
 
“The entirety of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments are worth conserving for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. Bears Ears itself is sacred to several Native American tribes. It’s disgraceful and disheartening to see them opened up for the exploitation of their natural resources. 
 
“The review of national monuments by President Trump’s administration has also been troubling for its lack of transparency. We still have yet to see compelling justifications for these decisions and it remains unclear if the President has this authority at all.”