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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reduce the boundaries of two national monuments—Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante.
In 2017, the first Trump Administration put 27 national monuments under review with the requirement they were established after 1996 and were over 100,000 acres. Then-Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke recommended six monuments for reduction, but reduced only two monuments—Grand Staircase and Bears Ears. Durbin led the effort against this review and reduction, and in 2021, then-President Biden restored the boundaries of both monuments.
“President Trump’s decision to, once again, slash the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments is an attack on some of our nation’s most extraordinary public lands.
“These lands belong to every American. In the wake of these unfortunate reductions, I urge Congress to pass my America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act to protect and defend these lands for future generations.”
For years, Durbin has championed the America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act to protect more than eight million acres of land in Utah that is rich in archaeological resources and home to numerous rare plant and animal species. These landscapes are also the access point for many national parks and offer unparalleled research, educational, and recreational opportunities for scientists, educators, outdoor enthusiasts, and American families.
