Tribes: Trump’s monument order disrespects native people
SALT LAKE CITY — President Donald Trump’s rare move to shrink two large national monuments in Utah triggered another round of outrage among Native American leaders who vowed to take the fight to court to preserve protections for land they consider sacred.
Environmental and conservation groups and a coalition of tribes began filing lawsuits Monday that ensure that Trump’s announcement is far from the final chapter in the yearslong battle over public lands. The court cases are likely to drag on for years, maybe even into a new presidency.
Trump decided to reduce Bears Ears National Monument by about 85 per cent and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by nearly half. It earned him cheers from Republican leaders in Utah who lobbied him to undo protections by Democratic presidents that they considered overly broad.
Conservation groups called it the largest elimination of protected land in American history. The move comes a week after tribal leaders decried Trump’s use of the name of a historical Native American figure as a slur.