Statement | Washington, DC | August 24, 2017

Statement from Stephanie Meeks in response to Interior Department report recommending that the boundaries of several national monuments be reduced in size

Statement from Stephanie Meeks, President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Today Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke submitted his review of 27 national monuments designated since 1996 to President Trump. The review process included 2.8 million comments from the public, which Secretary Zinke noted were “overwhelmingly in favor of maintaining existing monuments.” Despite this input, Secretary Zinke’s review is reported to recommend reducing the size of a number of national monuments across the country, including Utah’s Bears Ears.

We will learn more details about the specifics of these recommendations in the coming days. In the meantime, we call on President Trump to reject any attempts to reduce or roll back any of America’s national monuments. Each of the monuments subject to review were lawfully designated, and protect places of great cultural importance and natural beauty. They should remain for the use and enjoyment of future generations of Americans.

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The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places.
SavingPlaces.org | @savingplaces

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