"Trump Plans to Shrink Two National Monuments in Utah"

"WASHINGTON — Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah said on Friday that President Trump had told him the administration would shrink two national monuments covering millions of acres in the state.

Senator Hatch, a Utah Republican, said Mr. Trump told him in a phone conversation that he had approved recommendations drawn up by Ryan Zinke, the Interior secretary, to reduce the size of Bears Ears National Monument, established by former President Barack Obama, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, designated by former President Bill Clinton.

“I’m approving the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase recommendation for you, Orrin,” the president said, according to a statement by Senator Hatch.

The Bears Ears monument covers 1.35 million acres, and Grand Staircase-Escalante, the largest monument in the United States, spans 1.9 million acres. The scope of the proposed reductions and the new boundaries of the monuments were not immediately clear."

Lisa Friedman reports for the New York Times October 27, 2017.

SEE ALSO:

"Trump Says He Will Shrink Bears Ears National Monument, A Sacred Tribal Site In Utah" (Washington Post)