Latest news with #GrandStaircase-Escalante
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Interior Secretary Burgum eyes national monuments for energy resources
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has directed his staff to review and possibly alter national monuments as part of a push to expand U.S. energy production, a move that could further shake up public lands amid mass firings of national park and forest employees. Conservationists fear that cherished landscapes — including two newly minted California monuments — will be stripped of protections for significant cultural and ecological resources. But conservatives have argued that public lands should remain open to oil drilling and coal mining, among other uses. In a Feb. 3 order, Burgum directed his assistant secretaries to "review and, as appropriate, revise all withdrawn public lands," citing a federal statute corresponding to the 1906 law that allows presidents to create national monuments. The directive was part of a sweeping secretarial order, called "Unleashing American Energy," that seeks to boost resource extraction on federal land and water. Burgum gave agency officials 15 days to submit plans on how to comply with his order, which are now under review. "At this stage, we are assessing these reports to determine if any further action is warranted, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that all items are thoroughly evaluated as part of our internal management process," said J. Elizabeth Peace, senior public affairs specialist for the Interior Department's Office of the Secretary, in a statement. Peace did not indicate when the review might conclude or what actions could be taken. Critics see the move as opening the door to redraw or eliminate monuments. During his first term, President Trump sharply reduced the boundaries of two monuments in Utah — Bear's Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante — and stripped protections from a marine monument off the coast of New England to allow commercial fishing. Biden reversed the changes, but some believe the review underway will pave the way for similar actions by the second Trump administration. Whether presidents have the authority to alter existing monuments is unclear and hotly contested. Litigation challenging Trump's previous monument reductions was still pending when Biden reversed them and the matter was never settled. In recent weeks, thousands of recent hires at the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service were laid off as part of a broader effort by Trump and advisor Elon Musk to slash the federal bureaucracy, which has sparked protests and backlash. What is a national monument? Most national monuments are created by presidents, but Congress can also establish them. The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives presidents the authority to designate monuments to protect "objects of historic and scientific interest" and can encompass geologic wonders, archaeological sites and wildlife habitat. Presidents on both sides of the political aisle have used the law to set aside land. Monuments can be managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies. They typically exclude oil and gas drilling, coal mining and other forms of energy production. What's at stake in California? California is home to 21 national monuments, more than any other state in the country — spanning rugged coastlines, stately sequoia groves and striking desert canyons. They include the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument near Los Angeles and the Sand to Snow National Monument east of the city, as well as the Lava Beds National Monument in the far northeastern part of the state. Sean Hecht, managing attorney for the California regional office of Earthjustice, a nonprofit focused on litigating environmental issues, believes the state's youngest monuments are most at risk of being rolled back, citing political reasons. During his final days in office, former President Biden designated two national monuments in California's desert and far north — Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument. Native Americans led the charge to safeguard the land they consider sacred. 'Older and more established monuments tend to be popular in California — while new monuments are often not as established with a wide constituency, and therefore are more vulnerable politically,' Hecht said in an email. He added that Trump may target the monuments as part of an effort to undo recent actions by Biden. The new monuments are also home to natural resources that could make them a target, stakeholders said. Sáttítla, which spans more than 224,000 acres of lush forests and pristine lakes near the Oregon border, has been explored for geothermal energy development. Located south of Joshua Tree National Park, 640,000-acre Chuckwalla could be zeroed in on for water beneath the rugged desert floor, according to Donald Medart Jr., former councilman for the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, which was among the tribes that led the push for the monument designation. "To extract all that groundwater would leave a devastating effect on our area," said Medart, now a tribal engagement specialist for Onoo Po Strategies, a consulting firm. If it's oil the Trump administration is after, the Carrizzo Plain National Monument — a renowned wildflower viewing destination in southeastern San Luis Obispo County — may be eyed. The grassland plain home to several vulnerable plants and animals historically had drilling and is the only monument in the state with oil potential, said Brendan Cummings, conservation director for the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit focus on protecting endangered species. Attempts to alter monuments in California and elsewhere would almost certainly be met with lawsuits, according to conservation and environmental groups. Monument designations have divided recreationists. Anglers, hunters and hikers have said that ushering in resource extraction on public lands will cut off access to activities in breathtaking landscapes. But off-road vehicle enthusiasts and those who support dispersed camping say mining and drilling is typically compatible with their needs — and that monument designations can push out their preferred use of the land. At stake is access to outings in nature that bring joy and mental health benefits — and big business. Outdoor recreation contributed $81.5 billion to California's economy in 2023, according to figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Those who enjoy hunting and fishing on public lands "should be concerned about decision-making behind closed doors for the future of these wild places," Joel Weltzien, California chapter coordinator for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, said in a statement. Ben Burr, executive director of the BlueRibbon Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for off-highway vehicle access, voiced his support for reviewing the nation's monuments — with the hope that changes will allow for more varied forms of recreation. 'Monuments tend to limit the kinds of recreation use that can happen and really give preferential access to certain user groups,' he said. Monuments typically limit camping to particular areas, he said as an example, while some people want to be able to hunker down far from other people. Is Project 2025 in play? Monument proponents fear Burgum's order is part of the enactment of Project 2025, a controversial policy playbook written by conservatives as a guide for the Trump administration. Project 2025 calls for downsizing more monuments and repealing the Antiquities Act. But some are skeptical about how far Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota and GOP presidential primary candidate, will go. John Leshy, an emeritus professor at UC College of the Law, San Francisco and a former solicitor at the Interior Department, described Burgum as "kind of a conventional choice" to head the department that manages millions of acres of public land. While Burgum is close to the oil and gas industry, he doesn't appear to be a "real ideologue," said Leshy, who is the author of 'Our Common Ground: A History of America's Public Lands.' Burgum is also known for maintaining good relationships with tribes in North Dakota. Native Americans "by and large, they're quite supportive of the national monuments and the protective things that have been done," Leshy said. "So does he want to take on that interest group and alienate them? I don't know." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Interior Secretary Burgum eyes national monuments for energy resources
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has directed his staff to review and possibly alter national monuments as part of a push to expand U.S. energy production, a move that could further shake up public lands amid mass firings of national park and forest employees. Conservationists fear that cherished landscapes — including two newly minted California monuments — will be stripped of protections for significant cultural and ecological resources. But conservatives have argued that public lands should remain open to oil drilling and coal mining, among other uses. In a Feb. 3 order, Burgum directed his assistant secretaries to 'review and, as appropriate, revise all withdrawn public lands,' citing a federal statute corresponding to the 1906 law that allows presidents to create national monuments. The directive was part of a sweeping secretarial order, called 'Unleashing American Energy,' that seeks to boost resource extraction on federal land and water. Burgum gave agency officials 15 days to submit plans on how to comply with his order, which are now under review. 'At this stage, we are assessing these reports to determine if any further action is warranted, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that all items are thoroughly evaluated as part of our internal management process,' said J. Elizabeth Peace, senior public affairs specialist for the Interior Department's Office of the Secretary, in a statement. Peace did not indicate when the review might conclude or what actions could be taken. Critics see the move as opening the door to redraw or eliminate monuments. During his first term, President Trump sharply reduced the boundaries of two monuments in Utah — Bear's Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante — and stripped protections from a marine monument off the coast of New England to allow commercial fishing. Biden reversed the changes, but some believe the review underway will pave the way for similar actions by the second Trump administration. Whether presidents have the authority to alter existing monuments is unclear and hotly contested. Litigation challenging Trump's previous monument reductions was still pending when Biden reversed them and the matter was never settled. In recent weeks, thousands of recent hires at the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service were laid off as part of a broader effort by Trump and advisor Elon Musk to slash the federal bureaucracy, which has sparked protests and backlash. What is a national monument? Most national monuments are created by presidents, but Congress can also establish them. The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives presidents the authority to designate monuments to protect 'objects of historic and scientific interest' and can encompass geologic wonders, archaeological sites and wildlife habitat. Presidents on both sides of the political aisle have used the law to set aside land. Monuments can be managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies. They typically exclude oil and gas drilling, coal mining and other forms of energy production. What's at stake in California? California is home to 21 national monuments, more than any other state in the country — spanning rugged coastlines, stately sequoia groves and striking desert canyons. They include the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument near Los Angeles and the Sand to Snow National Monument east of the city, as well as the Lava Beds National Monument in the far northeastern part of the state. Sean Hecht, managing attorney for the California regional office of Earthjustice, a nonprofit focused on litigating environmental issues, believes the state's youngest monuments are most at risk of being rolled back, citing political reasons. During his final days in office, former President Biden designated two national monuments in California's desert and far north — Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument. Native Americans led the charge to safeguard the land they consider sacred. 'Older and more established monuments tend to be popular in California — while new monuments are often not as established with a wide constituency, and therefore are more vulnerable politically,' Hecht said in an email. He added that Trump may target the monuments as part of an effort to undo recent actions by Biden. The new monuments are also home to natural resources that could make them a target, stakeholders said. Sáttítla, which spans more than 224,000 acres of lush forests and pristine lakes near the Oregon border, has been explored for geothermal energy development. Located south of Joshua Tree National Park, 640,000-acre Chuckwalla could be zeroed in on for water beneath the rugged desert floor, according to Donald Medart Jr., former councilman for the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, which was among the tribes that led the push for the monument designation. 'To extract all that groundwater would leave a devastating effect on our area,' said Medart, now a tribal engagement specialist for Onoo Po Strategies, a consulting firm. If it's oil the Trump administration is after, the Carrizzo Plain National Monument — a renowned wildflower viewing destination in southeastern San Luis Obispo County — may be eyed. The grassland plain home to several vulnerable plants and animals historically had drilling and is the only monument in the state with oil potential, said Brendan Cummings, conservation director for the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit focus on protecting endangered species. Attempts to alter monuments in California and elsewhere would almost certainly be met with lawsuits, according to conservation and environmental groups. Monument designations have divided recreationists. Anglers, hunters and hikers have said that ushering in resource extraction on public lands will cut off access to activities in breathtaking landscapes. But off-road vehicle enthusiasts and those who support dispersed camping say mining and drilling is typically compatible with their needs — and that monument designations can push out their preferred use of the land. At stake is access to outings in nature that bring joy and mental health benefits — and big business. Outdoor recreation contributed $81.5 billion to California's economy in 2023, according to figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Those who enjoy hunting and fishing on public lands 'should be concerned about decision-making behind closed doors for the future of these wild places,' Joel Weltzien, California chapter coordinator for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, said in a statement. Ben Burr, executive director of the BlueRibbon Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for off-highway vehicle access, voiced his support for reviewing the nation's monuments — with the hope that changes will allow for more varied forms of recreation. 'Monuments tend to limit the kinds of recreation use that can happen and really give preferential access to certain user groups,' he said. Monuments typically limit camping to particular areas, he said as an example, while some people want to be able to hunker down far from other people. Is Project 2025 in play? Monument proponents fear Burgum's order is part of the enactment of Project 2025, a controversial policy playbook written by conservatives as a guide for the Trump administration. Project 2025 calls for downsizing more monuments and repealing the Antiquities Act. But some are skeptical about how far Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota and GOP presidential primary candidate, will go. John Leshy, an emeritus professor at UC College of the Law, San Francisco and a former solicitor at the Interior Department, described Burgum as 'kind of a conventional choice' to head the department that manages millions of acres of public land. While Burgum is close to the oil and gas industry, he doesn't appear to be a 'real ideologue,' said Leshy, who is the author of 'Our Common Ground: A History of America's Public Lands.' Burgum is also known for maintaining good relationships with tribes in North Dakota. Native Americans 'by and large, they're quite supportive of the national monuments and the protective things that have been done,' Leshy said. 'So does he want to take on that interest group and alienate them? I don't know.'
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arizona Republicans lose bid to block Grand Canyon monument protections
Hikers descend the Grand Canyon's South Kaibab Trail in this 2013 file photo. Uranium mining backers agree that the Grand Canyon is an 'irreplaceable jewel,' but insist it would not be threatened by modern mining. Photo by Michael Quinn | National Park Service. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit that Arizona GOP lawmakers brought last year aiming to strike down former President Joe Biden's national monument designation near the Grand Canyon. The lawsuit argued that Biden did not have the power to create the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. They also claimed it harms both the state and local communities by permanently barring uranium mining — limiting the state's potential future revenue — and complicating land development. However, Judge Stephen McNamee ruled that the Arizona Legislature and the other plaintiffs did not have standing to sue based on their claims surrounding legislative status, resource injury, impingement of water rights, reduced revenue and economic development, and increased burdens. 'As no Plaintiff has standing, the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over this matter and dismisses the parties' complaints,' McNamee wrote in the dismissal. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Senate President Warren Petersen and former House Speaker Ben Toma, both Republicans, filed the lawsuit last year, asking the court to declare the monument's creation unlawful and set aside its designation. They were joined by State Treasurer Kimberly Yee, Mohave County, Colorado City, the town of Fredonia and a cattle rancher from northern Arizona. The cattle rancher claimed the monument covers a significant portion of his land, exposing him to 'severe regulatory burdens and the threat of criminal penalties for engaging in everyday conduct' on his ranch. Although the case has been dismissed, Petersen said they are reviewing the ruling and will likely file an appeal. And if the courts won't do it, he said President Donald Trump will. 'We are confident this unconstitutional land grab will be reversed, either by the courts or by the Trump Administration,' Petersen said in a statement emailed to the Arizona Mirror. Trump downsized two national monuments in southern Utah during his first term: the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears. Biden restored protections for both monuments during his administration. Supporters are concerned over the possibility of the monument near the Grand Canyon being downsized or reversed. Grand Canyon Trust attorney Aaron Paul said the Trump administration's actions in its first weeks in office, including the newly appointed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's order to review all of the country's national monuments for potential oil and gas drilling and mining reserves, are cause for alarm about the future of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Paul said there is 'no doubt' that conversation groups and tribes expect political challenges. 'I hope that folks who oppose the monument will come to understand how broad the support is for national monuments like Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni and that we can move on to planning the monument management in a productive, meaningful way,' he said. The Grand Canyon Trust recently released the results of a poll on Arizona voters's support for national monuments. The poll found that 80% of Arziona voters support Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukven, and 88% support the Antiquities Act. 'This court order is great news for the remarkable cultural and biodiversity values that the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni National Monument protects,' Taylor McKinnon, the southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. 'The public supports this iconic monument and the wisdom of the Tribes who proposed and fought for it,' McKinnon added. 'Any further attacks from uranium industry surrogates or opponents of public lands will be wildly unpopular and meet fierce resistance.' Tribal nations also celebrated the court's decision, which protects a culturally significant region held sacred by multiple tribes in the state. Havasupai Tribe Chairwoman Bernadine Jones said in a press release that the designation of the national monument was the direct result of tireless advocacy by her tribe and its members. The Havasupai Tribe's land is over 188,000 acres of canyon land and broken plateaus bordering the western edge of the Grand Canyons' south rim. Supai, its main village, is located eight miles below the rim of the Grand Canyon. 'We fought for decades to protect these lands, and we're grateful that the source has dismissed the challenge to those hard-won protections,' Jones said. The lands of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni include cultural and sacred places of the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Moapa Band of Paiutes, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Native American Rights Fund Deputy Director Matthew Campbell said in a press release that tribal nations in the Grand Canyon region have had to fight incredibly hard for the protections Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni upheld. Campbell said over and over the cultural needs and health of Indigenous people in the region have been 'sidelined in order to maximize corporate profits.' The court's decision cannot undo the damage that has already been done, Campbell said, but it does leave in place some 'long-sought protections going forward.' The monument will protect thousands of historical and scientific objects, sacred sites, vital water sources, and the ancestral homelands of many Indigenous communities. The monument's name comes from the Indigenous names the Havasupai and Hopi gave to the area. In the Havasupai language, Baaj Nwaavjo means 'where Indigenous peoples roam,' while I'tah Kukveni means 'our ancestral footprints' in the Hopi language. Hopi Tribe Vice Chairman Craig Andrews said in a press release that protecting the tribe's homelands within the national monument represents the resilience of its people. 'These lands preserve our history, our life, and our future,' he said. 'We have lived in this region since time immemorial and our commitment to protect these lands will extend forward just as long.' Paul said the judge's dismissal is a victory for the monument because it puts off further litigation and reassures that the monument can continue protecting what it is meant to, including the cultural and ancestral sites of the tribal nations. When the lawsuit was filed, Republicans called the creation of the monument a 'dictator-style land grab,' and Petersen said that it would wreak havoc on local and state economies, jeopardize livelihoods and compromise national security. Paul said the idea behind the monument designation was a 'land grab' has no basis in history or law because there was 'not one square inch of land' that was not already under federal ownership. 'The idea that the federal government took away something from the Arizona Legislature or Mohave County is just plain wrong,' he added. Paul said the lawsuit's dismissal shows that the designation of the national monument, which protects the land near the Grand Canyon, does not harm the Arizona legislator or a rancher in northern Arizona. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
USA Today
05-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
New Interior secretary orders review of monuments, public lands closed to mining, drilling
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum called for a review of public lands that had been placed off limits to mining and drilling. President Donald Trump ordered a similar review of national monuments in his first term. Environmental groups say the public overwhelmingly supports protecting public lands and vowed to fight the order. Newly installed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is calling for the review of national monuments and other public lands withdrawn from fossil fuel extraction and mining even as tribes praised his appointment to oversee the nation's largest agency. In one of his first secretarial orders, issued Monday, Burgum ordered Interior department staff to review and "as appropriate, revise all withdrawn public lands, consistent with existing law, including 54 U.S.C. 320301 and 43 U.S.C. 1714.' Burgum was referring to two federal laws that give presidents the power under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to create national monuments from existing federal lands, which prohibit new oil, gas and mineral extraction claims, and to withdraw permit permissions from some federal lands. Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, created by President Joe Biden in 2023, incorporated lands that had existing bans against new claims. The monument has already survived one challenge. Burgum's predecessor, Deb Haaland, banned oil and gas drilling and fracking within a 10-mile radius of Chaco Culture National Historic Park, also in 2023. Environmentalists were quick to oppose the move. 'President Trump and Secretary Burgum are headed down the wrong path with this monument review," said Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities. She said a previous attempt by Burgum's boss, President Donald Trump, to shrink or completely close national monuments was met with "near-universal condemnation." "Voters want national monuments protected in perpetuity, not opened for drilling and mining," Rokala said, and "this move shows blatant disregard for Westerners and America's public lands.' Interior staffers were given 15 days to complete the reviews, which also included other monuments such as Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante and the most recently created monuments, Chuckwalla in the deserts east of Coachella and Sáttítla, in Northern California. All four had strong support from local tribes who sought to protect sacred and environmentally important areas. Burgum takes charge of the nation's largest agency with support from tribes Republican senators were joined by more than half of Democrats in the upper chamber, including Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, both Democrats, to confirm Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota, by a 79-18 vote in the U.S. Senate last week, Burgum succeeds Haaland, the first Native American appointed to the cabinet-level role. The Interior Department is the nation's land manager and oversees more than 500 million acres of public lands, 700 million acres of subsurface minerals and 1.7 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf. It's also the largest federal agency with more than 70,000 employees. The National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation are some of the agency's major responsibilities. Interior also runs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the major Indian agencies, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, which manages the financial assets of American Indians that are held in trust by Interior. Burgum has had a warmer relationship with tribes than his two Republican predecessors in the first Trump administration, Ryan Zinke and David Bernhardt. North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, a Republican, said Burgum had the support of more than 185 tribes. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren was one of those leaders. In a statement released in January, Nygren praised Burgum for his efforts to strengthen government-to-government relationships with the five tribes in North Dakota. 'His efforts to advocate for equitable tax-sharing agreements, increase tribal representation in decision-making, and advance cooperative law enforcement initiatives shows his dedication to advance the interests of tribal communities and address shared priorities,' Nygren said. During his swearing-in ceremony Friday, Burgum reemphasized his commitment to good relationships with tribes. 'The current partnership (in North Dakota) is historically strong because we prioritized tribal engagement through mutual respect, open communication, collaboration and a sincere willingness to listen,' he said. 'At Interior, we will strengthen our commitment to enhancing the quality of life, promoting economic opportunities and empowering our tribal partners through those principles.' The Foundation for America's Public Lands, the official charitable partner of BLM, also sang Burgum's praises: 'With roughly 4 million acres of BLM-managed lands in his home state of North Dakota, Secretary Burgum has a deep understanding of how these places power local economies, represent the heritage of the West, help keep our lights on, and provide unmatched opportunities for hunting, fishing, and recreation,' the foundation's CEO, I Ling Thompson said in a statement. But other observers note that North Dakota native Burgum, a software industry entrepreneur whose family profited from oil leases on their lands, is also a fossil fuel advocate. Their fears that Burgum will open up more lands to drilling, fracking and mining seemed to be bearing fruit with the orders, which also include declaring an energy emergency and reopening offshore waters to oil drilling. During confirmation hearings, Burgum stressed he would support more 'clean coal' and other fossil fuel policies to close what he said was a deficit of baseload energy, as opposed to the more intermittent energy produced by renewable sources. Environmentalists: 'The public wants lands preserved' Public sentiment to preserve national monuments remains high. Colorado College's 2024 State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll found that 85 percent of Western voters support creating new national parks, national monuments and wildlife refuges and tribal protected areas to protect historic sites or areas of outdoor recreation. The survey also found that 71% of Republican voters in the West are more likely to support a leader who 'designated new national parks and national monuments.' 'This dangerous order could roll back decades of protection to sacrifice hundreds of cherished national monuments and other protected public lands to fossil fuel and mining corporations,' said Taylor McKinnon, Southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity. He said beloved places such as the Grand Canyon watershed, national monuments, wildlife refuges and countless other public lands will now all be open for industrial development. "We'll fight like hell for their protection.' Other groups also rose to support public land preservation, citing not only the loss of irreplaceable lands and waters, but the decimation of the nation's $640 billion recreation economy. Janessa Goldbeck, the CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, said was one of many people who said that national monuments and protected lands bolster local economies. "The lands support jobs and small businesses," she said, and provide low-cost recreational opportunities for families, hunters and fishers and outdoor enthusiasts. "For veterans and military families, these lands offer places to reconnect and find peace." "Secretary Burgum has to decide if he will be a force for chaos or consistency on America's public lands,' Rokala said. 'When Donald Trump inevitably orders him to illegally revoke existing permits for renewable energy, will he have the spine to tell the president 'no'?' And, she asked, if Burgum was pressed to ignore the laws the protect the U.S.'s lands, waters and wildlife, 'will Burgum tell the oligarchs 'no'?" Debra Krol reports on Indigenous communities at the confluence of climate, culture and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. Reach Krol at Follow her on X, formerly Twitter @debkrol. Coverage of Indigenous issues at the intersection of climate, culture and commerce is supported by the Catena Foundation.
