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Groton Daily Independent
Saturday, Nov. 114, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 125 ~ 22 of 66
Zinke offered to meet with Durbin, who requested a brie ng last month along with other Democratic senators to discuss the monument review.
President Donald Trump ordered the review this spring following complaints by congressional Republicans that previous presidents had misused a century-old law intended to protect federal lands, creating over- sized monuments that hinder energy development, logging and other uses. Trump called some monument designations by his Democratic predecessors “massive land grabs.”
Zinke has recommended that Trump shrink four large monuments in the West, including the sprawling Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah.
Zinke also recommended that Nevada’s Gold Butte and Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou monuments be reduced in size, although exact details remain unclear. The proposals have prompted an outcry from environmental groups and Democrats who accuse Trump and Zinke of engaging in a secretive process aimed at helping industry groups that have donated to GOP campaigns.
Opponents have promised to take the Trump administration to court to block any attempts to rescind or reduce the monument designations. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton designated the monuments under the 1906 Antiquities Act, which allows presidents to protect sites considered historic or geographically or culturally important.
In a letter last month, Durbin and 15 other senators complained that Zinke’s recommendations “threaten important natural, archaeological and cultural resources,” especially Bears Ears, a 1.3-million acre site in southeastern Utah that is home to thousands of Native American artifacts, including ancient cliff dwellings and petroglyphs.
“National monuments have preserved our country’s unique public lands, extraordinary history and our common culture as a people,” the senators wrote in an Oct. 23 letter to Trump. “We urge you not to re- duce their boundaries in any way.”
Durbin and several other senators wrote a separate letter to Zinke seeking a meeting about the monu- ment review, which they said has been conducted virtually in secret.
Zinke responded Thursday that he visited the four monuments that are being shrunk and met with or talked to lawmakers and governors in all four states.
“While the review does not affect the state of Illinois, I nonetheless understand your interest in this matter, and I appreciate the written comments you and your colleagues provided throughout this review process,” Zinke wrote to Durbin.
Durbin has placed holds on the nominees in his leadership role. Spokesman Ben Marter said Durbin looked forward to meeting with Zinke, although no date has been set.
“That was probably harder than it needed to be, but the secretary has now reached out to schedule a meeting and Sen. Durbin is looking forward to it,” Marter said.
Durbin has placed holds on four Interior nominees: Susan Combs, nominated as assistant secretary for policy, management and budget; Joseph Balash, assistant secretary for land and minerals management; Ryan Nelson, solicitor; and Brenda Burman, commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees dams and water projects in 17 Western states.
Vietnam War memorial being dedicated in Belle Fourche
BELLE FOURCHE, S.D. (AP) — Of cials in Belle Fourche are dedicating a Vietnam War memorial this weekend.
City Councilman and Veterans of Foreign Wars member Monte Talkington tells the Black Hills Pioneer that the Saturday morning ceremony will be the culmination of years of work and fundraising.
Half of the $8,500 cost of the black marble memorial has been raised, including $1,000 collected by middle school students through penny collections.
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Information from: Black Hills Pioneer, http://www.bhpioneer.com