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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 2 OctOber 2019

Trump administration loses bid to dismiss monument lawsuits

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A tions, tribal coalitions, an sions and is confident the the president the power to ments that hinder energy
federal judge has rejected outdoor recreation com- judge will side with the ad- modify monuments. development, grazing and
the Trump administration's pany and a paleontology ministration. Government Trump said he scaled back other uses.
bid to dismiss lawsuits chal- organization. lawyers argued last year the size of the monuments His decision came after he
lenging the constitutionality Those groups celebrated in the request to throw out to reverse misuse of the ordered then-Interior Sec-
of a 2017 decision to down- getting over an initial hur- the lawsuits that the groups Antiquities Act by previ- retary Ryan Zinke to review
size two sprawling national dle as they attempt to re- lack standing and that the ous Democratic presidents 27 national monuments
monuments in Utah. verse decisions they say left Antiquities Act clearly gives that led to oversized monu- around the country. q

This July 9, 2017 file photo, shows a view of Grand Staircase-
Escalante National Monument in Utah.
Associated Press

U.S. District Court Judge sensitive lands and sites vul-
Tanya Chutkan's written nerable to damage. Lands
decisions issued Monday cut from the monuments
night means the legal chal- are still under protections
lenges seeking to return the afforded to federal lands
Bears Ears and Grand Stair- but are now open to oil
case-Escalante national and gas drilling and coal
monuments to their original mining.
sizes can move forward. "We're one day closer to
Chutkan didn't decide the overturning Trump's unlaw-
key question at the core of ful order that attacks the
the lawsuits: Does the An- Grand Staircase-Escalante
tiquities Act give presidents and Bears Ears national
the power to create monu- monuments," said Steve
ments as well as reduce Bloch, legal director at
them? the Southern Utah Wilder-
The government has al- ness Alliance conservation
ready created new man- group, which is among the
agement plans for the organizations mounting
downsized monuments. the legal challenge. "We're
President Donald Trump one step closer to the day
downsized Bears Ears by of reckoning."
85% and Grand Staircase The Department of the In-
by nearly half. terior said in an emailed
The lawsuits were filed by statement that it supports
environmental organiza- President Trump's deci-