US president Donald Trump is in Utah today, where he is expected to sign an executive order that will shrink the size of Bears Ears National Monument by “77 to 92 percent,” reports the New York Times. The national monument is just one of more than 20 that are up for review, including Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, also in Utah.
Created by then-president Barack Obama in 2016, Bears Ears covers more than a million acres, and holds multitude of archeological sites sacred to the various Native American tribes that reside in the area. The actions by Trump, at the recommendation of interior secretary Ryan Zinke, are seen as a means to promote fossil fuel drilling. Bears Ears is known for its caves, forests and 2,000-year-old petroglyphs.
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