Economic Indicators

The national monument Trump wants to shrink by up to 92%, in photos

Hike it while you can.
Hike it while you can.
Image: Reuters/Andrew Cullen
By
Johnny Simon
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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. 

Have a look:

The ‘House on Fire’ ruin, located in Mule Canyon.
The ‘House on Fire’ ruin, located in Mule Canyon.
Image: Reuters/Bob Strong
A rocky canyon containing an ancestral Puebloan archaeological site know as Cave Towers.
A rocky canyon containing an ancestral Puebloan archaeological site know as Cave Towers.
Image: Reuters/Bob Strong
The view from Comb Ridge.
The view from Comb Ridge.
Image: Reuters/Annie Knox
Bears Ears, the twin rock formations which form part of Bears Ears National Monument.
Bears Ears, the twin rock formations which form part of Bears Ears National Monument.
Image: Reuters/Bob Strong
The moon glows over Indian Creek in the northern portion of Bears Ears National Monument.
The moon glows over Indian Creek in the northern portion of Bears Ears National Monument.
Image: Reuters/Andrew Cullen
Rock climber David Rozul makes an ascent in Indian Creek, an area that attracts outdoor recreationists from around the world to Bears Ears National Monument.
Rock climber David Rozul makes an ascent in Indian Creek, an area that attracts outdoor recreationists from around the world to Bears Ears National Monument.
Image: Reuters/Andrew Cullen
Hundreds of petroglyphs cover Newspaper Rock, in Bears Ears National Monument.
Hundreds of petroglyphs cover Newspaper Rock, in Bears Ears National Monument.
Image: Reuters/Andrew Cullen
Ruins of ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings at Butler Wash in Bears Ears National Monument.
Ruins of ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings at Butler Wash in Bears Ears National Monument.
Image: Reuters/Andrew Cullen
Comb Wash cuts from north to south through Cedar Mesa in Bears Ears National Monument.
Comb Wash cuts from north to south through Cedar Mesa in Bears Ears National Monument.
Image: Reuters/Andrew Cullen