Biden officially restores national monuments canceled by Trump

President BidenJoe BidenMcConnell promises GOP won’t help raise debt ceiling in December after Schumer Ilhan Omar’s ‘tantrum’ to Biden: ‘Keep your promise to cancel student debt’ vaccine for children MORE Friday, the officially restored environmental protections that were canceled by the old President TrumpDonald TrumpOvernight Energy & Environment – Biden formalizes return to pre-Trump national monuments boundaries Overnight Defense & National Security – China tells US to keep troops out of Taiwan On The Money – Presented by NRHC – Break September Slow Jobs Report PLUS – sign proclamations to restore the boundaries of two Utah monuments and ban commercial fishing at a northeastern marine monument.

Biden, in explaining his decision, invoked indigenous rights, calling one of Utah’s landmarks, Bears Ears, “a place of healing … a place of reverence, a sacred homeland for hundreds of generations of indigenous people. “.

He also mentioned climate change and pleaded for climate provisions in his economic agenda.

“Almost one in three Americans lives in a community that has been hit by weather disasters in recent months,” Biden said. “The Build Back Better plan and my bipartisan infrastructure agreement will both make critical investments, dramatically increasing resilience to these devastating effects on the climate crisis. “

Trump had reduced the size of bear ears, then designated-president obamaBarack Hussein ObamaOvernight Energy & Environment – Biden formalizes return to pre-Trump national monuments boundaries Biden officially restores Trump-canceled national monuments Future in Limbo: Why Congress Must Act on DACA Now MORE, by about 85 percent, and Grand Staircase-Escalante, nominated by President Clinton, by almost half.

He also decided to open the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the coast of New England for commercial fishing.

The White House announced Thursday evening that Biden would restore Grand Staircase-Escalante to its pre-Trump limits, ban commercial fishing at the Marine Monument, and phase out red crab and lobster fishing.

For Bears Ears, it will come down to preserving all the land that was part of the monument before Trump, while retaining the lands that were added during the Trump years, to make the monument 11,200 acres larger than it was under. Obama.

The announcement was met with criticism from several elected officials in Utah, including the senator. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt Romney McConnell Promises GOP Won’t Help Raise Debt Ceiling In December After Schumer ‘Crisis’ Biden Formally Restores National Monuments Canceled By Trump The Hill’s Morning Report – Featured By Facebook – After Drama high, Senate lifts debt ceiling PLUS (R).

“President Biden deals a devastating blow to the continued efforts of our delegation, as well as state, local and tribal leaders, to find a permanent legislative solution to resolve the long-standing dispute over the boundaries and management of the Bears Ears and the Grand Staircase. -Escalante national monuments ”, he declared.

“Rather than seize the opportunity to build unity in a divided region and bring lasting resources and protections to sacred antiquities by seeking a permanent and mutually beneficial legislative solution, President Biden has fanned the flames of controversy and ignored the contributions of the communities closest to these monuments, “he added.

The news was celebrated by some tribal groups.

“President Biden has done what it takes to restore the Bears Ears National Monument,” said a statement from Shaun Chapoose, member of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. “We will always return to these lands to manage and care for our sacred sites, our waters and our medicines. “

Secretary of the Interior Deb HaalandDeb Haaland Biden Formally Restores National Monuments Canceled By Trump Administration Confirms It Will Restore National Monuments To Pre-Trump Boundaries Overnight Energy & Environment – Biden Set To Restore National Monuments Canceled By Trump MORE, the first Native American cabinet secretary, spoke at Friday’s event, saying the move tilts “the moral arc of the universe toward justice.”

“Today’s announcement – It’s not just about national monuments. It is about this administration which centers the voices of the indigenous peoples and affirms the shared management of this landscape with the tribal nations ”, she declared.