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Order Would Force Review of Arizona National Monuments

Richard Barnes
/
National Geographic

The designations of four national monuments in Arizona will be up for review as a result of an executive order signed today by President Trump.

 

It directs Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to evaluate monuments of more than 100,000 acres created since 1996. Grand Canyon Parashant and Vermilion Cliffs national monuments will be among those reviewed. The order also includes the recently designated Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. President Trump says it’ll end abuses of federal power and give authority back to the states. New Mexico Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich says Trump should protect public lands to make America great. Zinke says he’ll provide a preliminary report in 45 days. No president has attempted undoing a monument designation, and it isn’t a power specifically given to the chief executive.

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