Donald Trump’s interior secretary does not seem to be reading from the same script as Trump on the recent executive order calling for a review of national monuments created since 1996. Though Ryan Zinke’s remarks at the signing ceremony did suggest that some recent monuments were too large, he also downplayed the impact of Trump’s order:
“Let’s be clear,” Zinke said Wednesday. “This executive order does not remove any monuments. And this executive order does not weaken any environmental protections on any public lands. Under President Trump’s leadership, I’m looking forward to working with and being an advocate for local, state and tribal representation, and to review the designations and provide recommendations for action where appropriate.”
Trump, by contrast, railed against an “egregious abuse of federal power”:
“The Antiquities Act does not give the federal government unlimited power to lock up millions of acres of land and water, and it’s time we ended this abusive practice,” Trump said. “I’ve spoken with many state and local leaders, a number of them here today, who care very much about preserving our land and who are gravely concerned about this massive federal land grab. It’s gotten worse and worse and worse. And now we’re going to free it up.”
Ah, yes. “Free it up.” I’m sure that’s about preservation! So which will it be? Freeing it up or not weakening any environmental protections? (That was a rhetorical question. We’re talking about Donald Trump and his underlings.)
Here's a reminder from Mark Sumner of what’s at stake:
… every monument named under Obama, every monument named under George W. Bush, and several named by Bill Clinton. That’s the islets of the California coast, the groves of Giant Sequoia, and over 6,000 archaeological sites at Canyon of the Ancients. It’s both the monument to the battleship Arizona at Pearl Harbor and the internment camp for Japanese Americans at Tule Lake. It’s monuments that include the deepest point in the ocean, the trails of ancient reptiles, and scenes of perfect beauty.
But just think how happy the energy industry will be.