At the end of 2018, Americans stood up for their national monuments in a big way, submitting over half a million comments opposing destructive resource management plans for Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments. Loud and clear, the American people have spoken: We are fired up to keep America’s national monuments intact.
December’s resignation of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is a chance to reflect on a new interior secretary’s path forward. Plagued by scandal and ethics investigations, Zinke initiated a disastrous “review” of national monuments. The public spoke up then, too, with nearly 3 million comments supporting national monuments.