10-8-2021
Biden to restore national monument protections
slashed by Trump.
Washington (AFP) -
Three national US monuments will have their protected
status restored Friday, continuing Joe Biden's efforts
to roll back the environmental policies of his predecessor.
Under Donald Trump protections around natural
areas -- often home to endangered species or archaeological
sites -- were rolled back, outraging conservationists
and Native American communities.
"President Biden will sign three proclamations restoring protections for Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante,
and Northeast Canyons
and Seamounts National Monuments,"
the White House said Thursday.
Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante will return to its
original size of 1.87 million acres, after Trump
cut about 45 percent of its land in 2017.
Bears Ears will actually expand under Biden's plans.
In maritime areas -- Northeast Canyons and Seamounts --
the capture of red crabs and
American lobsters will be slowly reduced under
new fishing protections, until the practice is
banned there from September 2023.
Biden will sign the orders on Friday, US media reported.
The areas are home to more than 100,000 archaeological
sites, including rock art that is
at least 5,000 years old and the remains of
21 previously unknown dinosaur species.
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