For Immediate Release

 

 An initial comment period ends today for the Department of the Interior’s proposal to develop management plans for the illegally redrawn Bears Ears National Monument. The comment period for a similar fraudulent management proposal for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument ends Friday. In December, President Trump signed two unlawful proclamations massively reducing the size of these two national monuments. The orders cut down the size of Bears Ears National Monument by approximately 85 percent, and shrunk Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to half its original size. The Trump administration is now attempting to create management plans for the remaining monument lands that have been subdivided into multiple, isolated areas.

Statement from Defenders of Wildlife Vice President of Landscape Conservation Mark Salvo:

“The Trump administration’s attempt to strip protections from vital national monument lands is unlawful, and proposing management plans for illegally drawn areas continues this fraudulent charade. This administration’s disregard for wildlife, Native American values and our nation’s conservation legacy is reprehensible. Defenders of Wildlife will continue fighting to save Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante from President Trump’s anti-conservation agenda.”

For over 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife has remained dedicated to protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.1 million members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on X @Defenders.

  

News

Image
Polar bear on beaufort sea ice
Washington, DC

Trump Proposal Puts America’s Most Vulnerable and Valuable Coastal Resources in the Crosshairs

Protected areas across United States coasts are in the sights of a new oil and gas drilling proposal released on Thursday by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Image
A Canada lynx runs through a snow covered ground. Only the front half of it's body shows in the photo, filling the frame. The lynx is looking up.
Washington, D.C.

Trump Administration Seeks ESA Regulatory Rollbacks, Risks Accelerating Extinction for America’s Most Vulnerable Wildlife

In a move that could accelerate the extinction crisis we face today, the Trump administration today proposed significant changes to the regulations implementing the Endangered Species Act, which, for more than 50 years, has served as the backstop to America’s most imperiled wildlife.