Washington, D.C. – Western U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Maria Cantwell (D-NM), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Tom Udall (D-NM) today joined public lands advocates to encourage President Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to listen to their constituents and keep existing national monument protections in place. The Interior Department received more than 2.6 million comments regarding the national monuments review.
“The Trump administration’s process to roll back our national monuments is not rooted in Western values, where we sit down, compare priorities, and find common ground,” Bennet said. “Throughout the comment period, Coloradans and people across the country agreed, sending a unified message: Leave our national monuments alone. We have heard this from businesses, too. It’s why the Outdoor Retailer Show announced last week it is moving to Colorado because of our state’s commitment to public lands. If the administration takes this input seriously, it should leave our existing national monuments intact and protect our public lands for future generations.”
President Trump’s Antiquities Act Executive Order, which could remove monument designations from dozens of America’s most beloved public lands, spurred the Interior Department’s review process. In Colorado, national monuments enjoy wide support for their economic and environmental benefits. In May, Bennet and Colorado Governor Hickenlooper sent a letter to Secretary Zinke urging him to refrain from modifying any national monument designations in Colorado, including Canyons of the Ancients. Just last week, the Outdoor Retailer Show announced its move to Denver, in part because of Colorado’s unique outdoor economy and the Colorado delegation’s bipartisan support for protecting public lands.
Watch a full video of the event HERE.