Dear Secretary Zinke..

Utah's congressional delegation opposes national monuments, especially Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and they successfully pressed the president to issue an executive order to that paves the way for rolling back protections for irreplaceable wonders. The order places 27 national monuments under "review" by the Department of the Interior, which opened a 15-day public comment period on Bears Ears that closed May 26. Here's THP's Kirsten Allen's appeal to the Secretary of the Interior to preserve Bears Ears National Monument.

Dear Secretary Zinke,

I am a sixth-generation Utahn and proud American, grateful for the national monuments and parks in Utah and throughout our great country. Protecting national monuments preserves our identity as Americans. Our national monuments and public lands and waters tell the patriotic story of our historical, cultural, and natural heritage. I am concerned and disappointed by the executive order that attempts to undermine our national monuments, especially since the effort was pushed by Utah’s congressional delegation, notably Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz, who receive support from energy industry and anti-public lands groups. Attempting to roll back protections for national monuments doesn’t reflect Utah or American values of protecting and revering iconic landscapes. Decreasing national monument protection would be ultimately unpatriotic and an affront to America’s great heritage. Please do not allow political dealers to eliminate or shrink our national monuments.

Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah protect priceless treasures visited by scores of Utahns seeking refuge from urban congestion every year. Despite what local politicians argue, the towns near national monuments benefit from monument protections. The communities surrounding Grand Staircase have seen employment increase by 38% and per capita income increase by 30% s