Biden restores full protection to 3 National Parks and undoes a Trump mandate
Old barns on the South Fork of Mule Canyon in Bears Ears National Monument.
Photo: George Frey / Getty Images
President Joe biden restored this friday the complete protection of three national parks in the country, that the government of Donald trump It was reduced to authorize that in the areas that would remain outside those national monuments, commercial activities could be carried out for profit.
President Joe biden restored two Mvery extensive national regulations in Utah, reversing a decision of the president Donald trump which opened the two national monuments for mining and economic development, though they do have some sacred red rock lands to Native Americans and are home to ancient cliff dwellings with historic petroglyphs.
Trump invoked the century-old Antiquities Act to cutting 2 million acres (800,000 hectares) of the two Utah monuments, and called the restrictions on mining and other energy productions a “massive land grab” that “should never have happened.”
In a separate action, Biden restored protections in a marine conservation area off the New England coast, the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Marine Monument, which was authorized to be used for commercial fishing under an order of Donald trump.
Trump had done a change in the rules for allow commercial fishing in an area of nearly 5,000 square miles, an action that was applauded by the fishing groups but highly criticized by environmentalists who pressured Biden and the Secretary of the Interior Deb haaland to restore the protections against fishing there.
The monuments Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante They cover more than 3.2 million acres, an area almost the size of Connecticut, and were created by Democratic administrations under a century-old law that allows presidents to protect sites considered historically, geographically or culturally important.
The White House said that this measure is part of the efforts to conserve wildlife, lands and waters of the country.
Bears Ears It was established a century ago and it is the first “first national monument” to be established in the country, In response to “a request from the federally recognized tribes,” Biden said, saying that it is a revered and sacred place for Native Americans and recalled that the Trump Administration reduced its size by 85%.
The other park in Utah, Grand Staircase Escalante, was created 25 years ago. Biden stressed that there have been important discoveries of fossils and tribal archaeological objects.
Northeast Canyons and Seamounts, with “a unique marine biodiversity” was created by former President Barack Obama.
Biden considered that the protection of public lands should not depend on who is in the White House, nor can it be a partisan issue.
And claimed that scientists estimate that the protection and restoration of national parks and waters can provide 40% of solutions to climate change.
Before the president, the Secretary of the Interior spoke Deb haaland, the first Native American to take office, was moved when she spoke of the steps taken on Friday to permanently protect the lands of her ancestors.
Biden became this Friday the first president of the country to proclaim Indigenous Peoples’ Day a holiday, to be held next Monday, October 11,
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