Trying to make sense of the national monument review process is like trying to avoid stepping on a scorpion in the dark.

In other words, our government is making it really hard for the public to see what is going on.

Here’s what we know so far. And what you can do.

In April, President Trump signed an executive order instructing the Department of the Interior (DOI) to review whether 27 national monuments deserved continued protection.

From May to July, the public was allowed to submit comments about this review. Nearly three million Americans submitted public comments, 98% of which were in favor of keeping or expanding protections.

August 24th, DOI Secretary Zinke submitted his recommendations to the White House…and refused to release them to the public.

Since then, the public has waited for any information. And our Desert Defenders have continued to raise our voices about why our monuments deserve continued protection!

This Sunday, The Washington Post published a leaked version of Secretary Zinke’s report. Although this was supposed to be the DOI’s finalized review, it was titled as a draft and only contained vague recommendations for ten monuments.

It would need further revision by Zinke to become a final report. There was no mention of the other 17 monuments officially under review, including Mojave Trails and Sand to Snow. Nor was there word on Castle Mountains, which Rep. Cook asked Secretary Zinke to cut, although it wasn’t part of the original review.

Ultimately, no monument was declared safe. And the report’s omission of 17 monuments leaves them open to untold threats down the line, like executive orders or management plan reviews.

What the leaked report does make clear is that the Trump administration is preparing for an unparalleled attack on protected public lands that could result in widespread loss of wildlife habitat and economic harm to local businesses.

This entire process is unprecedented.

The secrecy surrounding the Zinke report is characteristic of the entire review process, which has been widely criticized as lacking transparency and due regard for public involvement.

It even attempts to discredit local conservation voices, saying public comments were “orchestrated” by large NGOs and therefore not as meaningful as “personal” comments that weren’t organized.

What’s next?

We’ll be honest with you — nothing like this review process has ever been seen in the history of public land in America.

The public is being kept in the dark about what is happening, and what to expect. We don’t know when we’ll hear more details. We don’t know if one day the president will call a press conference and sign numerous executive orders to reduce the size of national monuments, including, potentially, our Mojave monuments.

But conservationists and key Californian elected officials are gearing up to do battle over the legality of such moves.

What can you do?

One thing is clear: Zinke’s draft memo does not describe the final fate of any of the monuments under review. This fight is not done.

Right now, we need you to keep raising your voices in defense of our Mojave monuments. Share information about our monuments and the Zinke review on social media. Write letters to your local paper calling out how the public deserves full information about this process. Call your local congress member and demand that they request the DOI respect your voice as a member of the public who wants to keep your monuments protected.

We are in uncharted territory here. Truly, anything can still happen.

One thing you can trust and count on is that MDLT is fighting every day to protect our public lands. And we will keep you informed about any breaking news and actions you can take.

Thank you for joining the fight.

We’re not done yet.

Mojave Desert Land Trust

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to protect and care for lands with natural, scenic, and cultural value within the Mojave Desert. It has conserved more than 60,000 areas of prime desert habitat, forever weaving together National Parks, wilderness areas and wildlife linkage corridors. www.mdlt.org