‘Desert Defenders’ seek to protect Mojave monuments (Victorville Daily Press)
Victorville Daily PressJune 29th, 2017 5:48 pm
San Bernardino — “The Voice of the Mojave” was heard at this week’s San Bernardino County Board of Supervisor’s meeting, with more than 1,000 comments from “Desert Defenders” seeking to preserve regional national monuments presented in a document received by the board.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring the U.S. Department of the Interior to review and make recommendations to possibly modify or rescind prior monument designations. As part of the review process, the public has been asked to submit comments to U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
The county sent a letter to the Department of the Interior on May 31, stating its position “that any national monument designations should go through the legislative process, rather than by Presidential Proclamation under The Antiquities Act.”
“We saw the county’s letter to the Department of the Interior about the national monuments a few weeks ago, and felt like we wanted the county to know how well supported these monuments are,” Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) representative Frazier Haney said.