Leaked Zinke Report Shows No National Monument Is Safe

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2017
Contact: Frazier Haney, Conservation Director, Mojave Desert Land Trust
Phone: (760) 464-5430
frazier@mdlt.org

Leaked Zinke report shows no national monument is safe 

Joshua Tree, CA – The Mojave Trails National Monument remains on the White House chopping block – despite not being on the list of ten monuments named in leaked recommendations for change.The leaked draft report by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke makes it clear that the Trump Administration is preparing for an unprecedented attack on protected public lands that could result in the destruction of Native American archaeological sites, widespread loss of wildlife habitat, and economic harm to local businesses.

The Mojave Trails National Monument was one of 27 national monuments placed under review following an Executive Order in April. Far from being conclusive, Zinke’s leaked report vaguely sketches out boundary and management changes to ten monuments, with no mention of the remaining 17 under review. Their omission leaves them open to untold threats down the line through Secretarial Order, Executive Order, Solicitor’s Opinions, management plan reviews, legislation, or other administrative mechanisms.

“While we are relieved that Mojave Trails National Monument was not in the draft report, we have no reason to assume this leaked draft is the actual final outcome of the review. This leaked draft does not give the public the information they deserve about their public lands,” said Danielle Segura, executive director, Mojave Desert Land Trust.

“While the public remain cut out of the process, MDLT plans to keep fighting alongside our local communities to protect our monuments.”

“Any decision by this administration to change monument boundaries sets a terrible precedent that will leave the door open for all monuments being changed at will by administrations in the future, including our California desert monuments,” said Frazier Haney, conservation director, MDLT.

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 opinion and the 2.7 million public comments lodged against change.

MDLT also takes issue with the report’s attempts to discredit local conservation voices as “orchestrated” by large, well-funded NGOs, and therefore not local and not as meaningful as “personal” comments that were not organized.

“Our Desert Defenders campaign played a key role in giving our community a voice. This is a slap in the face to those who took time to submit any kind of comment of support, and undermines the democratic right to organize,” added Segura.

While the draft report recommends that President Trump take unilateral action to reduce the size of monuments, it should be noted that only Congress has the authority to carry out such a step.

Secretary Zinke delivered his recommendations to the White House on August 24. Despite the public support for national monuments, and the public’s interest in this review process, Secretary Zinke did not release his recommendations to the public.

In response to April’s executive order threatening the national monuments’ designations, MDLT launched its Desert Defenders campaign to rally community members in support of the California desert national monuments. The organization held five rallies in locations across the desert, including Barstow, Indio, and Redlands. In total, MDLT gathered and submitted 1,259 public comments in support of the two California desert national monuments under review.

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. For more information, visit www.mdlt.org