Marine Conservation Institute Critical of Secretary of Interior Zinke’s Review of Marine National Monuments
[Seattle, WA] Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke today submitted undisclosed recommendations to the White House on the fate of two dozen land and marine monuments culminating a process begun in April when President Trump issued Executive Order 13792. The unprecedented review questioned the validity and need for 21 land monuments and 5 marine monuments created or expanded by every president since Bill Clinton. Over 2.8 million public comments were filed during the Department of Interior comment period. According to a recent analysis of all the comments, 98.2% were in support of continued protections for these special places and against elimination or weakening the national monuments. When Marine Conservation Institute randomly sampled public comments solely about marine monuments, or blue parks, on the Department of Commerce website, 99 out of 100 comments supported the marine monuments. Approximately 380,000 comments were filed specifically on marine monuments.
Dr. Lance Morgan, president of Marine Conservation Institute, stated strong opposition to the idea of removing any protections for our national treasures, “Our marine national monuments support incredible ecosystems and coastal economies around the Pacific Ocean and New England. Papahānaumokuākea…
