Patagonia sues Trump over slashing of protected areas in Utah

President’s order strips nearly 3m acres of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, sacred tribal sites, of safeguards Patagonia, the outdoor clothing and gear company, has joined a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump’s decision to significantly reduce the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah, removing protections from nearly 3m acres.

In July, the president approved the reduction of the sites by 90%, clearing the way to open the land to oil and gas companies.

He argued in his proclamations that doing so would allow lands to be “put to a higher-priority use” and that the they contained critical minerals important to “ resource independence …[and] national security.” Continue reading...