Biden to restore 2 Utah national monuments cut by Trump
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah’s governor says President Joe Biden has decided to restore two sprawling national monuments in his state that were significantly downsized under President Donald Trump. Gov. Spencer Cox released a statement Thursday expressing disappointment in the Biden administration’s decision to restore Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments. Cox’s office said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland informed the governor of Biden’s decision. The White House and the U.S. Interior Department declined to comment. But a Democratic aide said Biden’s order will also restore protections to a marine conservation area off the New England coast. Advocates say the twin buttes in Bears Ears National Monument are considered a place of worship for many Native American tribes.