Washington, D.C. – In response to a New York Times report that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s secret national monument recommendation to President Trump includes the near elimination of Bears Ears National Monument, League of Conservation Voters Deputy Legislative Director Alex Taurel released the following statement:

“If these reports are true, it’s even clearer that Secretary Zinke’s assertion that he wouldn’t ‘eliminate’ any of our national monuments was just shallow spin. Any changes to monument boundaries threaten to open up our treasured public lands to drilling, mining and other special interests who want to pad their profits. It’s no coincidence that shrinking Bears Ears by nearly 90 percent could coincide with the 90 percent of the monument that has potential for oil, gas and coal speculators – further proof that the Trump administration’s sham review was a pretext for selling out our public lands and waters to the highest bidder.”