Access Fund Sues Trump Administration Over Bears Ears National Monument Reduction
The Access Fund, a national advocacy organization for climbers, has filed a motion to reopen its lawsuit against the Trump Administration regarding the reduction of Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah. This action follows President Trump's proclamation on July 13th, which drastically cut the monument's size by nearly 91%, from 1.36 million acres to 121,000 acres. This reduction removes protections from over 1.2 million acres, including Indian Creek, a globally recognized rock climbing area. The Access Fund had initially filed a lawsuit in 2017 after President Trump first reduced the monument's size, a move that was temporarily suspended when President Biden restored the monument in 2021. The current motion seeks to challenge this latest attempt to diminish the monument's protected status. The organization argues that the reduction poses undue risks to the environment, recreation, wildlife, paleontological resources, and the cultural heritage of the area, which was originally proposed and conceive...