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UPDATE: Many Unknowns Surround Interior Secretary's National Monument Recommendations

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's decision Thursday not to publicly release details of his recommendations to President Trump on the status of 21 national monuments drew strong condemnation and speculation into what he had decided.
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Windows Section At Arches National Park To Reopen September 1, But Roadwork Far From Over

Roadwork this summer has really upset visitation at Arches National Park in southeastern Utah, as various attractions have been closed to visitors and delays on the park road a daily occurrence. Crews are resurfacing, restoring, and rehabilitating approximately 23 miles of roads and pullouts in Arches National Park along the entrance road (from US Highway 191 to the visitor center), main park road, the campground road, and other spur roads and loops. Road work is scheduled to last through November.

Monumental Moves Down Through The Decades

No national monument in the United States has ever been abolished by a president, though through the decades some have lost their status through acts of Congress. And While Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has said his review of 27 national monuments won't lead to any abolishment recommendations, there are concerns for the fate of the Antiquities Act that gives presidents the authority to designate national monuments.

Clingmans Dome Tower Rehabilitation Project At Great Smoky Mountains National Park Begins August 23

Clingmans Dome Observation Tower inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed Wednesday for the rest of the 2017 season to allow crews to finish rehabilitation work made possible from a Partners in Preservation) grant. The $250,000 grant was awarded last summer to the Friends of the Smokies on behalf of the park after being one of the top nine, most voted for parks in the Partners in Preservation: National Parks Campaign in 2016.

Battle Over National Monuments Reaching Fevered Pitch This Week

With Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke scheduled to send his recommendations over the fate of 27 national monuments to President Trump this week, groups are continuing to push back against the review, sending out press releases and mounting television and radio ad campaigns pointing to the benefits that flow from these public lands. In Congress, U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva released a report claiming that the secretary's decisions will tilt decidedly towards pleasing the fossil fuels industry.
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