President Trump signed an executive order in April calling for the review of every national monument designated since 1996, putting 27 parks across the U.S. at risk of being massively downsized. The national monument designation, established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, is intended to protect federal land containing cultural or historic landmarks. Among the monuments under review are six in California, including the Giant Sequoia National Monument in the Southern Sierra Nevada. As the public comment period for Trump’s order comes to a close, Forum discusses the uncertain future of national monuments across the U.S. and in California.
Guests:
Elizabeth Shogren, Washington, D.C. correspondent, High Country News