The Administration proposed in Executive Order 13792 to review designation of open space as National Monuments.
The subtext of the review is let’s “stop protecting wild places so business can exploit it commercially.”
In a token nod to the electorate, Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke opened a laughably short 15 day public comment period on National Monuments.
So, I head off to log my comments this morning Saturday, May 20th, and get this message:
We are currently conducting planned system maintenance that began at 6:00AM(ET) on Sunday, May 20, 2017 and should be complete by 6:00PM(ET) on May 20, 2017.
Someone, give these clowns a proof reader.
If/when the comment site goes up, enter DOI-2017-0002 in the search box and let your voice be heard. The DOI press release directs you to http://www.regulations.gov which is where I got the “outage” message.
Monuments at risk
NATIONAL MONUMENTS BEING INITIALLY REVIEWED PURSUANT TO CRITERIA IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 13792
| Monument | Location | Year(s) | Acreage |
| Basin and Range | Nevada | 2015 | 703,585 |
| Bears Ears | Utah | 2016 | 1,353,000 |
| Berryessa Snow Mountain | California | 2015 | 330,780 |
| Canyons of the Ancients | Colorado | 2000 | 175,160 |
| Carrizo Plain | California | 2001 | 204,107 |
| Cascade Siskiyou | Oregon | 2000/2017 | 100,000 |
| Craters of the Moon | Idaho | 1924/2000 | 737,525 |
| Giant Sequoia | California | 2000 | 327,760 |
| Gold Butte | Nevada | 2016 | 296,937 |
| Grand Canyon-Parashant | Arizona | 2000 | 1,014,000 |
| Grand Staircase-Escalante | Utah | 1996 | 1,700,000 |
| Hanford Reach | Washington | 2000 | 194,450.93 |
| Ironwood Forest | Arizona | 2000 | 128,917 |
| Mojave Trails | California | 2016 | 1,600,000 |
| Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks | New Mexico | 2014 | 496,330 |
| Rio Grande del Norte | New Mexico | 2013 | 242,555 |
| Sand to Snow | California | 2016 | 154,000 |
| San Gabriel Mountains | California | 2014 | 346,177 |
| Sonoran Desert | Arizona | 2001 | 486,149 |
| Upper Missouri River Breaks | Montana | 2001 | 377,346 |
| Vermilion Cliffs | Arizona | 2000 | 279,568 |
NATIONAL MONUMENTS BEING REVIEWED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE DESIGNATION OR EXPANSION WAS MADE WITHOUT ADEQUATE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND COORDINATION WITH RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS
| Katahdin Woods and Waters | Maine | 2016 | 87,563 |
MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENTS BEING REVIEWED PURSUANT TO EXECUTIVE ORDERS 13795 AND 13792
| Marianas Trench | CNMI/Pacific Ocean | 2009 | 60,938,240 |
| Northeast Canyons and Seamounts | Atlantic Ocean | 2016 | 3,114,320 |
| Pacific Remote Islands | Pacific Ocean | 2009 | 55,608,320 |
| Papahanaumokuakea | Hawaii/Pacific Ocean | 2006/2016 | 89,600,000 |
| Rose Atoll | American Samoa/Pacific Ocean | 2009 | 8,609,045 |
