O’Halleran urges careful review of national monuments
by Rofida Khairalla | PinalCentral
U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran has written a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke urging him to carefully consider the cultural significance of national monuments during a 120-day review.
The review, which President Donald Trump requested via an executive order on April 26, requires the secretary to examine the size and scope of the national monuments designated over the last 21 years. According to O’Halleran, however, these stipulations overlook the educational and historical value of many of these lands.
“The Antiquities Act also protects important tribal cultural sites across the nation,” O’Halleran, D-Sedona, said in his letter. “In Arizona, monuments such as Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Navajo National Monument preserve the history of ancient cultures, so people today and in the future can understand the region’s history.”
