INTERIOR/RYAN ZINKE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “…[T]he Northeast Canyons and Seamounts could reopen to commercial fishing if President Donald Trump enacts the recent recommendations of his Interior Secretary to reduce protections of land and sea preserves known as national monuments…
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, whose department manages federal lands, is making major moves to open up protected swaths of land and ocean to industry, recreational hunting, shooting and fishing.
Ranchers, loggers and commercial fishermen are heartened by the prospect, saying the changes will help their struggling industries.
Preservationists oppose such changes, arguing that the monuments protect land, sea and species for future generations. Environmental groups have vowed to fight Mr. Zinke’s plans to alter protections.
Supporters of Northeast Canyons and the other sea monuments say reopening them to commercial fishing will cause harm to ecosystems including delicate coral reefs…
Documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal on Sunday show Mr. Zinke recommends that Mr. Trump alter or reduce 10 land and sea monuments in the Atlantic, Pacific and five Western states…
Industry groups who stand to benefit have praised the moves, particularly in loosening monument restrictions they say have hurt many local communities.”
-Jim Carlton, “Trump Plan to Open Up Monuments Draws Industry Praise, Environmentalists’ Ire,” The Wall Street Journal online, Sept. 21, 2017 09:00am