Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society, states, “The President's actions will fulfill a promise to restore protections illegally ripped away from national monuments while at the same time ensuring these same lands address the need to tackle the climate and extinction crisis.”
He suggests this is the first step toward an even grander goal: “Restoring protections to the monuments is a significant step toward the goal of protecting 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by the year 2030 — a first-of-its-kind national conservation target that has been adopted by President Biden. Experts say conserving an interconnected network of lands and waters will give us the best chance at curbing the worst effects of climate change; adapting to the shifts already happening; preserving wild nature amid an ongoing extinction crisis; and ensuring communities have access to clean air, water and outdoor spaces.”
President Biden also protected the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the coast of New England.
The photo above is from the Valley of the Gods in Bear’s Ears. You will discover other beautiful photos of these monuments in the article here.
Photo credit: © Matthew Dillon, RuggyBear LA Photography Wikimedia Commons