Biden Administration Restores Protections for Three National Monuments
The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts, Bears Ears, and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments are critical for birds and people.
WASHINGTON (October 8, 2021) – Today, President Biden signed proclamations to restore protections for three national monuments—Northeast Canyons and Seamounts off the coast of New England, as well as Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah.
“This is a victory, not just for seabirds like Atlantic Puffins, but also for many coastal communities in New England that depend on a healthy ocean,” saidDr. Donald Lyons,directorofconservation science for APP’s Seabird Institute.“Northeast CanyonsandSeamountsis a critical place that allows seabirds to rest and stock up on fishduring the harshwinter.Theunique habitatsthere alsosupportabundant populations offish, whales, and other marine life that arevitalto our coastal economy.”
President Trump signed a proclamationlast year to open the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monumentto commercial fishing. This rollback increased the risk of seabirds getting hooked on a fishing line or caught in a net and reduced theamountof fish available for them to eat. APP’s Seabird Institute wasinstrumental in uncoveringthat Maine’s recently restored populations of Atlantic Puffins rely on this monument to stock up on fish in winter months.
Today’s decision follows a report from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland with recommendations on whether to restore the boundaries and protections of each monument. The Trump Administration downsized Bears Ears by 85 percent and Grand Staircase-Escalante by nearly 50 percent.
Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments are sacred places and the traditional lands of Native American tribal nations. These monuments are also public lands, home to several APP-threatened birds like the Golden Eagle,Pinyon Jay,Hairy Woodpecker, andMountain Bluebird.Restoring national monument status protects sacred places for birds and people.
“President Biden is reestablishing a longstanding national commitment to protect our most special places and acknowledging who steward these lands,” said Christopher Simmons, senior manager of public lands policy for APP. “In addition to their important role in our ongoing history and collective culture, these protected spaces provide hundreds of bird species and other wildlife with relief from threats like habitat loss and APP change."
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The APP protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. APP works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give APP an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, APP believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @audubonsociety.
Contact: Rachel Guillory, rachel.guillory@audubon.org
Matt Smelser, matt.smelser@audubon.org