'Like Removing Police Presence From High-Crime Area:' Lawsuit Challenging Bears Ears Reduction Continues

By Mark Brodie
Published: Tuesday, October 8, 2019 - 12:29pm
Updated: Tuesday, November 5, 2019 - 12:27pm

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Coverage of tribal natural resources is supported in part by Catena Foundation

Bears Ears
U.S. Forest Service
The land surrounding the twin buttes that make up Bears Ears is considered a place of healing, a sacred place to several tribes in the Southwest.

A federal judge has rejected the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismiss a lawsuit challenging its reduction of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.

A coalition of Native American tribes and environmentalists is challenging the 2017 decision to reduce the size of the monument by about 85%.

Natalie Landreth is a senior staff attorney at the Native American Rights Fund, and represents the Hopi, Zuni and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes in this case. She spoke with The Show about this challenge.

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