Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Did the Trump Administration reduce the size of two national monuments?
Monday, July 6, 2020
By Claire Zimmerman
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YES
The Trump Administration cut the size of two national monuments in southern Utah designated by previous administrations.
An Interior Department report notes previous presidents reduced the size of various monuments 16 times. It cites provisions in the 1906 Antiquities Act that monuments may be "confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected."
Lawsuits by the Natural Resources Defense Council and other plaintiffs dispute the Administration's position, saying authority to reduce the size of a monument lies solely with Congress. Both cases are proceeding in D.C. District Court.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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