By MATTHEW DALY
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden … establish[ed] national monuments on more than half a million acres in Nevada and Texas and [plans on] creating a marine sanctuary in U.S. waters near the Pacific Remote Islands southwest of Hawaii. The conservation measures are “protecting the heart and soul of our national pride,″ Biden said.
…
Biden designated Avi Kwa Ame, a desert mountain in southern Nevada that Native Americans consider sacred, as a national monument, along with the Castner Range in El Paso, Texas. He also moved to create a national marine sanctuary in U.S. waters around the Pacific Remote Islands.
…
Gov. Joe Lombardo, who unseated the state’s Democratic governor in November, said the White House did not consult with his administration before moving to block clean-energy projects and other development in his state. “This kind of ‘Washington Knows Best’ policy might win plaudits from unaccountable special interests, but it’s going to cost our state jobs and economic opportunity,” Lombardo said in a statement.
For the full Associated Press story, click here.
Matthew Daly is an AP Environment/energy reporter whose work focuses on climate change policy.
For more on National Monument declarations click here and here.
