Zinke pardons Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument from Trump’s Ax

U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has announced that he won’t be making any changes to Arizona’s Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. Following an executive order in April, Zinke has been evaluating whether 27 national monuments designated since 1996 should be downsized or eliminated. So far, this is the fifth monument he has decided to leave be. While local residents are relieved that the federal government will continue to protect the land’s environmental and cultural heritage, environmentalists aren’t exactly cheering. Not all the national monuments have escaped unscathed, and there’s a long way to go before the end of the month, when Zinke’s reviews are expected to finish. “It's time for Secretary Zinke to end this week-by-week reality show charade," Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, told the Arizona Daily Sun. She asks, "Does he really expect us to say 'thank you' for taking the only legal option available to him?"