‘It is as if he took a whole person, slashed it, and left us with a couple of limbs.’
A multi-industry coalition including Patagonia and the Access Fund sued the Trump administration Wednesday to block the decision breaking up Bears Ears National Monument.
The coalition comprises Patagonia Works, Utah Diné Bikéyah, Friends of Cedar Mesa, Archaeology Southwest, Conservation Lands Foundation, Access Fund, the Society for Vertebrate Paleontology, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation — all plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The group filed the complaint in federal court in Washington, D.C.
On Monday, after the President ordered to reduce the size of Bears Ears by 85%, conservation, historic preservation, and outdoor industry groups responded in vehement opposition.
“The President’s proclamation is contrary to law, ignores overwhelming public support for the original monument designation, and dishonors Native American heritage and culture,” said Patagonia in a statement.