WASHINGTON – The comment period on the status of the Bears Ears National Monument closes today and the outpouring of support for keeping the monument intact has been huge. The Trump administration is reviewing Bears Ears in Utah and 26 other monuments established under the Antiquities Act since 1996 to determine if the law was used properly when designating them.

Collin O’Mara, the National Wildlife Federation’s president and CEO, released the following statement:

“A huge, nationwide outpouring of support for Bears Ears National Monument has generated hundreds of thousands of comments to the Interior Department as it reviews Bears Ears and other national monuments. The National Wildlife Federation urges Secretary Zinke to take the comments to heart and consider what will be lost if these sites are shrunk or stripped of their status. Bears Ears is home to bighorn sheep, elk, pronghorn and black bears and, like many national monuments, is prized by hunters, anglers, hikers and campers,” O’Mara said.

“We have presidents from both parties, starting with Theodore Roosevelt, to thank for using the Antiquities Act to conserve spectacular landscapes, important wildlife habitat, historic and archaeological treasures and waterways that feed our souls and tell our American story. We’re counting on the Trump administration to fulfill its campaign commitment to increase access to public lands by staying true to this proud bipartisan tradition.”