Sen. Murray Statement on Trump Administration’s Review of National Monuments

Sen. Murray: While it appears the national monuments, including Hanford Reach, will remain intact for now, “the Administration’s continued efforts to redraw boundaries only doubles down on widespread fears that the Trump Administration is singularly focused on giveaways to special interests.”

(Washington, D.C.) –  Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement after reports that the Department of the Interior will recommend that none of the nation’s 27 national monuments under review by the Trump administration, including Washington state’s Hanford Reach, will be eliminated. However, the Administration is considering adjustments to boundaries on certain monuments.

“I applaud the millions of people in Washington state and across the country who made their voices heard during this ‘review’ in order to make it crystal clear to the Trump Administration that families are committed to preserving our unique, wild places for future generations, and that we have no interest in rolling back protections or undermining bedrock laws like the Antiquities Act,” said Sen. Murray. “While it appears the national monuments, including the Hanford Reach in Washington state, will remain intact for now, the Administration’s continued efforts to redraw boundaries only doubles down on widespread fears that the Trump Administration is singularly focused on giveaways to special interests.

“I will continue to fight any reductions to our cherished national monuments, and urge people to continue to call out this misguided attempt to sell off our public lands to the highest bidder,” added Sen. Murray.

About the Hanford Reach:

The Hanford Reach is the last and longest free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River. Sen. Murray worked with local and regional stakeholders in the Tri-Cities for years to protect the Hanford Reach, which President Bill Clinton designated a national monument in June 2000. It was the nation’s first U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-managed National Monument, encompasses roughly 200,000 acres of land and 51 miles of the Columbia River, and is a critical habitat for fall Chinook salmon. In May, the Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced that nearly two dozen national monuments, including the Hanford Reach, were under review and open to public comment. In addition to people across Washington state expressing their support for the Hanford Reach’s national monument designation during the public comment period, Sens. Murray and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent a letter to Secretary Zinke on May 10 condemning the review and expressing their support for the Hanford Reach’s national monument designation. Following additional outreach, on July 12 Secretary Zinke announced his proposed recommendation to not make changes to the Hanford Reach National Monument.