Patagonia joins lawsuits challenging Trump's monument plans

Outdoor retailing giant Patagonia on Wednesday joined a flurry of lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump's decision to chop up two large national monuments in Utah could finally bring an answer to the much-debated question of whether presidents have the legal authority to undo or change monuments created by past presidents. Until that question is answered months or years from now, the fate of the contested lands in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments will remain unresolved. California-based Patagonia filed its lawsuit on behalf of several other organizations to block Trump's reductions to Bears Ears. The California-based company said in the lawsuit that Trump's proclamation shrinking the monument by 85 percent exceeds the president's authority and strips much-needed protections from sacred tribal lands...more