BY BRIAN MAFFLY AND THOMAS BURR
In his initial report on Bears Ears National Monument, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is urging the White House to reduce its size to focus on discreet "objects of historic interest," while asking Congress to take further action on tribal co-management and special designations for lands that would be ultimately removed from the monument.
Zinke said Monday several places warrant monument status, so he opposes rescinding the monument as Utah's political leaders have sought.
"These recommendations were made after an extensive, exhaustive on-the-ground listening and learning session," Zinke said in a news conference Monday in Washington, DC. "Almost all the people I talked to had similar interests. They were maintaining public access, traditional use, a love of the land, preserving the antiquities, and preserving the cultural traditions..."