Oh, I don't think Trump has left much doubt about who he admires - he meets with Putin at every opportunity, preferably without outside observers, refused to condemn Erdogan's thugs when they severely beat protesters in the U.S., tells Philippines President Duterte he's doing a great job... and alienates our normal allies.
And I don't doubt Trump buys into the "deep state" bullshit. After all, why else would much of the U.S. and most of the world not admire his brilliance, unless there's a conspiracy against him?
Next up, in the list of national monuments to be reduced or opened to drilling, mining, logging and unrestricted off-road vehicle use -
https://www.buzzfeed.com/jimdalrympleii ... e-national
The Interior Department recommended on Tuesday shrinking Gold Butte National Monument, a nearly 300,000-acre site in Nevada, and Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, which spans just over 100,000 acres on the California–Oregon border. The department did not describe the new boundaries in its report, but repeatedly mentioned confining monuments to the "smallest area compatible" — a phrase that comes from the law allowing presidents to set aside land without congressional approval.
...Tuesday's report also recommends changes to:
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine
Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the coast of New England
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Rio Grande Del Norte national monuments in New Mexico
Pacific Remote Islands and Rose Atoll marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean
Of those monuments, only the recommendations for Rose Atoll and Pacific Remote Islands mention the possibility of boundary revisions. The exact changes in store for the others go largely unspecified, but they may include "prioritizing public access," infrastructure upgrades, timber management, and fishery management.
And, interestingly,
The Interior Department also is proposing three new monuments, including a 130,000-acre section of the Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana — the home state of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
From National Geographic,
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/201 ... ink-trump/
See the Wild Places That May Lose Protections as National Monuments
Four protected areas could shrink and six others could be opened to mining, logging, and [commercial] fishing, based on new recommendations to President Trump.
A couple of interesting things from this article:
Since then, presidents have downsized 18 monuments, most with minor adjustments. The exception is the 639,000-acre Mount Olympus National Monument, created by Roosevelt in 1909 and cut in half by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915 to keep a supply of timber flowing to build Navy ships for World War I. None of these prior resizings were challenged in court, and that is the legal question to be answered if Trump acts.
So the one monument that was significantly downsized previously was done in a time of major war, when resources were actually needed.
Enric Sala, a National Geographic explorer in residence, said the recommendation to open the marine monuments to commercial fishing hampers the ability to restore fisheries—one of the reasons the marine monuments were set up. The Pacific monuments were set up by President George W. Bush and expanded by Obama. After Obama created the Atlantic monument, five commercial fishing groups sued in federal court. The suit is now on hold until Trump’s review is finalized.
“The Hawaii tuna fleet does not need to fish within the Pacific Remote Islands,” he says. “Before the expansion of the monument in 2014, less than five percent of the catch was taken within that area. Tuna grow and reproduce more when they have a refuge, thus helping to replenish fisheries around no-take areas.
Many businesses are also not happy:
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-an ... nts-intact
As Americans await President Donald Trump’s final decision on whether to diminish some of the country’s national monuments, members of the business community from Maine to California are speaking up in defense of these public lands and the critical roles they play in boosting local economies. In a letter to Gary D. Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, nearly 600 business leaders from 26 states and two territories expressed “serious concerns” about possible changes to the landscapes and seascapes now safeguarded as national monuments.
While, from Fox news, basically "you should all be happy because there will now be more money to spend on national parks without these lands to conserve and spend money on" - conveniently ignoring that there isn't enough money because the government isn't funding the parks properly (and thatTrump/ Zinke have simultaneously proposed doubling entrance fees to national parks):
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/12/ ... ision.html
President Trump’s decision to reduce the size of the Bears Ears and Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah, announced Monday on his visit to the state, is a good one and an example of his policies that will benefit every American who enjoys national parks and monuments.
....In places where restrictive conservation rules are less justified, we can even authorize responsible resource extraction.
("resource extraction" being the euphemism, of course, for drilling, mining and logging)
It includes an amazing gymnastics effort to convince us that Native Americans, who have already sued the government over Trump's announcement, should instead be happy (and gee, I didn't realize that national monuments discouraged outdoor recreation. As far as I know, even hunting is OK in some places.):
Furthermore, those who wish to use the land for other purposes – such as hunting, fishing, camping, and outdoor recreation – will now also have access.
For Utah Native Americans, this improved access is important.
And of course, an appeal to our social consciences:
With expanded access, the elderly, disabled and even wounded veterans can utilize bikes or off-highway vehicles to access spectacular places.
I can just see it now - crowds of elderly retirees on off-road vehicles and dirt bikes, tearing through the archeological sites, yelling "yipee!" Yeah, right.
btw, peace on earth to everyone this holiday season from Trump, who did decide that he's smarter than everyone else and formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... hite-house