美国国家公共电台 NPR Trump To Sign Executive Order That Could Shrink National Monuments

 

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President Donald Trump¹ is expected to sign an executive order tomorrow that could end up shrinking or even abolishing altogether some protected national monuments on federal public land. These monuments were designated by presidential decree under a 1906 law called the Antiquities² Act. The monuments are controversial in the rural West.

NPR's Kirk Siegler joins us now from NPR West in Culver City, Calif. And Kirk, unpack³ what is in this executive order for us.

KIRK SIEGLER, BYLINE⁴: Well, this is potentially sweeping⁵, Ari. But at its core, it gives the interior secretary Ryan Zinke 45 days to review national monuments that are a hundred thousand acres or bigger - these are big chunks⁶ of federal public land - and recommend whether they should be kept as is, whether they should be shrunk or even nullified altogether.

And this is really widely seen as a direct response to two national monument designations in particular that were made in the late hour of the Obama administration. And these were controversial. There was the Bears Ears Monument in southern Utah which is about a million acres of federal public land considered sacred to Native American tribes. And then you had the Gold Butte Monument designation in Nevada which is near - adjacent to Cliven Bundy's ranch⁷. And he's the anti-federal government rancher who led an armed standoff over cattle grazing.

SHAPIRO: But beyond those two monuments, it sounds as though this order could apply to many more federal lands than that.

SIEGLER: At the White House this evening, briefing reporters, Secretary Zinke estimated he'd be looking at up to 40 national monuments under the executive order. And we're talking about monuments that were designated as far back as the Clinton administration. This goes back to 1996, he said. This is a fight and a conflict over federal land that goes back a long time. Zinke, though, was quick to say that this is just a review. Nothing is final. So let's hear a little bit from that briefing now.

(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)

RYAN ZINKE: The executive order does not strip any monument of a designation. The executive order does not loosen any environmental or conservation regulation on any land or marine⁸ areas.

SIEGLER: And, Ari, I think the big point here is that this is potentially untested territory if in fact the executive branch, the administration goes forward on its own without the authority of Congress to either nullify or abolish a national monument or even shrink one. This is something that has not been tested yet in the courts. Secretary Zinke has said as much. And it's widely thought that if in fact this goes beyond a review, environmental groups, tribes are going to challenge this right away.

SHAPIRO: That's NPR's Kirk Siegler. Thank you, Kirk.

SIEGLER: Glad to be here.

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 antiquities   

n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯

参考例句：

• There is rest and healing in the contemplation of antiquities. 欣赏古物有休息和疗养之功。 来自辞典例句
• Bertha developed a fine enthusiasm for the antiquities of London. 伯沙对伦敦的古迹产生了很大的热情。 来自辞典例句

3 unpack   

vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货

参考例句：

• I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。
• She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

6 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

7 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

8 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。