The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over the Gold Butte and Basin and Range national monuments, arguing the agency failed to develop management plans in a timely fashion.
“Preservation doesn’t just happen,” said Patrick Donnelly of the Center for Biological Diversity. “That’s why agencies have legal mandates to develop plans for the protection of these landscapes.”
The monuments were designated by former President Barack Obama in 2015 and 2017 under the Antiquities Act. Under the proclamations, BLM was tasked with preparing management plans. The group claims unmanaged cattle grazing has degraded the riparian habitats and harmed desert tortoises.
