** Landmark T. Rex research bolsters case to restore Grand Staircase protections
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Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Tyrannosaurus skull | Ivan Radic ([link removed])
On Monday, scientists unveiled groundbreaking research ([link removed]) suggesting Tyrannosaurs likely hunted in packs, challenging long-held assumptions that the iconic dinosaurs were solitary predators. The discovery was based on fossils found in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, providing the Biden administration with yet another reason to reverse President Trump's decision to slash the national monument by roughly 50%.
The discovery was made ([link removed]) in Grand Staircase-Escalante's "Rainbows and Unicorns Quarry," which earned the nickname after researchers made a plethora of landmark finds. While the exact location remains within the bounds of the shrunken national monument, two fossil-laden rock layers—the Tropic Shale and Straight Cliffs Formation—were almost entirely cut from the monument's boundaries.
Earlier this month, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Utah to hear input on whether the Biden administration should restore protections for Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments under the Antiquities Act. While there, Haaland took time to meet with the Bureau of Land Management's local paleontologist and view fossils found in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Notably, the century-old Antiquities Act was passed in part to protect our nation's paleontological resources, and several national monuments have been proclaimed to do just that, including Petrified Forest and Dinosaur National Monuments.
Quick hits
** Navajo Nation solar project cements southeast Utah's future as energy exporter
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Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
** Largest coal miners' union supports transition to clean energy, with conditions
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Grist ([link removed])
** Methane emissions loophole threatens New Mexico's pollution goals
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Capital and Main ([link removed])
** Haaland pivots Interior Department towards renewable energy
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Outside Magazine ([link removed])
** How private lands can play an important role in conserving 30% of America by 2030
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The Revelator ([link removed])
** Discovery that Tyrannosaurs likely hunted in packs fuels case to restore Grand Staircase-Escalante
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Washington Post ([link removed]) | St. George Spectrum & Daily News ([link removed])
** Opinion: The facts about the Antiquities Act, national monuments, and the courts
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Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
** Opinion: Biden should restore protections for sacred land decimated under previous administration
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Native News Online ([link removed])
Quote of the day
In short, [Chief Justice] Roberts’s solitary, offhand memo should not give President Biden pause as he considers what to do about the Utah monuments.”
—John D. Leshy ([link removed]) , former Interior Solicitor
Picture this
** @Interior ([link removed])
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#TeamPublicLands ([link removed]) Tip: Know before you go. Check agency websites or stop by a contact station before you set out to learn about fees, pick up permits, check the weather and make a plan. Pic by Darsh Patel
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