President Trump gutted the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments this month, acting on recommendations by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, based on a policy review led by the daughter of a prominent coal executive. The move opens up 2 million acres of gorgeous and irreplaceable protected lands to mining.
Public records show the controversial review of these monuments, and about two dozen others, was overseen by Downey Magallanes, the daughter of Frederick Palmer, who was Peabody Energy’s chief lobbyist from 2001-2014, and subsequently served as CEO of a coal industry association. Peabody’s is America’s largest coal miner.
Grand Staircase-Escalante contains large untapped coal deposits.
