NEW YORK, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A newly published U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) memo could open a path for U.S. President Donald Trump to roll back protections for millions of acres of federal lands and oceans.
"It has raised alarms among conservation organizations that fear it signals he may be preparing for action," USA Today has noted about the move.
The 50-page legal opinion provides guidance on the Antiquities Act, concluding the president has grounds to abolish two national monuments in California established in January by his predecessor Joe Biden.
The Justice Department determined an opinion from the U.S. Attorney General nearly a century ago was incorrect. The DOJ found Trump has the power to abolish or reduce the size of national monuments established by other presidents. Enditem