Lawsuit against Cascade-Siskiyou monument expansion delayed

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) – A federal judge has given the Trump administration more time to review federal monument designations made by previous presidents before it has to respond to a lawsuit brought by two timber companies against President Barack Obama’s expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

Judge Mark D. Clarke ruled in Medford last week that all pending deadlines are stayed while Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke “conducts his review of the designation for the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.”

President Donald Trump recently called for the review of 27 national monuments established by three former presidents. Zinke is to issue a final report in late August for all the monuments.

Clarke said that on Sept. 23, all parties in the Oregon lawsuit should submit a joint status report.