Trump to attend opening of Roosevelt library amid overturning conservation efforts

Donald Trump will attend a ribbon cutting for the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on Wednesday, touting the legacy of a president his own administration is attempting to destroy, critics say. While in office from 1901 to 1909, Roosevelt established five new national parks, protected swaths of land and passed legislation enabling himself and future presidents to proclaim historic landmarks and other objects of historic or scientific interest in federal ownership as national monuments. By contrast, Trump’s administration is removing protections for wildlife, critics say. While in office, for instance, Doug Burgum, Trump’s interior secretary, has rolled back safeguards under the Endangered Species Act , as well as protections for migratory birds and swathes of federal waters. “Roosevelt believed that preserving America’s natural heritage and outdoors birthright was a sacred obligation,” said Jayson O’Neill, spokesperson for conservation campaign Save Our Parks. “Doug Burgum is destroying that heritage for Trump’s whims, allies, and political donors.” The Guardian has contacted the interior department and White House for comment. The Trump administration has also moved to lift protections from more than 86m acres of public lands, an analysis by the liberal thinktank Center for American Progress (CAP) found this week. …