By Matthew Daly, Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says he is removing Colorado’s Canyons of the Ancients from a list of national monuments being reviewed nationwide.

Zinke said Friday that when he and President Donald Trump launched the review of 27 national monuments designated by previous administrations, “we absolutely realized that not all monuments are the same and that not all monuments would require modifications.”

Zinke called Canyons of the Ancients “gorgeous land,” but said its Native American archaeological sites were even more important. The site spans thousands of years, and Zinke said federal protections “will help us preserve this site for a thousand more years.”

Last week, Zinke removed two other monuments, in Idaho and Washington state, from his review of monuments created since 1996. A full report is due next month.