Noem, a Republican, filed a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota Central Division.
“Mount Rushmore is the very best place to celebrate America’s birthday and all that makes our country special,” Noem wrote. “After telling us they’d ‘circle back,’ the Biden Administration has not responded to our request to uphold the Memorandum Agreement between the State of South Dakota and the National Parks Service to host a safe and responsible national celebration and fireworks show.”
Noem said the Biden administration has “departed from longstanding precedent and reneged on this agreement without any meaningful explanation.”
“We are asking the court to enjoin the Department of Interior’s (DOI) denial of the fireworks permit and order it to issue a permit for the event expeditiously,” she added.
Noem had asked President Biden to uphold a 2019 memorandum agreement between the National Parks Service and the state, which allowed the return of the fireworks event for 2020.
Last year, South Dakota hosted the fireworks display for the first time since 2009, after having been canceled due to wildfire risks. – READ MORE
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