SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 28, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Ignoring organized and vocal opposition by Utah lawmakers, President Barack Obama on Wednesday declared a Bears Ears National Monument for Utah.
He allotted the new national monument 1.35 million acres. The monument, named for a rock formation, is in southeastern Utah
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who strongly opposes the national monument, was one of the first to respond.
“This arrogant act by a lame duck president will not stand,” Lee tweeted. “I will work tirelessly with Congress and the incoming Trump administration to honor the will of the people of Utah and undo this designation.”
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called the move a misuse of power.
“With this astonishing and egregious abuse of executive power, President Obama has shown that far-left special interest groups matter more to him than the people who have lived on and cared for Utah’s lands for generations,” Hatch said.
“For Utahns in general, and for those in San Juan County in particular, this is an affront of epic proportions and an attack on an entire way of life.”
Obama also designated a Golden Butte National Monument on 300,000 acres of land outside of Las Vegas. Obama said it was important to protect the spaces, which are not only natural wonders, but lands that are both sacred and historically significant to Native Americans because of rock art and archaeological sites.
“Today’s actions will help protect this cultural legacy and will ensure that future generations are able to enjoy and appreciate these scenic and historic landscapes,” Obama said.
“Importantly, today I have also established a Bears Ears Commission to ensure that tribal expertise and traditional knowledge help inform the management of the Bears Ears National Monument and help us to best care for its remarkable national treasures.”
Utah lawmakers are concerned about grazing rights, and about local rights to control use of the land for Utah’s economic growth.
