UTAH, Aug. 8, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah’s elected leaders are sharing their disappointment over President Joe Biden’s decision to establish a new national monument on northern Arizona land considered sacred ground by some Native American tribes.
A proclamation, signed Tuesday, established the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona, the fifth new national monument established by Biden. See the monument on a map by clicking here.
It will also place nearly a million acres of public land under protected status, and ban its use for mining and cattle grazing.
The monument “honors tribal nations and Indigenous peoples by protecting sacred ancestral places and their historically and scientifically important features, while conserving our public lands, protecting wildlife habitat and clean water and supporting local economies,” the White House said in a statement.
The move will also prohibit new uranium mining claims. Some local Mohave County leaders support protecting the land but opposed the ban on mining, citing the $29 billion worth of uranium deposits it holds.
Some Utah ranchers, who use the land for grazing, have voiced opposition to the designation. On Tuesday, Utah’s governor and senators added their voices to the cry.
“This monument designation is frustrating news, especially for residents of Utah along the Arizona strip,” Gov. Spencer Cox said in a released statement. “As I’ve said many times before, massive, landscape-scale monuments like this are a mistake. These designations increase visitation without providing any additional resources for law enforcement and infrastructure to protect sensitive areas. They also needlessly restrict access to the critical minerals that are key to cell phones, satellites, U.S. defense systems and so many other American industries.
“I still believe the only right way to create large new land designations is through Congress in coordination with local leaders and residents, a process that brings all voices to the table and offers the necessary funding,” Cox said.
Sen. Mike Lee also issued a reaction statement.
“The recent move by the Biden administration designating the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon as a national monument is nothing short of a blatant misuse of the Antiquities Act, indicative of a poorly thought-out strategy with potentially catastrophic impacts,” Lee tweeted. “Not only will this decision negatively impact our local grazers, miners and other constituents whose livelihoods are deeply intertwined with this region, but it will tie up one of our few domestic sources of uranium, a critical component in carbon-free nuclear energy production. The move to lock up these reserves will increase our reliance on foreign powers like Russia for our energy needs. This makes little sense in the context of our goals for energy independence and low-carbon power generation.
“President Biden’s decision embodies a disturbing trend toward top-down management that Democratic presidential administrations have consistently showcased. This approach not only overlooks the value of local input but also disrupts the delicate balance between conservation and practical realities. It’s time for President Biden to reflect, revisit his tactics, and release the chokehold currently suffocating local livelihoods and our domestic energy production, especially if he really wants to decrease our dependence on sources from adversarial nations.”
Sen. Mitt Romney also posted a response.
“National monuments have become a political football tossed back and forth as presidential administrations change,” he wrote. “President Biden’s proclamation of 1.1 million acres around the Grand Canyon as a national monument continues the cycle of Antiquities Act abuse by the Executive Branch.
“Although the monument would be entirely in Arizona, it will be detrimental to ranchers in southern Utah. Ranchers in Washington and Kane Counties, who graze their cattle on the public lands on the Arizona Strip, will be faced with burdensome restrictions or be prevented from using the land altogether.
“The Arizona Strip is one of the most productive uranium mining districts in the country. By eliminating this important source of uranium, President Biden has increased both our dependence on Russia and China and our ultimate carbon footprint, while decreasing our energy efficiency. It is disappointing that with this proclamation, the President has once again ignored the concerns of those who live closest to the land.”
