Obama to declare Bears Ears National Monument in Utah
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President Barack Obama today will designate Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah, according to Sen. Mike Lee's communications secretary.
"While Obama vacations in Hawaii, it appears the [White House] will announce an unwanted and unpopular monument designation in Utah at 4 p.m.," tweeted Conn Carroll, who then linked to several opinion pieces and news articles about the proposed Bears Ears National Monument.
Obama's move would come against the express wishes of Utah's state and federally elected leaders, who have vowed to repeal the designation.
There has been broad agreement that the Bears Ears region should be protected, but opinions diverge sharply over the extent of that protection and the mechanism for achieving it.
Elected San Juan County leaders have been nearly unanimous in their opposition to a monument, arguing it would stymie public access and disrupt traditional uses. Congressman Rob Bishop, R-Utah, and many other state leaders claimed a monument "unilaterally" established through executive decree — under the 1906 Antiquities Act — would disenfranchise local sentiment and perpetuate conflict over use of public lands.
On the other hand, tribal officials elected to Navajo government posts supported or openly advocated the monument designation, arguing Utah leaders had their chance and failed to come up with a meaningful conservation plan. These officials — including Navajo Nation Council delegate Davis Filfred and former Ute Mountain Ute councilwoman Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk — say the designation is necessary to curb vandalism, looting and off-roading. Bears Ears' cultural treasures preserve an intact archaeological record dating back thousands of years and serve as a cultural touchstone for numerous indigenous communities.
An Obama designation raises the possibility that President-elect Donald Trump would be pressed to undo the monument. In early December, Bishop — chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and known for his opposition to federal oversight of public lands — met with Trump's transition team, asking the incoming president to consider revoking large-scale monuments that Obama designated over the objections of local leaders.
Bishop, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, sponsored a bill with Rep. Jason Chaffetz, also R-Utah, attempting to preserve critical lands in the Bears Ears area, and other parts of the state, without a monument designation. Opponents view the legislation as a giveaway to oil and gas interests and it was introduced too late for Congress to act.
While many residents of tourism-dependent Bluff supported the monument push, most in Blanding and Monticello have been steadfastly opposed.
In a Dec. 14 letter to the president, Blanding native Jami Bayles decried a proposed monument as "nothing but a Trojan Horse that will undoubtedly destroy this area" and discounted the pro-monument sentiments of tribal members living just outside Utah in three adjoining states.
"A National Monument should be an honor to an area, not a punishment — and it should not be done TO the residents, but rather WITH the residents," wrote Bayles, who works in student services at Utah State University-Eastern.
Brian Maffly covers public lands for The Salt Lake Tribune. Brian Maffly can be reached at bmaffly@sltrib.com or 801-257-8713. Twitter: @brianmaffly
More: http://www.hcn.org/articles/bears-ears-monument-gets-closer-to-reality