1 Attachment(s)
Trump will visit Utah to change Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments
Attachment 88040
SALT LAKE CITY — The White House announced Friday that President Donald Trump will come to Utah in December for his official announcement on changes to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments.
Earlier Friday, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said the president called him to say that he will make reductions to both monuments.
“I was incredibly grateful the president called this morning to let us know that he is approving Secretary (Ryan) Zinke’s recommendation on Bears Ears," Hatch said. "We believe in the importance of protecting these sacred antiquities, but Secretary Zinke and the Trump administration rolled up their sleeves to dig in, talk to locals, talk to local tribes and find a better way to do it. We’ll continue to work closely with them moving forward to ensure Utahns have a voice.”
Hatch's office said Trump also agreed to follow the recommendations Zinke made on Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Neither set of recommendations have been officially released with any detail.
San Juan County Commissioner Bruce Adams said he was excited and hopeful over the news and had heard the 1.35 million-acre Bears Ears might possibly be reduced to three smaller protected areas specifically designed to protect cultural resources.
The commission released an official statement after hearing of the phone call.
"As a commission, we are thrilled that the years of meetings, countless hours of discussion and tirelessly dedicated advocacy has resulted in our local voices being heard by President Trump and Secretary Zinke," it said. "We take heart in our shared belief that the people of San Juan will continue to take special care of these magnificent lands. This is our home, no one wants to see it protected and secure for future generations more than we do."
Environmental groups immediately decried the news.
“Despite demands from millions of Americans, Native American tribes, elected officials across the nation, scientists and legal scholars, President Trump continues to move down a path that puts the future of America’s treasured lands at risk," said the Wilderness Society's Jamie Williams in a statement. "Any efforts to take away protections for America’s lands and waters will be met by deep opposition and with the law on our side."
Scott Groene, executive director of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, said a lawsuit is being drafted and is ready to file once Trump takes official action.
Both controversial monuments in Utah were among a handful across the nation that Zinke, in a leaked report, said need boundary revisions.
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument of 1.9 million acres was abruptly designated in 1996 by then-President Bill Clinton, to the dismay of Utah's elected leaders.
Former President Barack Obama designated Bears Ears in December last year over the objections of Utah's congressional delegation, its governor and local county commissions.
Since then, Utah's top political leaders have been urging Trump to rescind or drastically reduce the monuments.
Trump ordered a national monument review earlier this year via an executive order, prompting Zinke to visit Utah in May.
Some media outlets have reported Bears Ears could be reduced to as small as 130,000 acres, while Utah Gov. Gary Herbert believes Grand Staircase could be divided into multiple smaller monuments.
https://www.ksl.com/?sid=46187932