Trump will visit Utah to change Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments

[Sombeech]

SALT LAKE CITY — President Donald Trump intends to reduce the size of the Bears Ears National Monument by 85 percent and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by half, according to a report by the Washington Post Thursday.

Wait, so he's declaring a certain ruling over land in Utah without any votes from Utah citizens? That's OUTRAGEOUS!

[anton_solovyev]

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

See the ****er in court. By the time courts are anywhere, the ****ers will have been kicked out.

What the hell? I said "_F_U_C_K_E_R_S_" and I mean it.

[Brian in SLC]

Wait, so he's declaring a certain ruling over land in Utah without any votes from Utah citizens? That's OUTRAGEOUS!

Federal land in Utah.

Remember Johnston's army?

You gonna burn down Fort Douglas or Camp Williams now?

[Sombeech]

Oh DAMN, now one of Pocahontas' (the real one) descendants comes out and says if she were alive today, she'd be very proud of Trump!

Ouch ouch make it stop

[Brian in SLC]

During a prayer, San Juan County administrator Kelly Pehrson said, "Father, we're grateful for thy hand touching the president's and having him make the right decision for our county."

Oh...heavenly Father...

[Iceaxe]

FWIW - 18 times in history a president has shrunk a National Monument so this is nothing new and appears to be well within the presidents power. However it has been over 50 years since a president has used such powers.

Monday should be interesting...

[DirkHammergate]

Queue the immediate lawsuit which will drag on for years.....

[Iceaxe]

Queue the immediate lawsuit which will drag on for years.....

Maybe... or it could move rather quickly if the law clearly states who has the authority. Also as I stated above there is pressidense in this move which will carry a large amount of weight in a US court.

I have no doubt this will be in the court system for many years, the key will be as to who manages the land and under what conditions after the announcement while the lawsuits are unravelled.

[accadacca]

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) —
President Donald Trump will visit Utah Monday where he is expected to speak at the Utah State Capitol.

There he is expected to announce the reduction of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments and deliver other remarks at 12:30 p.m.

It was previously announced that Trump would also visit with leaders of the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints. The meeting was confirmed by Matt Whitlock, a spokesman for Sen. Orrin Hatch, and who said Hatch invited Trump to meet with church leaders.


Transportation in Salt Lake City will be blocked in some places and delayed after his arrival in Utah on Air Force One.

The Utah Transit Authority alerted media and riders that those planning to utilize bus, TRAX, FrontRunner and street car systems can expect possible brief delays during Trump's visit. Downtown buses may be asked to stop and wait at intersections while trains may be forced to hold their positions prior to reaching rail crossings along the president's motorcade routes.

The visit is the first for Trump since he became president. There are no events scheduled for the public to see or meet the president.

The Sierra Club is organizing a protest on Monday morning on the sidewalks south of the State Capitol on 300 North between Columbus and East Capitol Boulevard.


The club requests protesters to say inside the approved protest zone on the south end of the Capitol grounds. The rally organizers said they would be in place by 10:45 a.m. to ensure Trump sees them as he enters the Capitol. They request those attending to bring their own signs.

It is not clear how long Trump will stay in Salt Lake City, how long his remarks will last or how long he will meet with LDS leaders or if there are other items on his itinerary.

Snow is expected to hit the Wasatch Front ahead of the visit, perhaps making Monday morning's commute an especially slow one.

http://kutv.com/news/local/salt-lake...t-trumps-visit

[Sombeech]

..

[Sombeech]

OK, Trump just signed it. How soon can I expect the "Trail Closed" sign at the Wahweap Hoodoos?

[rockgremlin]

OK, Trump just signed it. How soon can I expect the "Trail Closed" sign at the Wahweap Hoodoos?

In 24.5 years, after all of the lawsuits have been settled.

[accadacca]

[uintafly]

In 24.5 years, after all of the lawsuits have been settled.

Or in 3 years when a new president makes his own changes.

Looks like HITRR will no longer be part of the monument. Does that mean we can pave it and install a few full hookup rv parks along the way?

[rockgremlin]

Snippets from the following article: https://www.ksl.com/?sid=46210871&ni...utah-monuments


"Trump's unprecedented, illegal action is a brutal blow to our public lands, an affront to Native Americans and a disgrace to the presidency," Spivak said. "He wants to hand over these lands to private industry to mine, frack, bulldoze and clear-cut until there's nothing left for our children and grandchildren."

"A statement from the Wilderness Society, a nonprofit land conservation group, voiced fears that loss of monument protections opens the area up for drilling and mining."

"Today, President Trump is sacrificing tribal heritage, paleontological discoveries, and the small-business owners who drive America's outdoor economy, all in the name of coal, oil and uranium."



OK, I've said this before numerous times, and I'm going to repeat myself again. These above quotes are founded on outright lies. Using scare tactics to sway an impressionable (and ignorant) audience. They persistently claim that mining companies are lining up to mine and drill and clear cut the Bears Ears when that is in fact a complete fallacy. There is no coal nor oil in the Bears Ears, and what little uranium there might be has been mined out years ago.

Nobody wants to mine nor drill there. Nobody. So please stop making those ridiculous claims. We are men of action...lies do not become us.

[Iceaxe]

Or in 7 years when a new president makes his own changes.

ftfy.... you're welcome.

[Iceaxe]

"Trump's unprecedented, illegal action is a brutal blow to our public lands, an affront to Native Americans and a disgrace to the presidency," Spivak said. "He wants to hand over these lands to private industry to mine, frack, bulldoze and clear-cut until there's nothing left for our children and grandchildren."

This is a HUGE lie, as what Trump did today has been done 18 times before by past presidents. It's been 50 years since the power was last used, but 18 times a president has used his powers to shrink an existing monument.

[Udink]

We are men of action...lies do not become us.

+1 for speaking the truth, +10 for quoting that movie. :D

[stefan]

Snippets from the following article: https://www.ksl.com/?sid=46210871&ni...utah-monuments


OK, I've said this before numerous times, and I'm going to repeat myself again. These above quotes are founded on outright lies. Using scare tactics to sway an impressionable (and ignorant) audience. They persistently claim that mining companies are lining up to mine and drill and clear cut the Bears Ears when that is in fact a complete fallacy. There is no coal nor oil in the Bears Ears, and what little uranium there might be has been mined out years ago.

is that why there is a 2015 San Juan Energy Plan that overlaps BENM?

https://le.utah.gov/~2015/bills/static/HB0393.html

Map
http://sanjuancounty.org/sjc-content...rgy%20Zone.pdf

https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title63J/C...15032320150323

https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title63J/C...2320150323.pdf


BENM overlaps two exploratory oil and gas fields (hatch point and three mile).

Kirkwood is operating very close to the NE boundary of the monument.

from what i've read industry has nominated over 100,000 acres within the boundary or within 1 mile of the boundary of BENM since 2013 for lease sales (shown in red below). 9 are proposed by Kirkwood


.

next auction including lands near BENM is in march 2018.

[stefan]

This is a HUGE lie, as what Trump did today has been done 18 times before by past presidents. It's been 50 years since the power was last used, but 18 times a president has used his powers to shrink an existing monument.

most were relatively small by comparison (and i believe none were challenged in court). cutting by ~1.1 million and ~0.9 million, respectively, is massive.

although zinke cites wilson's cutting of mt olympus nat'l mon. down 300,000+ from teddy roosevelt's 600,000+ acres, as a result of FDR and truman, it's now a 922,000+ acre nat'l park.