Bears Ears, a 1.35-million-acre rugged redrock landscape rich in Native American history and lore, was declared a national monument Wednesday by President Obama, whose action via the Antiquities Act quickly infuriated Utah's politicians. The wide swath of land covered by the designation includes much of land long desired by conservationists to provide the "completion" of Canyonlands National Park.
While the U.S. Bureau of Land Management will work with the U.S. Forest Service in overseeing the new monument as the Bears Ears boundary includes part of the Manti-LaSal National Forest, they will involve tribal, state, and local governments, as well as the National Park Service, in managing the landscape that is rife with archaeological resources.
“The rock art, ancient dwellings, and ceremonial sites concealed within these breathtaking landscapes help tell the story of people who have stewarded these lands for hundreds of generations,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in a release. “Today’s action builds on an extraordinary effort from tribes, local communities, and members of Congress to ensure that these treasures are protected for generations to come, so that tribes may continue to use and care for these lands, and all may have an opportunity to enjoy their beauty and learn from their rich cultural history.”
The president's action was quickly condemned by one member of Utah's all-Republican congressional delegation, Rep. Jason Chaffetz.
“President Obama’s unilateral decision to invoke the Antiquities Act in Utah politicizes a long-simmering conflict. This unfortunate act threatens to further inflame controversies that were near resolution," he said in a release. "The midnight move is a slap in the face to the people of Utah, attempting to silence the voices of those who will bear the heavy burden it imposes. Furthermore, the decision is a major break with protocol previously followed by this administration. It does not have the support of the governor, a single member of the state’s Congressional delegation, nor any local elected officials or state legislators who represent the area."
But the move was praised by a tribal caucus that had long worked with Rep. Chaffetz and U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, also of Utah, to work out a management plan for the landscape sacred to many tribes only to come away angry and disappointed.
"President Obama's action comes in response to the historic request of Native American people, led by the five Tribes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition: Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, People of Zuni, and the Ute Tribe of the Uinta Ouray Reservation," the group said in a release. "Thirty regional tribes passed formal resolutions of support for Bears Ears National Monument, as did the National Congress of American Indians, representing more than 300 tribes across the United States.
"... Today's action marks the first time in history that Native American Tribes have called for and succeeded in protecting their sacred ancestral homelands through National Monument designation by a president of the United States of America. In this way, Bears Ears National Monument represents the first truly Native American National Monument in U.S. history."
The crooked boundary of the monument touches Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Canyonlands National Park, and Natural Bridges National Monument.
According to an Interior release, "(T)he monument designations maintain currently authorized uses of the land that do not harm the resources protected by the monument, including tribal access and traditional collection of plants and firewood, off-highway vehicle recreation, hunting and fishing and authorized grazing. The monument designation also does not affect valid existing rights for oil, gas, and mining operations, military training operations, and utility corridors."
President Obama also designated Gold Butte National Monument in southeastern Nevada.
At the National Parks Conservation Association, Southwest Regional Director David Nimkin said the Bears Ears designation "ensures the sacred lands of our first Americans are protected and appropriately interpreted, while also maintaining the ecological and recreational values of the landscape.”
"NPCA has long advocated for the 'completion' of Canyonlands National Park through expansion to include the area that was intended to be part of the park when it was originally proposed," an NPCA release added. "Much of that area is included in Bears Ears National Monument and will now receive a higher level of protection with greater management input from the National Park Service."
Initial praise for the designation also came from the League of Conservation Voters, outdoor manufacturer Patagonia, religious leaders, and the Center for Western Priorities.
“By protecting Bears Ears and Gold Butte, President Obama has secured his legacy as one of America’s great conservation presidents. These spectacular landscapes, with their archaeological sites threatened by looting and vandalism, are in dire need of protection," said Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities. “President Obama’s use of the Antiquities Act confirms why it is just as important today as it was when Teddy Roosevelt signed the act into law 110 years ago—when a dysfunctional Congress fails to do its job, the president must have the authority to protect America’s natural and cultural treasures for future generations."
At the League for Conservation Voters, President Gene Karpinski said, "(T)oday's announcement is the best way to ensure that the Bears Ears region has the protection it deserves after Rep. Rob Bishop failed to deliver meaningful protections through legislation. For years the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition has been working to save America's most significant unprotected cultural landscape, and today they've been rewarded along with a historic decision that will give tribes a larger voice in how the area is managed."
Rep. Chaffetz said the Utah delegation would work with President-elect Trump "to follow through on his commitment to repeal midnight regulations. We will work to repeal this top-down decision and replace it with one that garners local support and creates a balanced, win-win solution.”
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Comments
While about 74% of Utahans polled in several surveys support Bears Ears, the Utah Congressional delegation is having an apoplectic fit over this. Senator Mike Lee says, "This will be the end of the Antiquities Act," and promises to lead a battle to either radically restrict presidential powers or overturn it completely.
In San Juan County, the minority white population is crying foul because the government just stole the lands that are their heritage dating back to about 1860 when their pioneer ancestors moved in and "civilized" the savages. The majority Ute and Navajo poplulations down there are thanking Obama for helping to preserve the lands that are their heritage dating back to time immemorial when they were the "savages" who found themselves being tamed by the barrels of guns.
The battle may be just beginning. There will not be any kind of win-win solution no matter what our boy Chaffetz may say. His idea of win-win is to plunder and pillage. Gotta keep those savages in their places. But now, the savages include many more of us than just Navajo or Ute.
Praiseworthy alone for the fact of Chaffetz' caterwauling, if nothing else.
Don't you wish Utah Republican politicians would just cut the bull and tell us who the REAL masters they work for are, certainly not indigenous Native American tribes and others of us equally as native who have spent our entire lives exploring the vast redrock canyon wilderness trying to get as close to a religious experience and as far from civilization and the ravages of corporate extraction industry as possible.
Val Bagley, the great cartoonist for the Salt Lake Tribune, lost no time in producing this masterpiece that sums up the whole thing in one quick glance:
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4758978-155/bagley-cartoon-bears-ears-nati...
A lot of truth there, Lee.
Kudos to President Obama. Unfortunately, if it will be easy to repeal this move, then you can bet that is what the new administration will do. The hard stuff is too difficult for them to fix and out of their reach and why on earth would they want to approve of something that would deny them the ability to pillage the earth for their benefit and not ours? Besides, as Lee Dalton so eloquently put it: "Gotta keep those savages in their place".
This area needs special attention, and I'm glad President Obama designated it a National Monument. It is curious that the voters of Utah continue to elect congressional representatives so far removed from the prevailing pubic opinion about public land issues.
I can't thank President Obama enough for designation of this area as a National Monument. It has to be one of the most beautiful and powerful places on earth. After so many years of exploring here one can never grow tired of it. I honor the spirits of those who came before and left their legacy of being one with the earth and I honor the Native americans who have worked so hard to protect this area for all of us. it is not only the Red people who feel the sacredness here but many whites who stand beside them in a desire to stop the pillaging of the earth. Thank you all!
Glad, it is even more curious that people continue to believe surveys that are obviously far different from the way people actually act. Which is a better sense of public opinion, the way they vote or some random survey? Afterall, those "surveys" were terribly wrong when it came down to the opinons on Hillary vs Trump.
The surveys were right in that Hillary received almost 3 million more votes than the Donald, but the surveys were wrong about the supposed Electorial College lock.
And that is what mattered. The surveys which called for victory in the swing states and and overall "landslide" victory (also called by one or more of our local posters) were wrong. Perhaps the surveys were done by the same folks that make AGW forecasts.
I have been to this area many times and it is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Too bad Hussein Obama our America hating Muslim loving president has done what socialist do best, put everything under government control . This place is remote and visitors have always enjoyed it and protected it. Now the government workers will start erecting gates with keep out signs and stat on trail signs. It will be closed of course on holidays and when it snows or when gov. workers are on slow down.
While King Barramer is making these out going decrees his willing stupid servants will loud the wonders of protecting our parks. What is really going on is making sure no one ever harvest any kind of desperately needed energy from this land.
These decisions are draining the life out of our country. I am so thankful Donald Trump is now President as perhaps
we can end some of these land grabs by people who care not about protecting our land but only to obtain more
land to "rule" over.
Jim J
Glad, one very unfortunate fact about Utah (among others) is that Utah consitently has the lowest percentage of voter turnout in the U.S. Because it's a single party state, too many voters feel it's a waste of time and effort.
As a result, election results are almost always foregone conclusions.
If the Utah citizens who don't vote would actually get out and do it, the results would almost certainly surprise everyone.
Wow, Jim! Bet you didn't already know this area is already under Government "Control". The National Monument designation doesn't increase government, but changes some of the management practices to better protect the area. Having visited the Indian Creek area of the new Monument many times, I believe that the further emphasis on protection is needed here. People will continue to be able to enjoy visiting the area as before, and there is no "Land grab".
THAT IS SOME GOOD GOVERNMENT COOLAID YOU BEEN DRINKING. YES IT IS A POWER GRAB AND NO THE LAND WAS NOT ALREADY FEDERAL.. THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM INDIAN TRIBAL LAND AND THE NATIONAL PARKS THAT WERE ALREADY THERE LIKE ZION CANYONLANDS ETC. NOW YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE RANGER TO GO TO
MULEY POINT AND THE GOOSENECKS. AND WHEN IT SNOWS IN THE WINTER PARK RANGERS DON't HAVE ENOUGH RESORCES TO PROTECT YOU SO THEY WILL SHUT IT DOWN. YOU WATCH ALL THE GATES GO UP ON ALL THE PREVIOUS OPEN ROADS.
ALSO NO MORE OPEN RANGE CATTLE AND FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS WILL BE MADE SO YOU CAN FLY YOUR PLANE ONLY OVER DESIGNATED AREAS. YES WE LOSE A LOT OF FREEDOM IN THIS "LAND GRAB" but GOOD LITTLE LIBERALS ARE ALWAYS EAGER TO GIVE AWAY THEIR FREEDOM BECAUSE THEY THINK IT PROTECTS THE LAND FROM THE IGNORANT PUBLIC.
AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT BLM WILL HAVE THEIR SWAT TEAM THERE FOR DESENTERS.
OUR ONLY HOPE IS TRUMP WHICH IS WHY HE WON AND YOU LOST. PEOPLE ARE SICK OF KINGS IN THE WHITE HOUSE USING THEIR PEN AND PHONE TO GRAB LAND. AND THE CURIOUS PART YOU HAVE BEEN EASILY BRAINWASHED IN TO THINKING THIS IS ABOUT PROTECTING THE LAND. ITS ABOUT EXPANDING GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF OUR LIVES AND PREVENTING US FROM ENJOYING THIS BEAUTIFUL LAND UNLESS WE STAY ON A DESIGNATED APPROVED TRAIL WITH SIGNS TELLING US HOW FRAGIL THE SAND IS SO STAY ON THE TRAIL OR BE FINED. QUESTION: WHY DID HE WAIT TILL THE LAST FEW,DAYS OF HIS RULE TO PASS THIS. ANSWER: HE,DID NOT WANT TO HURT HILLARY'S CHANCES AND HE KNEW THIS WOULD INFURIATE PEOPLE. GUESS IT DID NOT,WORK. HOPE TRUMP,ABOLISHES THE BLM AND EPA TWO USELESS AGENCIES.
Great news.
Agree justinh, just great news as is Gold Butte,
97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree, you - a non scientist - disagree.
Your common refrain: "then why are they so wrong"?
Sez you, in your usual "why are you still beating your wife" manner. Cherrypicking this and that. Only a few true-believers of your ilk agree with you.
And, by the way, 2.8 million difference IS s landslide. But then, she didn't have the KGB's hackers working for her.
Now, go away, Eric. We were all enjoying a nice holiday without troll in the forum.
Which you have never answered
Not when the popular vote is not the measure for election. The rules says he/she who wins the electorical college wins, not he/she that wins the popular vote. If the rules were different the D would likely have run a very different campaign. Your argument is the equivalent of say the teamthat gains the most yards in a football game should be a winner, or was the winner by a landslide. Yards aren't the deteminant of the winner, popular votes aren't the determinant of a Presidential election. If they were, the football game and the campaign would be conducted very differently. And all of that is moot relative to our discussion. The pollsters (and you) were wrong about who would win the key states just as the AGW "scientists" have been horribly wrong with their climate predictions.
I've got a headache from trying to follow the circuitous rambling, Eric, so I'll be the one of us who does what Kurt wants us to do. I'll walk away.
Very sad that a president of the United States of America is continuing to take away our freedoms with such cowardly acts of power.
Been to the Bears ears area many times, Gods Country!
Manage it well and fair!
I have begun to appreciate you President Obama, as your time AND place IN the Presidency comes to a close.He has fire in him now.Perhaps the realization of heart.This would allow his children and their children to have a legacy left by their father, for posterity.The land can be treassured,by all.Our horses could be returned to their ancestral lands to live free and not live penned in stockaides:experimented on,have drugs given to them,that will stop ovulation,(perhaps on a permanent) basis..PZP. has many side effects.The separation of bands and herds has a difficult impact for these horses and their families.They represent our country.World wars,and those,fought on our own shores.Millions have served,our countrymen ,and died. Thank you Mr.Pres.Obama for this last ditch effort to
save them.To maintain your integrity.
save our country.I am very grateful
Linda A.Knowles,Nassau,Bahamas. I Am an American
Here is a link to an aritcle in this morning's Salt Lake Tribune that does a good job of answering some questions about Bears Ears. It also contains the full proclamation for anyone who would like to read it.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/4759098-155/monument-faq-how-will-bears-ears
SEND YOUR THOUGHTS TO SENATOR MIKE LEE
http://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/bears-ears-national-monument-...
Isn't it amazing that our level of education and patriotism has sunk so low that people like Freedom Eagle can actually believe "his" "freedom" is being taken away in the creation of a national monument? I mean, think about it. A person would have to be oblivious to Article 2 of the Constitution, designating the President of the United States with the authority to execute the laws, and that includes the management of the public lands. And you would not even know that the issue of the creation of the public lands was solved in the Administration of the THIRD president of the US, in the Louisiana Purchase? And there would have to be no knowledge at all, that the Congress, realizing that there would be no point in one President making an Executive Order to preserve an essential part of American Heritage, if as soon as he or she goes out of power that essential resource once again is open to destruction by the whim of this or that private desire? And so the Congress provided that when the President sees the need to preserve an essential resource, she or he can preserve it for all time?
Freedom Eagle reminds me of one of Abraham Lincoln's insights. In the case of Bears Ears, President Obama acted to preserve the continuation of the rights of Native Americans to respect this sacred essential place. For Abraham Lincoln, the slavers said Lincoln was threatening their "rights" by Lincoln's 'cowardly acts of power.' Lincoln pointed out the slavers had no "right" to enslave others, it was just greed. Just as there is no "right" for Freedom Eagle to have his way with land owned by all Americans. President Obama acted to protect the nationally significant values of Bears Ears, and that includes the long-standing sacred value of the land to Native Amerians. Compromising those values is not among Freedom Eagle's rights.
If Freedom Eagle now claims that nothing that he would do would diminish the national significance and the sacred significance of these lands, then he can just as easily continue to enjoy the Bears Ears National Monument. But if Freedom Eagle's idea is that HIS "rights" enable HIM to privatize and change the land for his own narrow purpose, as Lincoln pointed out in another context, that is not a 'right' at all, but something very different.
Freedom Eagle: it is not YOUR 'right' to abuse the rights of others, and the constitution and the laws of the United States were created to assure that the rights of ALL ARE PROTECTED. That is what President Obama did for us with this National Monument Proclamation, acting well within the designated powers he was elected to fulfill. And he swore an oath to carry out. Why have we so lost our sense of patriotism and knowledge of history that we can actually be so oblivious to why America is such a great nation?
Bravo, D-2! Well said!
d-2 ....
Just what I was thinking but ever so much better said than I could.
Jim,
There is no need to shout at us with all CAPS. Your credibility is blown out of the water with your very first words. The vast majority of the land included with the new National Monument designation is already under Federal management by the BLM and Forest Service. Have you read the enabling National Monument designation? Recreationists will continue to enjoy the area as before. No entrance fees, and the BLM doesn't even have a SWAT team. Paranoia about government overreach is not justified here The National Monument designation restricts mining and other resource extraction, but the current administration has expanded these activities in many other public lands areas, some would say too much so. No, I haven't been drinking coolaid, just more rational and informed.
AND NO THE LAND WAS NOT ALREADY FEDERAL..
Completely false . . . . and so is virtually everything else in that comment.
See the link to an article from the Salt Lake Tribune that was posted yesterday.
Yeah - the shouter lost his credibility also in glossing over the "cattle grazing'. I was reading elsewhere last night about the Bundy's "gathering their gear" in a call to arms. That petulance needs to be smacked down quick. Because they got away with stealing cattle grazing on federal lands for years now they think the land was their own personal property.
The sheer stupidity of claiming Obama was a "king" while expecting Trump to be a hero of the common working man just nauseates me.
Muley Point is BLM land. Goosnecks is a STATE park, owned by the state of Utah. Any fees are the decision of Utah.
As for gates, the only ones I have encountered on federal land are put in place by cattle and sheep ranchers who try to keep others off their LEASED property. As allowed by law, we go through them anyway. On a few occasions, we have encountered locks. A quick call to the local BLM office affirms they are illegally placed by the grazing permit lease holders. We can cut those off.
We do need the land protected from the ignorant public. You know, the ones who feel it is their right to do anything they want including trash it, burn it, steal it, and otherwise destroy what beauty there is.
You think Trump is going to save you? He's going to sell you to the highest bidder the first chance he gets. In the mean time, public roads, lands, and services are going to be sold first. "Privatize to profit" - the mantra of him and his friends. You won't be able to breathe without paying him first.
Bears Ears National Monument affords very little added protection to the lands included. Other than the removal of any new fO&G leasing, the management likely change very little. As per the proclamation, the lands will conintue to be managed by the agenciies currently imqnqing them under current applicable federal law. The monument was reduced in size by 600,000 acreas to exclude all NPS lands (so as to ensure little NPS influence in land management), and to ensure that the most potentially valuable O&G lands would remain availaible. Therel is no joint managment of the monument by the agencies with the Indian tribes. Knowing the area as I do, I would hazard that the agencies previously managing the lands as BLM and USFS would argue that they have been protecting the resources highlighted in the proclamation as well as they could given their budetary constraints. Forcing the agencies to write yet another resource management plan will accomplish little.
In my opinion, the environmental community got taken to the cleaners by the agencies and the president. In the end, they got exactly what they asked for and nothing more (a Bears Ears National Monument). What I find telling is that the final size of the monument comes very close to the size of the "conservation area" proposed by Bishop in his PLI. The way I see it, one of the biggest things the monument designation will do is act as a magnet for more use forcing the agencies to inact additional access restrictions.
You mean like no more freebie grazing?
It is heartening that no presidential designation under the Antiquities Act has yet been successfully challenged, beginning with TR's designation the Grand Canyon as a national monument. I'm sure that many in the Utah delegation and those of other western states believe that there should be no Grand Canyon National Park (or monument). History and the Smerican people have proven that viewpoint wrong, and we who love big landscpes for contemplation, roamng around, or just just dreaming about need to gear up for yet another fight to keep this land in protected status.