The Obama administration designated 1.6 million acres of Utah and Nevada as national monuments Wednesday, including one controversial area of Utah that is rankling congressional Republicans.
The White House announced the 1.35 million-acre Bear Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah and the 300,000-acre Gold Butte National Monument just outside of Las Vegas. The two desert monuments have long been discussed as possible monument designations, and President Obama said it was time to protect important Native American spaces and natural wonders.
He said the areas contain cultural artifacts, including rock art and archeological sites, and lands that Native Americans consider sacred.
“Today’s actions will help protect this cultural legacy and will ensure that future generations are able to enjoy and appreciate these scenic and historic landscapes,” Obama said.
“Importantly, today I have also established a Bears Ears Commission to ensure that tribal expertise and traditional knowledge help inform the management of the Bears Ears National Monument and help us to best care for its remarkable national treasures.”
Bear Ears is a pair of buttes that rise above the Utah desert about 330 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. The area around the buttes is mostly wilderness. It is estimated that more than 10,000 cultural and archeological sites are in the area.
While the designation is new, the complaints from Republicans — particularly Rep. Rob Bishop, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources — won’t be. Bishop and Rep. Jason Chaffetz, both of Utah, pushed legislation in the 114th Congress to take the designation out of the administration’s hands and divvy up the land in a way that was beneficial to both conservationists and the local economy, but couldn’t get it passed.
Local critics have worried about the ability of ranchers to use the land around Bear Ears for grazing, while others are concerned the designation will shut the land off from energy production.
Obama said his administration had done its due diligence before declaring the monument.
“Following years of public input and various proposals to protect both of these areas, including legislation and a proposal from tribal governments in and around Utah, these monuments will protect places that a wide range of stakeholders all agree are worthy of protection,” he said. “We also have worked to ensure that tribes and local communities can continue to access and benefit from these lands for generations to come.”
The designation was made under the Antiquities Act, which allows the president to designate areas to be placed under federal protection. Administration officials said it’s unlikely President-elect Trump could bow to Republican lawmakers and undo the designation when he takes office — the Antiquities Act doesn’t explicitly grant the president the authority to undo monument designations — but Congress could.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican, immediately signaled his intention to work against the new monument designations.
“This arrogant act by a lame duck president will not stand,” Lee tweeted Wednesday. “I will work tirelessly with Congress & incoming Trump administration to honor the will of Utahns and undo this monument designation.”
Christy Goldfuss, managing director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said the new tribal commission will ensure Native Americans have a say in how the monument is operated.
The two monuments will protect wildlife in addition to the cultural artifacts, she said. It’s the culmination of a process started by the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
“Over the course of 80 years, the area has been proposed for protection by members of Congress, state and local leaders and local conservation groups,” she said.
Russell Begaye, president of the Navajo Nation, praised the designation in a call with reporters.
Begaye said the area around Bear Ears has been an ancestral home to his people for generations and the creation of the tribal commission ensures it will continue to be used for traditional purposes.
Begaye said the Obama administration might be criticized for its decision, but future members of the Navajo and other Native American tribes will praise the move to protect Bear Ears.
“I’m happy that we will now have this land protected for future generations, regardless if they are Navajo, European-American or African-American, as long as they are American,” he said.
