Salt Lake City, UT -- Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke released an interim report today, which signaled a desire to dismantle the protections Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) designated under the Antiquities Act by the former President in December 2016.
The presidential proclamation creating the national monument came at the behest of an unprecedented coalition of five Tribal Nations - the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Ute Indian Tribe - and carefully delineated what land was worthy of protection. During the current review and comment period, the Department of Interior received more than one million comments in favor of preserving both Bears Ears and national monuments.
The designation of a national monument is not new to Utah. In fact, four of the “Mighty 5” national parks located in Utah started out as monuments, over the objections of local politicians. Today, they are natural treasures for our country, a source of continuous economic benefit for the state, and widely-known travel destinations for the world. Bears Ears, with its iconic landscapes, concentration of cultural and archaeological sites, and spiritual significance to the tribes is an easy fit with the purpose of the Antiquities Act. Rolling back or changing the boundaries of the monument undermine the voices of the united Tribal Nations and threatens the beloved sacred and biologically rich lands to continued looting and vandalism.
In response, Marc Thomas, Utah Sierra Club Chapter Chair responds:
“Changing the boundaries is an insult to the unprecedented coalition that came together to achieve the Bears Ears National Monument designation. Secretary Zinke swore to respect Tribal Nations and their territories, and with this action he has abandoned his promise.
"The Sierra Club joins in solidarity with the Tribal Nations and will continue to fight and oppose this changing of the map.
“Our public lands are more than a recreational mecca for our state and its visitors, they are cultural storybooks overflowing with biological and geological diversity. Rolling back protection on any part of our public lands threatens the integrity of our cultural history, economy, environment, and the health of our citizens. We will not stand by and allow this dismantling to occur.
"Though this recommendation does not change the current status of the monument, it is clear that there is intent to change the protections that would degrade the value of this monument. Such a move would be on the wrong side of history, politics, justice, and public opinion."
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