This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sen. Orrin Hatch is embarking on a weeklong tour of the state's five national parks while stopping in southeastern Utah at the site of a controversial proposal to name a new national monument.
Hatch and other Utah GOP officials say wrapping the Bears Ears area in permanent monument protections could hurt local economies by closing off future development.
He and Gov. Gary Herbert will visit the site Thursday.
Tribal members and conservation groups want President Barack Obama to create a 1.9 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument to limit damage by off-road vehicles and looting.
Hatch says he believes the White House is giving Utah officials time to work on an alternate conservation proposal from two Utah congressmen that they say balances protections and development.
Tribal leaders say the alternate proposal did not take their concerns seriously.