This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
We strenuously oppose Sen. Orrin Hatch's latest efforts pressing for executive action to "review" Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase National Monument.
The monument protections for these large landscapes provide resiliency for the delicate species of flora and fauna in the monuments and the human communities surrounding them. The monument protections injure no one except looters, vandals and energy extractors.
Last year's State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll showed that 66 percent of Utah voters support national monument designation for Bears Ears.
However, wildlife, human life and Native American culture stand to suffer if the areas are not allowed monument status, which was specifically requested for Bears Ears by the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition after Utah politicians dismissed their concerns during the failed two-year Public Lands Initiative process. To dismiss the nation-to-nation relationship of the tribal and U.S. governments is deeply disrespectful and not in line with Utah values.
Utah's citizens support our monuments, and it is past time for Utah's government to respect the sovereignty of the Native American governments whose reservation lands and cultural histories lie within Utah's state boundaries.
Christian Johanna Allen
Utah Women Unite Public Lands Policy and Education Committee
Torrey