As the nation enters the final month of President Barack Obama’s administration, Utah’s political leaders await the fate of the proposed Bears Ears national monument.
There is the possibility that President-elect Donald Trump will be more favorable to opponents of the monument. Utah’s Republican First District Rep. Rob Bishop is not holding his breath. He said that if President Obama decides to make the monument designation, he and his congressional allies are prepared to counter.
“If it were to be designated, we will use every tool at our disposal; which would include legislation that we could introduce, which would include the appropriations process, which would include oversight and hearings,” Bishop said. “It would also include efforts to try and pass the [Public Lands Initiative,] so we could simply overturn [the designation] by positive legislation.”
In a video posted on social media Wednesday, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee threatened to introduce measures similar to Bishop’s in the Senate.
Gov. Gary Herbert said that he believes that President Obama has not made up his mind about designating a national monument at Bears Ears.
“Well, I can only say I accept their word. What [Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough] told me Monday is that the decision had not been made. Who knows what’s going on behind the scenes, we certainly hear a lot of rumblings out there,” Herbert said. “Certainly, the Congressmen are concerned that maybe the cake has already been baked. At least what they told me was the decision had not been made as of Monday.”
Lee speculated in his video that President Obama could designate the monument as early as next week.
