Trump Slashes Size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Monuments

One of the biggest gifts America has to its people and the world is the large amount of public land we have.

It gives opportunities to city dwellers go experience the awesomeness of Mother nature and also preserves vast amounts of different regions do people can see first hand the rich diversity our large country has to offer.

President Trump sharply reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah on Monday by some two million acres, the largest rollback of federal land protection in the nation’s history.

The administration shrank Bears Ears National Monument, a sprawling region of red rock canyons, by 85 percent, and cut another monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante, to about half its current size. The move, a reversal of protections put in place by Democratic predecessors, comes as the administration pushes for fewer restrictions and more development on public lands.

The decision to reduce Bears Ears is expected to set off a legal battle that could alter the course of American land conservation, putting dozens of other monuments at risk and possibly opening millions of preserved public acres to oil and gas extraction, mining, logging and other commercial activities.

NYtimes

Should this benefit business looking to mine resources, I think we may have just taken one of the largest steps back in recent years.

We have the technology to move forward with renewable energy, and get back our energy independence without polluting this gorgeous country... But to think the possibility that we will sell national treasures, hell, world treasures for some company to get a quick buck is sickening.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

...by 85 percent...

If anyone was averse to the idea that greed was a motivating factor of this administration...
You can now certainly rule that out.

a reply to: Hazardous1408

I don't want this to become to partisan as it will lose sight of the general trend over the last handful of administrations.

There is a slow but measurable trend of corporate interest taking more weight than citizen interest.

We've seen over the last decade or so energy companies exercising imminent domain over personal property. One case hits close to home for me and would dissect very close family friends property they've had for 30 years. We go up at least two Mondays a month and make a feast for anyone who wants to come and enjoy being out in the middle of no where to enjoy friends company, fires under the stars and all kinds of activities.

This is nothing new, and I believe it's a result of allowing unlimited funds to be used on campaigns of both sides of the isle.

Cut the area down for what?

I dont know what you all are thinking this means, it doesnt open it all up to strip mining or fracking.

This is still government property, the only difference is you wont get jailed or fined for running cattle through it or camping or fishing or biking...this is all allowed in those areas now, not construction or deforestation or anything drastic to the environment.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

I knew it was only a matter of time before Trump started auctioning off our country piece-by-piece to the highest bidder.

a reply to: CriticalStinker


I wish people would make up their minds on whether or not they believe in States Rights or not. Trump basically turned it over to the State of Utah and the people of Utah. Not sure why such an uproar?

Drill Baby Drill!! Let the bulldozers roll and WalMart's reach for the sky!

a reply to: CriticalStinker

"Preserves" and "Reserves", became available for 'development' (read that resource extraction), back when the department of forestry was placed under the Department of Agriculture. IOW the "Preserves" are now "Product".

This is not Trumps fault this change occurred. He is to blame though for not doing his job and vetoing the Bill, "Move" or whatever they call legislation today.

Y''all elected a Big Business Man to the Oval office America, did you expect him to stand in Big Business' way?

Moving this lang back OUT of the National Park Service is the right move. The NPS is already stretched dangerously thin, they have a 12 billion dollar backlog on maintenance work that needs to be done in the parks they already have. How does adding even more land to a system that can hardly handle the amount of land they already have a good thing?

This land should continue to be responsibly managed to maintain conservationist ideals, while also allowing some limited use by for-profit industry. This is how you generate revenue to maintain the land already managed by the NPS.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

I don't want this to become to partisan...

Yeah.. about that...

The move, a reversal of protections put in place by Democratic predecessors...

This is nothing new, and I believe it's a result of allowing unlimited funds to be used on campaigns of both sides of the isle.

I think all that mentality does is shift culpability from the person who actually made the decision.
Which would be Dear Leader.

a reply to: Butterfinger

I don't know what you all are thinking this means, it doesnt open it all up to strip mining or fracking.

Yes it does, Including Mineral Mining, logging and 'Development' by real estate developers.

Thats the whole idea of taking it out of "reserve".

Besides which, now the companies will buy it, fence it off and place no trespassing signs around where they operate so Protesters can't get in there and take footage of fracking, mining, logging. i.e., general destruction of whats left of the environment.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: CriticalStinker

I knew it was only a matter of time before Trump started auctioning off our country piece-by-piece to the highest bidder.

And here I thought you were a critical thinker.
🤔

originally posted by: seeker1963


I wish people would make up their minds on whether or not they believe in States Rights or not. Trump basically turned it over to the State of Utah and the people of Utah. Not sure why such an uproar?

God, does every statement from the left need to be so dramatic with the whole "the sky is falling" anytime Trump does anything?

originally posted by: thesaneone

And here I thought you were a critical thinker.

Not when it comes to Trump.... They literally go temporary insane....

a reply to: intrptr

Its federal land, its not for sale.

a reply to: Butterfinger

Are you familiar with the term “full of sh*t”?

Here is a good example of it...

...it doesnt open it all up to strip mining or fracking.

The decision to reduce Bears Ears is expected to set off a legal battle that could alter the course of American land conservation, putting dozens of other monuments at risk and possibly opening millions of preserved public acres to oil and gas extraction, mining, logging and other commercial activities.

Is your attempt to muddy the waters due to forgivable ignorance or do you just feel the need to defend Trump at all costs?

I like the Fox news version better.

National Park lovers should applaud Trump's monument decision

Link


Because taking lands you could previously enjoy under Federal protection and opening them up to exploitation by the same companies that have already bought a big part of our government through lobbying is something any outdoorsman should get behind.

Umm, yeah.

God, does every statement from the left need to be so dramatic with the whole "the sky is falling" anytime Trump does anything?

Of course not. And Trump's decision to move the Israeli embassy to Jerusalem was only because he found cheaper rent there. Won't cause any problems at all.

a reply to: Butterfinger

This is still government property, the only difference is you wont get jailed or fined for running cattle through it or camping or fishing or biking...this is all allowed in those areas now, not construction or deforestation or anything drastic to the environment.

In the third largest country in the world, what's wrong with having areas set aside for people to just enjoy the nature? Protecting those areas let wildlife flourish and makes it more welcoming for hikers and campers who don't have to worry about being mistaken for wild game.

a reply to: Hazardous1408

People are strange. I feel like they assume that even if you remove the protections that keep standards high somehow those standards will remain high and not drop with the protections.