Federal management of public lands and national monuments continues to vex Utah.
Fresh off a week that saw a new national monument announcement and a visit from President Joe Biden, Gov. Spencer Cox held his monthly news conference with reporters. The governor again expressed his frustration with monument designations — both with the scope and the intent.
“In a fairy tale maybe [it] makes sense that we just protect the land and nobody gets to touch it ever,” Cox said, but he emphasized, “that is exactly not what is happening.” Instead, the monuments “attract people to come and trample over these sacred lands, and we can't get to the critical minerals that are so desperately needed.”
The governor also shared his thoughts on the upcoming Utah special election with primary ballots in the mail and about the recent criminal indictments against former President Donald Trump.
National monuments
Even though the president’s newly announced Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument near the Grand Canyon doesn’t reach into Utah, Cox said southern Utah residents, particularly farmers and ranchers, have grazing permits and other economic interests which he believes will be hindered by the protections. Other Utah leaders expressed similar concerns with the announcement.
The governor’s argument, both with the new Arizona monument and Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah, is that they are an overreach.
“I believe very strongly that it is a direct violation of the Antiquities Act,” he said of the scope of designations. “The language is very clear that the monument must be the smallest size necessary to protect the artifacts or the antiquities that are at risk. And I don't believe millions of acres does that at all.”
A U.S. District Court judge threw out Utah’s lawsuit last week over the restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase but the state is already making moves to appeal. Cox believes the case will eventually make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
He added there are “better ways” to protect the lands besides a national designation that draws immense attention to the monuments.
“I was told more artifacts are being destroyed because of this monument designation,” Cox said. “More of the landscapes are being trampled on because people are coming from all over the country and all over the world to see this new monument. People who never would have come there before.”
Some lands do need complete safeguarding, Cox acknowledged, but others “look just like random sagebrush with no artifacts there, and that happen to have some very critical minerals” that help energy production locally and nationally.
“You can't say in one breath that you believe in climate change, that you're desperate to have more electric vehicles, that we have to have better and more efficient and cleaner energy production, and then say we can't mine any of the critical minerals that are necessary to do all of those things,” he said.
If people can’t mine minerals in those areas, the governor said it’s then outsourced to places like China, Russia and “other geopolitical foes that are hellbent on destroying our country.”
Special election in CD2
As primary election ballots for the special election in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District make their way to Republican voters, Cox didn’t directly endorse a candidate in the race.
Although he did say he “would love to have some representation off of the Wasatch Front,” the only GOP candidate who fits that description is Celeste Maloy, but Cox reiterated that his comment was “not an official endorsement.”
He said he has relationships with all three candidates, including Becky Edwards and Bruce Hough, and that the state is “very lucky” to have qualified people to pick from.
The primary election is Sept. 5. Only registered Republicans in CD2 are eligible to vote in that election. Since Election Day takes place a day after Labor Day, ballots can be postmarked on Sept. 5.
The looming presidential campaign
On a national level, Cox called the recent indictments of former President Donald Trump for meddling in the 2020 presidential election “deeply concerning.” However, he cautioned that “there is a presumption of innocence in our country, and that applies to the president of the United States.”
When asked if he thought it was appropriate for Trump to run for president considering his 91 charges, Cox didn’t give an answer. He did point out that Trump is the GOP frontrunner. That is a troubling reality for the governor, as he said he doesn’t believe Trump “can win the presidency as the Republican nominee” because of the legal challenges he’s up against.
There are six former or current Republican governors running for president in 2024, he pointed out.
“I endorse all of them,” Cox said.
