A year ago today, President Barack Obama created the Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah. The story's taken twists and turns all year. A few weeks ago, President Trump lopped off more than a million acres from the monument. Now there's a flurry of legal challenges. KUER shares some of the voices that have defined the ongoing monument fight.
Jonah Yellowman, spiritual advisor to Utah Dine Bikeyah, in an interview with KUER News
Bears Ears became a law. ...It was signed by the president and we want it - and we want it to be honored. That's all we're asking. And we want everybody to enjoy that. We're not selfish. We never were.
Kathleen Clarke, Director of Utah Public Lands Policy testifying before the U.S. House Federal Lands Subcommittee, May 2.
Any perceived benefits from the designation of huge landscape-scale monuments needs to be weighed against the impacts that are suffered by those who rely on the land. Landscapes don't disappear, but jobs and artifacts do.
Democratic State Rep. Patrice Arent at the "Monumental Mistake" protest at the State Capitol on Dec. 2.
This is truly a monumental mistake. Trump is ignoring a history, and as he often does. He's ignoring science. He's ignoring the 2.8 million people who sent comments to [U.S. Interior] Secretary [Ryan] Zinke to tell him to support our two national monuments. He's ignoring the law.
President Donald Trump speaking at the Utah State Capitol on Dec. 4.
Therefore today, on the recommendation of Secretary Zinke, and with the wise counsel of Sen. Hatch, Sen. Lee and the many others, I will sign two presidential proclamations. These actions will modify the national monuments' designations of both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante.
