The commissioners of San Juan County, Utah, have passed a resolution opposing an inter-tribal coalition’s proposal for the creation of Bears Ears National Monument.
The coalition, made up of the five tribes including the Navajo and Hopi, has called on President Obama to designate 1.9 million acres south of Canyonlands National Park as a monument. But the commission’s resolution, passed unanimously Monday, charges that the monument would pre-empt at least 18 established planning efforts by federal, state, and local entities. It questions claims by monument supporters of “rampant looting” of cultural resources. It calls instead for a review and update of the county’s master land-use plan “using a historical understanding of the definition of ‘public lands’ ”. It also asks for a review of the coalition’s concerns “for veracity and potential inclusion in the land-use planning process.”
