Rep. Stewart's Statement in Response to Secretary Zinke's Report on the Bear's Ears National Monument

Statement

Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) released the following statement in response to Secretary Zinke's report on the Bear's Ears National Monument:

"I commend the President and the Secretary for this long overdue examination of Antiquities Act abuses and I look forward to working with the Secretary as he works on the final report for this and other National Monuments. The process leading to the creation of the Bears Ears National Monument didn't have the support of the Governor, a single member of Utah's Congressional delegation, nor any local elected official. With the stroke of a pen, President Obama crippled a multi-year effort to solve public lands issues in Utah by locking up a million acres and jeopardized negotiations over another 10 million. In doing so, President Obama further undermined the local population's trust in the federal government."

"When determining the future of public lands -- particularly in regions dominated by federal ownership -- there is a need to balance conservation, recreation and economic development. Secretary Zinke's recommendation takes major steps to reach this conclusion and to correct the actions of the previous administration. This is a win-win scenario for the region."

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