Gov. Herbert Statement on Monument Report to the White House

Statement

Gov. Gary R. Herbert has issued the following statement in regard to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke's report to the president on the Presidential Order on the Review of Designations under the Antiquities Act:

I appreciate Secretary Zinke's thorough review of uses of the Antiquities Act in Utah that I believe exceed the narrow scope of the Act. I am heartened by the secretary's recognition that Congress, rather than the president, has the authority to enact protections beyond the parameters of the Antiquities Act and that such presidential designations cannot substitute for legislation.

Both the secretary and I have been exceedingly clear that if there is a change to monument boundaries, all affected federal public land will remain an integral part of our national heritage and trust under federal ownership.

It is my hope that the president will carefully study the secretary's recommendations to narrow the application of the Antiquities Act. If the president decides to modify current monuments, I trust the stakeholders in our public land debates will work with Congress in good faith to pass legislation to clarify controversial public land use regulations.

It is my conviction that working together we can protect Utah's iconic landscapes for us and future generations, give to Native Americans meaningful co-management that they currently do not have over lands that have been part of their sacred heritage, and provide access to sustainable recreational activities, all while honoring the BLM charter's important principle of multiple use.

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