Letter: A monumental land grab for oil and coal
Congratulations are in order for mining, coal and oil interests for their windfall opportunity to exploit the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.
Under the pretense of giving back the land to local control and stopping the previous administration’s over-reach of the Antiquities Act, the Trump Administration has reduced both monuments by 85 percent and 52 prercent, respectively. I expressed my concerns with Rep. Newhouse recently, and he responded that “past administrations have over extended the application of the Antiquities Act,” and he is satisfied that Trump has designated “... the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects protected.”
But alas, in assessing the USGS data base, hiking the area and the new monument area designations, I see at least two major complexes — the Moon House Ruin and the Doll House Ruin — have been excluded and, remarkably, are adjacent to uranium and/or oil deposits. Both these monuments contain over 100,000 sites of archaeological importance along with breathtaking natural scenery, which is a legacy resource that should not be exploited by Corporate Trumpism under the guise of “local control..”
Great work, politicians, in protecting the national resource treasures for all Americans. MAGA for all!
Bob Lober, West Richland
This story was originally published December 15, 2017 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Letter: A monumental land grab for oil and coal."