Utah leaders expressed "frustration and disappointment" in the Biden Administration's decision to restore the original boundaries of the Bears Ears National Monument.
The monument is in San Juan County in southeastern Utah. It was created by President Barack Obama in December, 2016, and contained more than 1.3 million acres. President Donald Trump reduced it 85% to approximately 200,000 acres a year later.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson, Attorney General Sean Reyes, President Stuart Adams and Speaker Brad Wilson released a statement Thursday saying they learned from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland that President Biden would restore the monument to its original size. The statement from the Governor's Office said the Utah leaders had offered to work with the Biden Administration to come up with a permanent management plan for Bears Ears, and called Biden's decision a "tragic, missed opportunity." Utah's entire congressional delegation, Senators Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, Representatives Chris Stewart, John Curtis, Burgess Owens and Blake Moore, all Republicans, called Biden's action a "devastating blow."
In contrast, the Utah House Democratic Caucus issued a statement commending President Biden "for using his authority to return these treasured and sacred places to their original protective boundaries for all Americans."
Environmental groups like the Center for Western Priorities praised Biden's decision, which he is expected to announce Friday. The land within the Bears Ears National Monument is largely undeveloped and has many archaeological sites and artifacts that are sacred to Indigenous people. It is co-managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and a coalition of five local Native American tribes.