172 replies to this topic

[rando]

Supposedly the official announcement on Bears Ears and Grand Staircase will be on Monday, but here is what has been leaked so far:

http://www.denverpos...case-escalante/

 

With a map of the shrunk monuments here:

http://apps.washingt...monuments/2653/

[Tuff Guy 62]

Well at least it looks like the Carrizo Plain will be left alone.

Edited by Tuff Guy 62, 01 December 2017 - 05:22 PM.

[PaulT]

The Antiquities Act of 1906 is short and (mostly) in plain language. Ask yourself how appropriately it has been used over the last 111 years.
It basically tags lands already owned by the federal government as containing objects of scientific or historic importance .
The CEO says hold off doing something with this part of federal lands until Congress acts to do something different with this land if desired.
https://www.nps.gov/...aw/anti1906.htm

Creating National Parks requires acts of Congress for each park. Eminent domain could be applied here to purchase private property to make a contiguous park.
https://www.nps.gov/...tus/history.htm

I'm not saying it isn't important to designate these monuments as national parks. My objection is that the U.S. Constitution and laws are not being followed. The Antiquities Act of 1906 is the wrong tool. Rescinding one executive order with another is legitimate but it does not dispose of public lands.

[rant off]
Paul

[rando]

I don't see an issue with how the antiquities act has been used.  I have spent some time in both Bears Ears and GSENM, and both these areas are riddled with archaeological and ecologically significance - Bears Ears contains more than 100,000 known cultural and archaeological sites.    You will also notice that the very straightforward language of the antiquities act does not give the president any powers to rescind a national monument - this is certainly going to end up in court and will likely be overturned, in the meantime wasting a huge amount of money that could have been used for conservation. 

[buckland]

Not sure how this is gonna go down... but legally if it is not termed as a "rescind"...that is keeping a square inch as "Bear's Ears" it is just an 'alteration' to it... a way around it like tearing a house down but leaving one wall so the zoning board 'sees' it as a renovation.

It is still done.  Greed is one of the seven deadly sins for a good reason. 

[rando]

The antiquities act also doesn't authorize the president to modify an existing national monument either.  There have been minor (and one major) modifications to national monuments in the past, but this has never been tested in court.  I am sure we are about to find out how this will hold up under the scrutiny of the law. 

[buckland]

We can only hope..... and hope that the judicial system follows the LAW not the political pressure. Our system is not perfect but I believe in it. It is frail though. I am worried we are losing so much more on all fronts. That said there is hope......  

[Lighthawk]

There's not nice way to say this:

 

It's a GOP land grab that is taking away public land and turning it into private land sold for pennies on the dollar.

I know WTW doesn't like politics, but when ONE PARTY continues to attack our public lands, it would be foolish to ignore it.

[buckland]

Here is comes. I am putting a lot of my faith in the system.... but the new Supreme Court might just pull the rug as it did on unlimited special interest money in Congress. This will be a very tough fight. Let us hope for the children's sake they will have something to see in 50 years. https://www.nytimes....-ears.html?_r=0

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Well #45 just signed the removal of protection for GSE and BE NM's.

Let the court fight begin.

Frank