There are many who oppose the monument designation. Many of these people feared that greater government oversight would restrict their access to the land. For example, some ranchers opposed the designation, fearing that they would face greater regulation on how they could use the land for grazing cattle. Other opponents felt that by declaring the region a national monument, it would encourage visitation and could actually cause harm to the delicate environment and ancestral sites in the area.
In 2017 Utah Governor Gary Herbert asked newly-elected President Donald Trump to review the decision and rescind the monument. On December 4, 2017 the Bears Ears National Monument was reduced in size by 85 percent. The remaining land was split into two separate monuments named Indian Creek and Shash Ja’a, which included the Bears Ears buttes. That same day, several lawsuits were filed by the people who opposed President Trump’s decision to reduce the monument.
Watch the video to learn about reasons why some of the local communities opposed the monument.
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