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RESPONSE to Rob Bishop and Mike Lee’s anti-monument press conference

Dec 15, 2016

Issue: Extremism, Land Protection
Subject: Lobbying & Politics, National Monuments, Utah

DENVER—In response to today’s press conference by Rep. Rob Bishop and Sen. Mike Lee opposing a possible national monument designation in Utah’s Bears Ears region, the Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Deputy Director Greg Zimmerman:

“Representative Bishop and Senator Lee chose to let the Public Lands Initiative die on their watch, then have the gall to complain about the prospect of President Obama finishing what they failed to accomplish. Instead of pearl-clutching in front of cameras, they ought to look in the mirror and ask themselves why they failed to pass a conservation measure everyone agrees the Bears Ears region deserves.

“Protection for Bears Ears is eight decades overdue. The Antiquities Act was written precisely for cases like this, when Congress fails to do its job. It is now incumbent on President Obama to create a Bears Ears National Monument before he leaves office.”

Representative Bishop is the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. Senator Lee sits on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Their Public Lands Initiative was supported by the entire Utah congressional delegation and Utah Governor Gary Herbert. With Republicans in control of both the House and Senate, nothing prevented them from sending the PLI to President Obama’s desk.

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