Sally Jewell Visits Bears Ears, Says Obama Will Decide on National Monument Before Leaving Office

President Barack Obama could decide whether to designate the 1.9 million–acre region known as Bears Ears as a national monument by the end of the year, according to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. If not by then, Obama will definitely decide before he leaves office, Jewell told Indian Country Media Network during a three-day tour of the area. Five tribes are asking for the designation under the 1906 Antiquities Act, which gives the President signing power to create such monuments on federal land. The proposal drew criticism and support as its creators and the opposition had a chance to speak directly with Jewell and other top federal officials at a public hearing in Bluff, Utah. People spoke passionately about the area and its history, which dates back thousands of years. “We have not made up our minds on what way to go,” said Jewell during the hearing. “We’re here to listen.”...more