Rallies over Bears Ears act as prelude to Zinke's visit

For scores of Utahns, preserving the monument status of the state's newest protected public lands and one of its more revered places was more than enough reason to spend a weekend afternoon at the state Capitol. Hundreds of people fanned out across the front lawn and stairs leading up to the Capitol on Saturday to show their support for the national monument status of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. The "Monumental Rally," as it was called, was organized as "an urgent call to action" because the two monuments are in the crosshairs of powerful political interests, including Utah's congressional delegation and members of the Trump administration. Opponents call the designations by two Democratic presidents — Barack Obama for Bears Ears and Bill Clinton for Grand Staircase-Escalante — federal overreach that didn't take into account the feelings and sensibilities of local interests. Contrarily, supporters believe the designations preserve the land considered hallowed by Native Americans for centuries...more