President Obama just made two new national monuments, and here’s why that matters for the environment
As his final term as president comes to an end, President Obama proves he’s concerned about the future of the environment. As a result, Obama just designated two new national monuments in a sacred tribal site in Utah and in the Nevada desert, NPR reports. The creation of these new national monuments should help protect the land from development and to honor sacred lands, and we’re *so* here for it.
In Utah, there will be a new Bears Ears National Monument. As The Washington Post notes, it’s especially important because it’s the first time that Native American tribes (the Hopi, Navajo, Uintah and Ouray Ute, Ute Mountain Ute and Pueblo of Zuni) will collaborate to protect a national monument and offer input on how they should be managed. We’re cheering!
Russell Begaye, the president of the Navajo Nation, told The Washington Post,
“We have always looked to Bears Ears as a place of refuge, as a place where we can gather herbs and medicinal plants, and a place of prayer and sacredness. These places — the rocks, the wind, the land — they are living, breathing things that deserve timely and lasting protection.
Hell to the yes.
In Nevada, the Gold Butte National Monument will help protect 300,000 acres of land. Like, whoa.
President Obama said in a statement,
"Today’s actions will help protect this cultural legacy and will ensure that future generations are able to enjoy and appreciate these scenic and historic landscapes. Importantly, today I have also established a Bears Ears Commission to ensure that tribal expertise and traditional knowledge help inform the management of the Bears Ears National Monument and help us to best care for its remarkable national treasures.
Of course it’s not without criticism, as local politicians argue that at least some of the land should have been available for development. People are also unsure of how long these protections will last, considering how determined these politicians are to fight the monument status.
Still, we think it’s important to highlight President Obama’s continuing legacy as a protector of the environment, especially as the future of our Environmental Protections Agency is looking less than bright.
