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Utah House urges reversal and boundary changes for two national monuments after heated debate
Summary
After hours of debate over local control, tribal sovereignty and economic impacts, the Utah House passed HCR 11 urging the president to rescind the Bears Ears National Monument (60–14) and HCR 12 urging federal legislation to reduce or modify Grand Staircase–Escalante boundaries (61–13); both measures were sent to the Senate.
The Utah House of Representatives voted on Jan. 31, 2017 to adopt two concurrent resolutions pressing for changes to federal national-monument designations affecting southern Utah.
In separate roll calls, the House passed House Concurrent Resolution 11, urging the president to rescind the Bears Ears National Monument designation, by a 60–14 vote; and House Concurrent Resolution 12, urging federal legislation to reduce or modify the boundaries of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, by a 61–13 vote. Both resolutions will be transmitted to the Utah Senate for consideration.
The measures touched off a wide-ranging floor debate that ranged from constitutional objections to monument designations and concerns about local economic effects to arguments about tribal sovereignty and long-running federal planning. Representative Hughes, presenting HCR 11, described the December 2016 Bears Ears designation as an example of an overly broad executive action that "encumber[ed] over a million acres" and said the House should register its opposition. He highlighted local government resolutions and stressed potential impacts on San Juan County and other rural communities.
Opponents of HCR 11 said the House resolution constituted a symbolic attack on tribal sovereignty and that many Native American groups and urban tribal residents support the monument. Representative Romero said she represents indigenous communities and urged colleagues to "reconsider your stance and vote this resolution down," noting that many tribal citizens view the land as sacred. Representative Briscoe and Representative Stratton described participation by tribal leaders and the Bears Ears intertribal coalition and said the designation reflected decades of discussion and consultation.
Members also debated technical and fiscal issues. Several speakers raised the role of school trust lands (SITLA), acreage figures cited in the resolution and whether land-exchange options under federal law could address trustee concerns. Representative Waite offered a verbal amendment to remove specified lines referencing SITLA acreage; after discussion, members rejected the amendment on a voice vote and returned to debate on the original resolution.
Representative Brian King, among those opposing HCR 11, said the Obama administration followed an "exemplary" process for Bears Ears and cited poll and economic data distributed to members suggesting tourism and monument status had delivered local benefits in some counties. Supporters of the resolutions countered with accounts from local officials and residents who described regulatory burdens, permitting delays and increased costs for infrastructure projects and access to traditional uses.
On HCR 12, Representative Noel (sponsor) said the resolution responded to requests from county commissioners in Garfield and Kane counties and sought a narrower, more manageable monument footprint. He and supporting members argued that modified boundaries would permit development such as renewable-energy projects and reduce barriers to access and land use. Opponents again emphasized cultural preservation and local economic benefits driven by tourism, and noted federal environmental and antiquities protections that would remain in place even after boundary changes.
Both resolutions are symbolic expressions of the Legislature's position and do not themselves change federal law or monument boundaries. The House record shows the measures will be forwarded to the U.S. congressional delegation and to the Senate for further consideration.
The House also used floor time to honor volunteer search-and-rescue teams who helped locate a missing person, received multiple committee reports and referred a long list of bills to standing committees before adjourning until Feb. 1.
Votes at a glance: HCR 11 (urging rescission of Bears Ears National Monument) — passed House 60–14; HCR 12 (urging change to Grand Staircase–Escalante boundaries) — passed House 61–13.
What’s next: Both concurrent resolutions will be transmitted to the Utah Senate for its consideration; any federal action remains at the discretion of Congress and the President.
