The majority of cattle ranchers in the area rely on public lands as a core foundation to their operation, but with this new monument, that will probably change.

Jamie Hawley

“We know the monument is going to affect all cattle people,” says San Juan County Commissioner and rancher Bruce Adams. “History has shown that monuments will not be good for grazing.”

Adams’ family has been ranching in the area for five generations, and he has been a county commissioner for more than a decade. This is the first time he has seen a monument designated in the area, but has witnessed what has happened to ranchers in other parts of the state.

“Our plan is to analyze what the declaration says exactly and find any way to end this monument,” Adams says. “We are working with state and federal people to legally get this monument overturned.”

The county commissioners held a press conference in Monticello, Utah, the day after the monument was created. Along with nearly 200 locals, there were government officials and state congressional representatives at the conference protesting the monument.

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“This monument declaration is a dysfunctional land-management in action,” says San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman. “There are no rules to follow.”

The Antiquities Act created in 1906 gives the president executive power to designate public lands as national monuments without any other government branch authorization.

“The president is elected for and by the people, and he can do just anything he wants,” Lyman says. “It’s just wrong to have a president who can do that.”

Gail Johnson, who runs around 500 head of cattle in the area, says this monument will detrimentally affect their operation.

“The monument swallows us up completely, even our home,” Johnson says. “Until the management plan is written, we have no idea what is going to happen.”

According to Johnson, San Juan County is one of the poorest counties in the nation and this monument isn’t going to help that.

“The land is now just going to be restricted to tourists,” Johnson says. “That leaves us with only minimum-wage jobs.”

There was a feeling of relief for fourth-generation rancher Charlie Tracy when he realized the monument does not touch his grazing permits, but he knows it won’t be the case for long.

“I can’t see a positive in this,” Tracy says. “I know the regulations being imputed are going to bleed over on to mine.”

Ranchers believe the government already has a tight enough grip on the land with the preservation plans in place. This monument designation just gives it a proper name.

“No one has been excluded and things have already been taken care of,” Johnson says. “But now it is going to be even more restrictive, or they wouldn’t be doing it.”  end mark

Jamie Hawley

PHOTO: Protesters at the press conference the day after the Bears Ears National Monument was created. Photo by Jamie Hawley.