In response to “Disappointed with Vocal Locals” (Herald, July 27), I’d be disappointed if locals hadn’t been vocal in a meeting intended to gather local input regarding something important to their livelihood, their heritage, and for the lands and spiritual well-being of local Native Americans.
I met both pro- and anti-monument people, stood with them in 105-degree heat and we all booed and cheered alternately. To imply that only those against the monument booed is disingenuous.
When Navajo President Russell Begaye spoke he was loudly booed by members of his tribe who feel like the coalition hasn’t listened to them. However, I could hear every speech and felt that for approximately 1,000 people meeting at a 500-seat building regarding a hot issue, everyone was well-behaved.
The debated land is already public – open to anyone who wishes to visit. What locals don’t want is to risk increased vandalism. Statistics from current monuments tell us that vandalism increases after designation. According to The Cortez Journal (May 2016), the BLM’s Monticello office investigated 25 cases of vandalism in San Juan County from October 2011 to April 2016. According to Fox13now.com, in 2015 alone 1,400 cases of vandalism at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument were investigated.
If you are asking, “I live miles away so how does this affect me?” If a president can single-handedly declare a 1.9 million-acre monument in Utah, he’ll move on through Colorado next.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Colorado is the fourth largest exporter of cattle in the U.S. History shows us that grazing permits are significantly reduced in national monuments. According to the BLM 1,500 Colorado ranchers currently have grazing permits.
If you want to help protect a western, outdoor, rural way of life and Native American heritage, please get involved – go to savebearsears.com.
I’m reminded of a quote from Allen B. West: “When you stand on Main Street in Durango and lift your eyes to the hills, you understand why we sing ‘God Bless America.’ We do not sing ‘Government bless America,’ because it cannot.”
The same could be said about Bear’s Ears.
Jennifer Johnson
Springville, Utah
