Shrinking of Grand Staircase Escalante

[Mescalito86]

I understand the debate around Bears Ears, it was designated by Obama and expanded Biden and Trump already reduced it during his first presidency, but why Grand Staircase? Well, I know for a fact that the area is rich in uranium and heavy metals. So my question to you all is, what do we get out of it when our national parks or monuments are shrunk down in size for mining or mineral production? Our taxes don’t go down, gas prices stay the same, grocery bill doesn’t go down, we don’t receive a stipend check in the mail for additional revenue to the state or government. This is the problem when our public lands are taken away from us and ultimately handed over to private companies for profit.

 

[RockAndSage]

What you got was millions of acres of public land absolutely stolen by a given administration at the stroke of a pen, and locked away as untouchable by human hands. Lands vastly in excess of the cultural sites themselves. It was an absolute crime that it was done in the first place at the stroke of a pen, rather than by an act of our legislators in Congress, and Trump has only made the size more appropriate to the sites.

 

[Hnthrdr]

@Mescalito86 hi, what do you like to hunt? and where do you like to hunt?

 

[Mescalito86]

I mainly hunt elk both rifle and archery but I’ve drawn a few deer tags. I live in Utah and hunt the Uintas and the Wasatch.

 

[Mescalito86]

What you got was millions of acres of public land absolutely stolen by a given administration at the stroke of a pen, and locked away as untouchable by human hands. Lands vastly in excess of the cultural sites themselves. It was an absolute crime that it was done in the first place at the stroke of a pen, rather than by an act of our legislators in Congress, and Trump has only made the size more appropriate to the sites.

Are you referring to Bears Ears or the Staircase? In my opinion Staircase is nothing more than a way for Trump’s cronies to win no bid contracts and walk away with pockets full of cash.

 

[PARA1977]

Are you referring to Bears Ears or the Staircase? In my opinion Staircase is nothing more than a way for Trump’s cronies to win no bid contracts and walk away with pockets full of cash.

Every administration has its share of Cronies always have always will but I trust the usage managed by the BLM more then the park service
Any day of the week and twice on Sunday 3 million acres as a National Monument is a tough sell in the first place.

 

[MTBackroads]

All that money SUWA laundered to Clinton and Obama suddenly seems wasted.

 

[Mescalito86]

Every administration has its share of Cronies always have always will but I trust the usage managed by the BLM more then the park service
Any day of the week and twice on Sunday 3 million acres as a National Monument is a tough sell in the first place.

I have to agree with you but this idea of one president doing something for another to come back and undo it, just continue this pattern on and on is unacceptable. Congress should pass legislation and have a president sign it into law to outline how much a president can designate without it being reversed by the next guy who doesn’t agree with it. Currently the Antiquities Act leaves up to the president without mention of another president whipping it away with a Presidential Executive Order.

 

[Azone]

Who is gonna end up mining this area?

 

[Blowdowner]

All that money SUWA laundered to Clinton and Obama suddenly seems wasted.

What was this about?

 

[CJ19]

All that money SUWA laundered to Clinton and Obama suddenly seems wasted.

Suwa big into rewilding and wolf reintroducrion

 

[Jpsmith1]

I understand the debate around Bears Ears, it was designated by Obama and expanded Biden and Trump already reduced it during his first presidency, but why Grand Staircase? Well, I know for a fact that the area is rich in uranium and heavy metals. So my question to you all is, what do we get out of it when our national parks or monuments are shrunk down in size for mining or mineral production? Our taxes don’t go down, gas prices stay the same, grocery bill doesn’t go down, we don’t receive a stipend check in the mail for additional revenue to the state or government. This is the problem when our public lands are taken away from us and ultimately handed over to private companies for profit.

Your mistake is thinking it's about you.

It's about the billionaire rulers and them putting more money in their pockets.

You? They only think about how you can be used to that end.

 

[Poser]

I have to agree with you but this idea of one president doing something for another to come back and undo it, just continue this pattern on and on is unacceptable. Congress should pass legislation and have a president sign it into law to outline how much a president can designate without it being reversed by the next guy who doesn’t agree with it. Currently the Antiquities Act leaves up to the president without mention of another president whipping it away with a Presidential Executive Order.

I think that after recent admin experiences, we're going to see an overhaul and established guardrails of presidential powers in the near future: what they can do by executive order/what they cannot, pardons and legal accountability for actions taken during office, firmer congressional guardrails over spending/finance, war powers etc.

 

[Jpsmith1]

I think that after recent admin experiences, we're going to see an overhaul and established guardrails of presidential powers in the near future: what they can do by executive order/what they cannot, pardons and legal accountability for actions taken during office, firmer congressional guardrails over spending/finance, war powers etc.

I wish I was this optimistic.

 

[OsoMountain]

Hey look! Another overstep by the federal government and the American people happily bending over to take it like good servants.

 

[EdP]

The OP asked:

...what do we get out of it when our national parks or monuments are shrunk down in size for mining or mineral production?

National parks are created by the legislature (acts of Congress) and the boundaries are defined by the legislative acts, so they are not relevant to the question of a presidential administration changing their size.

With regard to the downsizing of the upsized monuments, what you get is a reduced reliance on global competitors such as Russia and China and that translates to improved national security and ecconomic stability. Meanwhile, every square inch is still in the public domain.

 

[Wrench]

America was never stronger than when we were a resource based economy. We logged, grazed and mined public land and used the money to prosper the nation. In the last 50 plus years that has gone from how it's done to taboo.

We all want America to be the greatest but not affect our little worlds.... unfortunately the population has more than doubled and sadly the dependence of our citizens is higher than in the past with handout money going everywhere.

There's a mess to clean up and it's probably going to be uncomfortable in the process.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I think that after recent admin experiences, we're going to see an overhaul and established guardrails of presidential powers in the near future: what they can do by executive order/what they cannot, pardons and legal accountability for actions taken during office, firmer congressional guardrails over spending/finance, war powers etc.

Hahaha! And I thought I was an optimist!

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I think that after recent admin experiences, we're going to see an overhaul and established guardrails of presidential powers in the near future: what they can do by executive order/what they cannot, pardons and legal accountability for actions taken during office, firmer congressional guardrails over spending/finance, war powers etc.

Who's gonna do that Congress?

We all know when the other side wins they just push the envelope farther on eveything you mentioned. Doesn't matter which side they are all crooks.

 

[Chris in TN]

I think that after recent admin experiences, we're going to see an overhaul and established guardrails of presidential powers in the near future: what they can do by executive order/what they cannot, pardons and legal accountability for actions taken during office, firmer congressional guardrails over spending/finance, war powers etc.

Nah. We'll just see the usual 4-year cycle of shifting between which side is worried about executive overreach.

Power - gross, excessive power - is only bad when the other guy does it.