Showing posts with label Butte. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Butte. Show all posts

Friday, June 16, 2017

Bears Ears National Monument: Secretary Zinke's Initial Recommendations

Pyramid in the Valley of the Gods (B/W)
Bell Butte. Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 12, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved
www.aflitt.com/bearsearsnm

 To comment on the monument review process (due July 10, 2017):

Earlier this week, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke released his 45 day interim report on the fate of Bears Ears National Monument to the White House on June 10.  He also has extended the comment public comment period for Bears Ears to July 10, 2017, the same as the rest of the monuments currently under review.

So, what is going on...  This subhead from the Salt Lake Tribune sums it up in a quick nutshell: "After a 45-day review, the secretary recommends reducing acreage, urges Congress to weigh in on management."

This is the middle road here.  Zinke is not calling for the complete elimination of the monument, which, to me, is actually somewhat unexpected.  He also seems to be recommending that they resurrect the now defunct Public Lands Initiative (PLI), which was a Congressional measure regulating the management of the Bears Ears area.

This is not the worst case scenario.  For now...

The President can follow this recommendation, or he can do whatever he wants, so Bears Ears monument status, reduced or eliminated, is far from settled.

Let's break down the Secretary's recommendations so far, as reported on June 12 in the Salt Lake Tribune...

The good news is Secretary Zinke feels that there are places within the current boundaries that "warrant monument status, so he opposes rescinding the monument as Utah's political leaders have sought."

He says, "No doubt there are historic and prehistoric structures or objects of scientific interest within the Bears Ears monument," and that "[t]hese items and objects can be identified, segregated and reasonably separated."

The article states:
While Utah leaders have argued the 1906 Antiquities Act has been abused by presidents wielding it for political gain, Zinke said the landmark conservation law is "nothing short of an American success." 
"Over the course of time the Antiquities Act has done some great things for this country. It has preserved some of our finest treasures," Zinke said. But he made clear he believes designations should be done in coordination with Congress and local residents, while sticking to specific "objects of historic or scientific interest" such as structures and geological formations.

In this case, the Secretary feels that the size of the monument exceeds the reach of the Antiquities Act and that Bears Ears is not "confined to the smallest area possible for proper management of objects to be preserved."

He did not specifically propose what the possible new boundaries would look like.
The interim plan Zinke released Monday did not give acreages or delineate exact areas for a "right-sized" monument. But the secretary highlighted the monument's namesake twin buttes, nearby areas on Cedar Mesa dense with archaeological sites, which presumably include House on Fire and Moon House ruins, and an area north of Newspaper Rock. 
Likely to be excluded would be Mancos Mesa, Valley of the Gods, much of Elk and Comb ridges and Arch Canyon.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/UT_BearsEars_NM.pdf

Secretary Zinke "also recommended Congress authorize tribal co-management of the monument and consider designating some areas that fall outside a revised monument as national conservation or recreation areas."

In earlier posts, I shared a lot of information about the issues and views on the monument from both sides of the debate, but for me it really comes down to this, I fear...  

According to the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) fast facts sheet published in 2016, "the proclamation would prohibit new mineral leases, mining claims, prospecting or exploration activities, and oil, gas, and geothermal leases."  Existing "oil, gas, and mining operations" are not affected by the monument proclamation.

As I wrote in earlier posts, if monument status is revoked, all or in part,  most of the monument will remain under BLM and U. S. Forest Service (USFS) management, but I am concerned that the area will be flooded with new oil and gas leases and other commercial uses.  It would be a shame if these sorts of operations were permitted near, or even on, sites that may hold tremendous historical and cultural value, value that we may not even recognize yet.

Ultimately, I see any oil and gas reserves left under any of our monuments and parks, especially in the West and in Alaska, to really be just that... reserves.  At this point I fear that it is nothing but greed that drives this sort of development.  However, if we ever truly did need to tap these resources due to a true, long term crisis, they will still be there, and, to me, that is the proper time to have that debate.

So, that's the good news and the bad news...


I absolutely support the idea of co-managing the monument with the tribes, and- depending on the details, may support the re-designation of some areas as national conservation or national recreation areas.

My greatest fear, though, has nothing to do with Secretary Zinke's recommendations.  I fear the President will ignore this middle road and just eliminate the entire monument.

In other news...

Secretary Zinke rejects tribal complaints about consultation and Bears Ears (June 14, 2017)
Speaking to the National Congress of American Indians on Tuesday, Secretary Ryan Zinke insisted that tribes were in the loop throughout his decision-making process. Yet he didn't fully explain why he rejected the near unanimous pleas to preserve the 1.35 million-acre site in Utah.
...
Despite the outreach, Zinke told President Donald Trump that the monument needs to be revised in part because state and local officials in Utah -- almost all of them non-Indian -- "strongly oppose" it. Many of those politicians were granted a meeting at the White House well before tribes got their say. 
Given the explanation, Zinke followed up with a curious claim at NCAI's mid-year conference in Connecticut. He said tribes aren't at the table at Bears Ears even though the monument designation recognizes their role in managing their ancestral homelands. A commission has already been established to do just that. 
“At the end of the day, I'm asking Congress to authorize co-management of the monument,” Zinke said. ”I didn't have the authorization -- the president doesn't have the authorization to do that.” 
https://www.indianz.com/News/2017/06/14/secretary-zinke-rejects-complaints-about-consult.asp




 BLM: Bears Ears National Monument Map (as of June 2017) - PDF



To comment on the monument review process (due July 10, 2017):

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has extended the comment public comment period for Bears Ears to July 10, 2017, the same as the rest of the monuments currently under review.

Links



Rubble:
Bears Ears National Monument: A Quick Tour of a Monument at Risk
http://rubble.blogspot.com/2017/06/bears-ears-nm-quick-tour.html

Bears Ears National Monument: Video and Links Collection


BLM: 



Wikipedia: 



Department of the Interior:

Department of the Interior Press release on Bears Ears Monument Review (June 13, 2017)
Presidential Proclamation -- Establishment of the Bears Ears National Monument:
Public Lands Initiative:

Website:

FAQ


Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition:
Friends of Cedar Mesa:




Utah residents to Ryan Zinke: Hands off Bears Ears! (New analysis of submitted comments finds overwhelming in-state support for national monuments)
Salt Lake Tribune: 

Sources: Zinke to urge diminishing size of Bears Ears National Monument (June 12, 2017)
Navajo elder says Utah leaders ‘never supported’ preserving sacred American Indian sites (June 9, 2017)
http://www.sltrib.com/news/5385484-155/navajo-elder-says-utah-leaders-never

Op-ed: State politicians may not support our newest monument but real Utahns do (June 9, 2017)

Theodore Roosevelt IV: Bear Ears: A story of what passes and what endures (June 5, 2017)
Jewell defends Bears Ears monument process (April 26, 2017)


Deseret News: 

BLM, Forest Service plotting next steps for Bears Ears


San Juan Record:

Secretary Zinke recommends reduced size of Bears Ears National Monument (June 13, 2017)

Sec. Zinke to make Bears Ears recommendation (June 6, 2017)

Bears Ears National Monument designation disastrous for Utah grassroots Navajos (April 12, 2016)
http://sjrnews.com/view/full_story/27152945/article-Bears-Ears-National-Monument-designation-disastrous-for-Utah-grassroots-Navajos


NPR:

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Reviews Bears Ears National Monument (June 9, 2017)
http://www.npr.org/2017/06/09/532289014/interior-secretary-ryan-zinke-reviews-bears-ears-national-monument

With National Monuments Under Review, Bears Ears Is Focus Of Fierce Debate (May 5, 2017)
http://www.npr.org/2017/05/05/526860725/with-national-monuments-under-review-bears-ears-is-focus-of-fierce-debate


Utah’s Bears Ears monument is a rock star for night skies – and mineral resources


The Wilderness Society:

Photo gallery: Utah's Bears Ears region is a natural & cultural treasure

Unprecedented outpouring of support for Bears Ears shown during official comment period


National Monuments in Danger:

CLICK HERE for posts about the monuments being "reviewed" by the Trump Administration



To comment on the monument review process (due July 10, 2017):

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has extended the comment public comment period for Bears Ears to July 10, 2017, the same as the rest of the monuments currently under review.

Posted by at No comments:
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Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Bears Ears National Monument: Losing the Valley of the Gods?

In the Valley of the Gods...
Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 13, 2016. 

Earlier this week, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke released his initial recommendations on the fate of Bears Ears National Monument.  He also has extended the comment public comment period for Bears Ears to July 10, 2017, the same as the rest of the monuments currently under review.

Unfortunately, the news is that the Valley of the Gods may end up being dropped from the monument, which is a shame. It is an amazing place. Perhaps this is one of the areas Secretary Zinke was suggesting could become a National Recreation Area?

This area is sometimes described as a miniature Monument Valley, and I can see that. I actually visited this valley right after exploring the actual Monument Valley, which is about 20 miles to the south, as the crow flies, and 40 miles away on the highways.

Really, to me, these are very different places. The Valley of the Gods feels more cozy, more intimate. The formations may be smaller, but they are no less spectacular.

The valley is accessed by a 17 mile dirt road, which forms a nice loop with U.S. 163 and Utah 162. When I drove it in the Spring of 2016, it was in better shape than much of the Monument Valley road, but like all of these desert roads, one quick rain burst and they can become impassable to non-four-wheel drive (and even to many four-wheel drive) vehicles very quickly.

Utah.com notes, "Because of its isolated nature, people exploring Valley of the Gods need to be self-sufficient and carry emergency supplies. There are no facilities, no gas stations, stores or services. You may or may not see other travelers along the road."

Also, unlike in Monument Valley, hiking is permitted, though I understand this is mostly cross-country scrambling.  There are no developed trails from what I've seen so far.  Dispersed camping (recommended!) is available along the road (no fires allowed).

Information Kiosk: West Entrance
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 12, 2016. 
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Near the west end of the access road, there is a bed and breakfast (seen in the distance in the photo above).  The ranch house was first built by the grandson of John D. Lee, who operated Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River near the current location of the Glen Canyon Dam.  Clarence Lee, his wife Mary, and his brother Buck moved to the area in 1933, first living in a "roofless shack against [a] bluff" (BLM Interpretive Sign) in the Valley of the Gods before building the ranch house that is now a part of today's bed and breakfast.
The first part was built by the Lees with their own hands, using natural stone and timbers from abandoned oil drilling sites.  The walls are over 24 inches thick.  Later additions to the house were constructed by Navajo stone masons. (BLM)

Bed and Breakfast, Valley of the Gods West Entrance
Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 12, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

Water, of course, is not easy to come by here, and has been an issue for all of the property's owners over the years.  Today, the current owners "truck water in from Mexican Hat, and generate their own electricity from wind mills and solar panels." (BLM)  They also use propane for cooking and heat.

However, the water issue for the Lees was a little more complicated:
"We'd go up to the side of the cliff to a little spring. We'd take a sandwich and work all day with picks and shovels trying to get water to flow down more, to get enough water to survive,"said Mary (BLM)

Lady In a Tub at Sunset
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 12, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

The formations in the valley are caused by the erosion of 1200 foot high Cedar Mesa and, fittingly, are comprised of Cedar Mesa Sandstone.  This stone was formed during the Permian Age, some 250 million years ago.  Of course the rock was once sand,  "deposited in huge sand dunes near the shore of an ancient sea."

The Sun Has Set Here: Balanced Rock  / Lady in a Tub in Profile
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 12, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition website says, "The Valley of the Gods is considered sacred to the Navajo..."  Robert S. McPherson speaks of what the valley's formations mean to them in his book Sacred Land Sacred View:
Rock formations are places of power in which spirits reside, and the formations in Valley of the Gods are some of the most distinctive.  These imposing monoliths are Navajo warriors frozen in stone, who can be appealed to for protection.  They are guardians whose power and strength aid young servicemen going to war.
Not far from Valley of the Gods lies a series of rock formations important in Navajo beliefs.  Lime Ridge, to the north, has a trapezoidal block of sandstone that looks like a hogan (traditional Navajo dwelling).  In it are trapped children who were disobedient to the Sun Bearer and are so being punished.  The story tells of how the God warned them not to steal animals and to be respectful of people's property but they repeatedly failed to do his bidding.  The Sun Bearer placed them in the hogan for four days, trying to bring them to repentance; but when this failed, the hogan turned to solid rock.  When a person is near this site, they can hear them crying.  (BLM)

Lady in a Tub / Balanced Rock
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 12, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

According to the BLM brochure distributed at the access road entrance kiosks, the valley and the nearby Moki Dugway are popular for their "classic 'western' look.  "Filming projects include still shots and moving film for commercial ads, major motion pictures, promotions for recreational events such as the Marlboro Adventure Team and hot air balloon rides and even background shots for a PlayStation game," the brochure states.

The two productions that seem to get the most attention are the 1980s television series Airwolf and a couple episodes of Doctor Who.  The secret base of the futuristic helicopter in Airwolf was supposedly located in and shot in the valley, as seen in the opening credits. Yet, there does seem to be in some dispute on whether this was actually shot here or in Monument Valley.

In the next few days, I plan on checking out the first couple episodes of Airwolf and the Doctor Who episodes. Brutal work, but I feel up to the challenge! I'll share what I discover in a future post.

Pyramid in the Valley of the Gods
Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 12, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 
Like Monument Valley, this valley has been the location for a number of films and television shows.

At first it seems rather amazing to me that Secretary Zinke appears to suggest that the Valley of the Gods is removed from the Bears Ears National Monument.  This is a spectacular place, one of the best within the current monument boundaries and it seems like it would fit well with the criteria of the Antiquities Act, as the Secretary himself interprets it.

Grazing Bull Calf in the Valley
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 13, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

I suspect this decision is fueled by grazing and land use issues.  Some parts of the valley are private property, but the majority of the formations are on BLM land, and some are even within the Road Canyon Wilderness Study Area, generally from the road north, through the heart of the valley.

There could be several issues involved with the choice to consider cutting the valley from the monument, and while I suspect grazing is the main reason, it makes me nervous that there was enough wood from oil operations in the area at one point for the Lees to build a house.

Perhaps the mixed use properties of a National Recreation Area would fit this section of the monument better, but only if they are looking at just continuing the current land use here.  This is one of the places within the monument that could easily be destroyed by oil or gas operations.
Spire and Mountains
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 12, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

Instagram: Tonight's campsite... Valley of the Gods
Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 12, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFVIiefnCjZ
www.aflitt.com/bearsearsnml

East from Camp
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 12, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

Road Through Rudolph and Santa Claus and Castle Butte
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 13, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

Valley of the Gods - Road and Butte
Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 13, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

Castle Butte Profile
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 13, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

Bull Calf Near Castle Butte
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 13, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

Charles de Gaulle and His Troops
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 13, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

Battleship Rock, Franklin Butte, Rooster Butte, and Setting Hen
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 13, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 
www.aflitt.com/bearsearsnm 

Wash and Buttes
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 13, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

Seven Sailors
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 13, 2016.
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved 

Information Kiosk: East Entrance
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 13, 2016. 
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Information Kiosk: West Entrance
Valley of the Gods. Bears Ears National Monument. Utah. May 12, 2016. 
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Mexican Hat
This formation is near, but not in, the Valley of the Gods and Bears Ears National Monument.
U. S. 163. Mexican Hat, Utah. May 13, 2016. 
Copyright © 2017 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved
www.aflitt.com/bearsearsnm 
BLM: Bears Ears National Monument Map (as of June 2017) - PDF

Links


 Rubble:
Bears Ears National Monument: A Quick Tour of a Monument at Risk
http://rubble.blogspot.com/2017/06/bears-ears-nm-quick-tour.html

Bears Ears National Monument: Video and Links Collection
BLM: 
Wikipedia: 




Department of the Interior:

Department of the Interior Press release on Bears Ears Monument Review (June 13, 2017)
Presidential Proclamation -- Establishment of the Bears Ears National Monument:


Public Lands Initiative:

Website:

FAQ


Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition:

Website



Friends of Cedar Mesa:




Utah residents to Ryan Zinke: Hands off Bears Ears! (New analysis of submitted comments finds overwhelming in-state support for national monuments)



Salt Lake Tribune: 

Sources: Zinke to urge diminishing size of Bears Ears National Monument (June 12, 2017)
Navajo elder says Utah leaders ‘never supported’ preserving sacred American Indian sites (June 9, 2017)
http://www.sltrib.com/news/5385484-155/navajo-elder-says-utah-leaders-never

Op-ed: State politicians may not support our newest monument but real Utahns do (June 9, 2017)

Theodore Roosevelt IV: Bear Ears: A story of what passes and what endures (June 5, 2017)
Jewell defends Bears Ears monument process (April 26, 2017)


Deseret News: 

BLM, Forest Service plotting next steps for Bears Ears


 San Juan Record:

Secretary Zinke recommends reduced size of Bears Ears National Monument (June 13, 2017)

Sec. Zinke to make Bears Ears recommendation (June 6, 2017)

Bears Ears National Monument designation disastrous for Utah grassroots Navajos (April 12, 2016)
http://sjrnews.com/view/full_story/27152945/article-Bears-Ears-National-Monument-designation-disastrous-for-Utah-grassroots-Navajos


NPR:

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Reviews Bears Ears National Monument (June 9, 2017)
http://www.npr.org/2017/06/09/532289014/interior-secretary-ryan-zinke-reviews-bears-ears-national-monument

With National Monuments Under Review, Bears Ears Is Focus Of Fierce Debate (May 5, 2017)
http://www.npr.org/2017/05/05/526860725/with-national-monuments-under-review-bears-ears-is-focus-of-fierce-debate
Utah’s Bears Ears monument is a rock star for night skies – and mineral resources


The Wilderness Society:

Photo gallery: Utah's Bears Ears region is a natural & cultural treasure

Unprecedented outpouring of support for Bears Ears shown during official comment period


National Monuments in Danger:

CLICK HERE for posts about the monuments being "reviewed" by the Trump Administration



To comment on the monument review process (due July 10, 2017):

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has extended the comment public comment period for Bears Ears to July 10, 2017, the same as the rest of the monuments currently under review.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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