Washington • President Donald Trump told Sen. Orrin Hatch on Friday that he would approve a recommendation to trim the boundaries of the Bears Ears National Monument, Hatch’s office said.
“I’m approving the Bears Ears recommendation for you, Orrin,” the president told the Utah Republican in a phone call, according to Hatch’s office.
Asked at the White House briefing Friday, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the president will visit Utah soon.
“I will not get ahead of the president’s announcement on the specifics of that, but I can tell you he will be going to Utah in the first part of early December and we will be releasing more details at that point,” she said, noting that the president spoke with Hatch and Sen. Mike Lee.
It was not clear what exactly Trump would approve, though Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who met with Trump earlier Friday, has suggested the president shrink the boundaries of the 1.35 million acre monument in southeastern Utah that President Barack Obama named shortly before leaving office.
Zinke, as ordered by Trump, had reviewed all monuments declared under the Antiquities Act since January 1996 and recommended changes to several, including the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which is also in southern Utah.
Hatch said in a statement that he was “incredibly grateful” for Trump’s decision.
“We believe in the importance of protecting these sacred antiquities, but Secretary Zinke and the Trump administration rolled up their sleeves to dig in, talk to locals, talk to local tribes and find a better way to do it,” Hatch said in a statement. “We’ll continue to work closely with them moving forward to ensure Utahns have a voice.”
Approached by reporters at an event in Salt Lake City on Friday, Hatch said Trump “told me Bears Ears would be the way I said it should be,” though he offered no details on the size. Hatch also said Trump will modify the Grand Staircase to allow coal mining in the Kaiparowits Plateau.
Reaction was swift from the environmental community, which had fought to protect the national monument area that includes tribal artifacts and culturally sensitive areas. Several groups have said they will challenge any changes to existing monuments in court.
“If President Trump attacks the Bears Ears National Monument it will long be viewed as one of the worst acts of injustice committed by a modern president,” said Scott Groene, executive director of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. “And one that inevitably will be rectified by a federal court.”
Nada Culver, director of the BLM Action Center for The Wilderness Society, added: “Neither we nor the vast majority of Americans are ‘grateful’ that the president will recommend dismantling the Bears Ears National Monument and risking the destruction of its incredible natural values and sacred sites.”
“In fact, we are deeply disturbed and angry,” she said. “Bears Ears deserves to be protected for future generations, not sacrificed on the illegal and ill-advised whims of this president in a backroom deal.”
Hatch said Friday he was unhappy with the “radical and outside environmental groups” that have fought to keep Bears Ears as is, calling them “real screamers.” The senator said if the environmentalists sue, “They‘ll lose.”
Don Peay, who organized the Utah for Trump effort during the campaign and founder of the group Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, said he’s grateful that Trump accepted “Zinke’s well-thought-out recommendation” and heaped praise on the Interior secretary with whom he met this week.
“In 25 years I haven’t met a high level government official that knows the land, the issues and loves the outdoors like Secretary Zinke,” Peay said. “He has heard the voice of reason: sound conservation of our lands while protecting management ability for abundant herds and hunter access to our monuments. Zinke is a national treasure.”
Bears Ears is in San Juan County, the most southeastern part of the state. The county commission released a statement saying: “We are thrilled the years of meetings, countless hours of discussion and tirelessly dedicated advocacy has resulted in our voices being heard by President Trump and Secretary Zinke. We take heart in our shared belief that the people of San Juan will continue to take special care of these magnificent lands. This is our home, no one wants to see it protected and secure for future generations more than we do.”
Reporter Mike Gorrell contributed to this article.
The Salt Lake Tribune will update this story throughout the day.