Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, is traveling to San Juan County this morning to visit the Bears Ears national monument and meet with local stakeholders.
In recent months Senator Hatch has held multiple meetings with President Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to discuss Bears Ears, and potential plans for altering the monument in a way that conserves and protects the sacred parts of the land while ensuring local leaders have some say in managing them.
"When President Obama designated the Bears Ears monument in December, he did so ignoring the voices of Utah leaders who were united in opposition, and even more importantly, ignoring the voices of the local Utahns most affected by this massive land grab," Hatch said. "Following my conversations with President Trump and Secretary Zinke about next steps in addressing the mess this monument created, I look forward to meeting with a number of local leaders today to ensure that their voices are involved in the process moving forward."