Friday, October 8, 2021

Past is Prologue: Bears Ears Monument Reappears

~~ Biden's Expansion of Utah Monuments

The Antiquities Act gives presidents too much power, ignoring the many stakeholders whose needs should be considered. . .


San Juan Record Bears Ears Coverage

 
Oct. 13, 2021


~~ Help us Challenge Abuse of the Antiquities Act 

By Benjamin Burr
I don't think anyone was surprised by today's announcement. Many of us have been preparing for this in the meantime behind the scenes. We knew this step of the fight would need to happen once it became clear that Utah's federal delegation - with unprecedented congressional seniority during the Trump Administration - refused to fight for a permanent Antiquities Act exemption for Utah like Alaska and Wyoming have (Mike Lee did fight for the exemption, but the others did not). While the Senate is generally a sclerotic, do-nothing institution, during the Trump Administration the Senate was busy confirming an insane amount of judges, and the balance of power on the Supreme Court shifted. For those who haven't been paying attention, Chief Justice Roberts has signaled that there are concerns with abuse of the Antiquities Act, but the Court has chosen to wait for the right case.
The next phase of the fight over the Antiquities Act and controversial monument designations can and should take place in the courts. There are three entities that have the standing necessary to wage this legal fight: the State of Utah, SITLA, and any private in-holders within the monument. The State of Utah's standing is the strongest, so it is crucial that effort is focused on ensuring that Governor Cox and Attorney General Reyes pursue this fight. They need to hear encouragement from Utahns who are frustrated by the monument expansions. We've created a tool that makes it easy for you to start by sending a letter to the Governor (like 2 minutes of your time and a few clicks). Or you can reach out on your own. I think a simple message of encouragement will go a long way.

Help us spread the word about this! And Sign the Petition!!

~~~The Biden Administration used the Antiquities Act to restore the original boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah. This undoes what the Trump Administration had previously done in shrinking these monuments. This is a blatant attack on Utah and its public lands and will result in restrictive access and management policies. Governor Spencer Cox has previously stated his frustration with the Biden Administration's unwillingness to work with lawmakers regarding this issue. Show Governor Cox that he has our support to challenge this designation with a lawsuit from the State of Utah. 



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Biden's Bears Ears Expansion/ Belies Real Plans for Protection 

~~ CNN) President Joe Biden on Friday (Oct. 8) announced the expansion of three national monuments -- Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine -- in a move that restored protections that had been undone by then-President Donald Trump. "This may be the easiest thing I've ever done as president, so far," Biden said ahead of making the announcement. 

The White House previewed the move in a fact sheet released Thursday night. The Utah monuments, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, have been on Biden's agenda since his first day in office, when he ordered a review of their boundaries and conditions. Bear Ears National Monument will be restored to 1.36 million acres and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument will be restored to 1.87 million acres, according to the fact sheet. 

Additionally, protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts monument off the coast of New England, as established under then-President Barack Obama, will be restored. "I'm grateful to the tribal nation leaders, both those who are here with us today and those unable to join us. Today I'm proud to announce the protection and expansion of three of the most treasured national monuments, our most treasured, based on powers granted to the President on the Antiquities Act first used more than a century ago by Teddy Roosevelt," Biden said. "The truth is that National monuments and parks are part of the identity, our identity as a people," the President added. "They are more than natural wonders, they're the birthright we passed from generation to generation, a birthright of every American. Preserving them is the fulfillment of a promise to our children." 

Biden said his move to protect national monuments also ties to his administration's climate agenda. "We're not only saving birds and fish and the livelihoods of people who depend on them, we're also shoring up the natural defenses to absorb the fury of hurricanes and superstorms," Biden said. "Nearly one-in-three Americans live in a community that has been struck by weather disasters just in the last few months -- hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, heat waves -- both the Build Back Better plan and my bipartisan infrastructure bill make critical investments, significantly increasing the resilience of these devastating effects on the climate crisis." 

 The decision marks a reversal of Trump administration policy that shrank the Bears Ears monument, which Obama established, by 85%, and the Grand Staircase-Escalante monument, which then-President Bill Clinton designated, by roughly 45%. The two former Democratic presidents designated the Utah monuments for protection hoping to preserve their culture, history and natural beauty. 

While announcing his policy in 2017, Trump slammed what he called "federal overreach" and said past administrations thought "the natural resources of Utah should be controlled by a small handful of very distant bureaucrats located in Washington. And guess what? They are wrong." 

 Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said Thursday in a critical statement that he had been informed of the decision to expand the monuments' size by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. "The President's decision to enlarge the monuments again is a tragic missed opportunity — it fails to provide certainty as well as the funding for law enforcement, research, and other protections which the monuments need and which only Congressional action can offer," Cox said. 

This map illustrates what Public Land Overload looks like!
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah also criticized the move, saying Thursday on Twitter that his state's national monuments are being used as a "political football." "The decision to re-expand the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante is a devastating blow to our state, local, and tribal leaders and our delegation," Romney said. "The President squandered the opportunity to build consensus by working with stakeholders to find a permanent, legislative solution to resolve the longstanding dispute over the monuments' boundaries & management, which would've brought certainty to and benefited all stakeholders." 

CNN's Shawna Mizelle and Andy Rose contributed to this report.

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Friday, June 18, 2021

SJC Great Republican Presidents Dinner Sat. June 26

Saturday, June 26th
at the Hideout in Monticello
648 South Hideout Way
5:30-9 p.m.
with ERIC MOUTSOS
as keynote speaker
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR TICKETS


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San Juan County Republicans have reorganized recently.
New SJC Chairwoman is Kim Henderson,  Marjorie Haun Storland-Vice Chair,  Vint DeGraw, Secretary, and Nicole Perkins-treasurer
 
All proceeds from donations go towards
*Community Engagement
*Educational Opportunities
*Service Projects
*Events/Voter Registration
*Expanding Our Republican Base
*Supporting Excellent Conservative Candidates
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silent Auction Items:

1) Bluff Ballads Song Book & CD: Donor Gayle Shumway; 

   Starting bid $25


 2&3) Two batches (1 doz each) White Chocolate Chip Raspberry Rolls
       Donor: Sherri Lewis Pugh:  Starting bid $20 per batch.   (Additional orders can be taken if you match the high bid.)  




4 & 5) Steel Patriotic decorations --Don't Tread on Me.  Donor, Scott Mitchell
     Two items: Smaller snake starting bid $50; Larger snake $65

            Retail value:  $90 and $120 



 6)  "Turning 20" quilt;  Starting bid  $50; Donor LaRue B. Kirkham



7 & 8) Sand Painting and Mezo America Calendar Art; 

Starting bid  $20 on each; Donor: Retta Hall

 

9) Heritage quilt: Hand quilted in beautiful detail:  Starting bid   $100


10-15) 9 lbs hamburger per batch/ range fed San Juan beef 

Starting bid per batch  $35-- 5 batches; Donor Lloyd Shumway (45 lbs. total)


16) 1 hour trail ride for 2 in the La Sal Mountains

Compliments of Mountain Joe's Trail Rides.        
(Value $150)  Call 435-669-6586 or email
 mountainjoestrailrides@gmail.com 
to set up a time and redeem your certificate.

 


17)  Heather's Handmade Creations: Gift basket


Gift bag includes the following:
Sample Soap Collection Starting Bid  $45
Lemon Pound Cake soap, no color
Unscented Milk and Coffee Scrub Soap
Unscented Coffee & Milk Loofah Soap
Dish Soap and Ramekin Dish
Patchouli, Cinnamon & Ylang Ylang Soap colored with Alkanet Root
Poplar Wood Soap Dish
Loofah Scrubber - an all natural & compostable sponge for body, dishes, home & more.
Raspberry Lip Balm
Mango Lip Balm

18)  Floral arrangement from the Flower Shop Blanding




   $45 Value:  Pick up voucher and
    order arrangement when needed








19) Games from San Juan Pharmacy   


Just in time for family reunions!    Jazzminton,  Glowbattle, and "the ultimate in competitive games":   SLAM BALL !!  

                                                       Valued at $80/ Beginning bid at $60


20) Red, White and Blue Conservative Reading Roundup  

      Collection of books supporting conservative values, philosophy, and historical efforts of former great Republican presidents.   Donor: Brian and Silvia Stubbs  Beginning Bid  $35


21) Patriotic Warmth -- Red Afghan 


Beginning Bid  $20  Donor: Janet Wilcox




22)  Early issues of Blue Mountain Shadows $15 per batch


#A  Posey, Ranchers, Outlaws
   
 #B  Uranium mining, B is for Blanding


 #C  Towns: Blanding, Monticello, Early One room Schools




                                                          #D Early San Juan, Folklore, Rainbow Bridge

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

23)  Lemon Bread: two loaves  Donor: Jackie Tate Jeppson

      Beginning bid  $10 each loaf  


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24)  Grab a bag/ or two-- from Enchanted Treasures. 

                      
Black & Red bag.  Starting bid $30
         
25)  Blue & White bag Starting bid $30

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Building San Juan County
                                                         
26)  3 yards of concrete,$500 starting bid

27)  1 load of Road Base.  Starting bid  $350












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28) Double sided patriotic afghan   Donor: Plummer family
       Starting bid:  $15



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29)  4th of July Skivvies!  Hot pants/Hot pads 

 Starting bid $10


Saturday, December 26, 2020

December 2020, Wrap up and Reminders

   Due to an ongoing family crisis, today's blog post will be basically links to help you stay  informed.  May the new year bring all of you new hope, love, and health.  JW

                                    ~~~~~~~~~~

 


Post from Representative Phil Lyman Dec. 22, 2020

~~  Today is an important day for my family and me, and for rural Utah. To say the last 5 years were difficult would be an understatement. My family has been my salvation in the darkest moments. My wife, Jody, is my partner and friend. I am blessed, and grateful beyond words for her support and for her resolve to always, always, always do the right thing regardless of the consequences. My adult kids are people of capacity who live by their convictions as well.

The false narratives of the media have been so damaging, not only to me but to the truth. Our protest here in San Juan County was not about a road or about ATV rights. We protested a federal agency that wrongly and maliciously raided our community. Had the administration, at the time, done what they should have in 2009, it would have prevented a massive waste of taxpayer dollars and the devastation of the lives of the honest people who were targeted by dishonest people.
I am deeply grateful to President Donald Trump. Today he righted a wrong. People should not fear prosecution when they have done nothing illegal and I hope that my experience brings attention to the persistent federal attacks on rural Utah by the Bureau of Land Management, the US Attorneys, activist federal judges, and career politicians who choose to sit quietly when the moment calls for them to stand.
My friend Monte Wells was with me on the day of the protest, along with 700 of our closest friends. Monte was falsely charged and convicted in a kangaroo court but had the integrity to forego asking for a pardon when no offense had occurred. He has my utmost respect and deserves more than a pardon; he deserves respect from every person who understands what it means to stand up for truth.
My most sincere thanks goes also to Senator Mike Lee , former Congressman Jason Chaffetz, State Senator Dan McCay, former State Representative Mike Noel, my friend and advocate Jerold Perkins, and to Commissioners Darin Bushman, Leland Pollack, Mark Whitney, and the rest of The Posse, and to so many others for always being on my side.
I will say more soon, but for now, I am truly grateful.
Thank you, President Trump, for reminding us what it means to lead.
Phil Lyman





~~The Monolith Hypocrisy and Legal Exemption by Monte Wells



Copies of 3 issues of Blue Mt. Shadows related to the uranium industry in San Juan County are still available in print.  

 These and other older issues are available at Gone Thriftin  (Blanding 708 S. Main) or The San Juan Record (Monticello.) Newer issues sold at Clarks Market, San Juan Pharmacy, --or contact.  Blue Mountain Shadows


~~  Energy Fuels Plans to Process Monazite Sands by David Boyle

~~ Creation of new national uranium reserve could mean jobs in Utah, but is the environmental cost too high? by Zac Podmore

~~ ABOUT THAT DRILLING NEAR LABYRINTH CANYON by Bill Keshlear

    "Given what I'd call "Leave No Trace" rules that mandate reclamation during and after construction and drilling, there’s no reason to believe the project will have much of a long-term impact on “opportunities for solitude primitive and unconfined recreation,” wildlife habitat, scenic views or really anything else. However, as the EA points out, the so-called improved county access roads will be better able to handle big-rig traffic required for drilling operations, while allowing easier access to relatively popular back-country trails by visitors driving run-of-the-mill passenger vehicles. "

~~ SJ County NewsThat Clicked in 2020 : San Juan Record

~~ The Plot to Steal America

~~ Bluff seeks to protect geoglyph near west-side gravel site

~~ New BLM Field Manager in Monticello


~~Local Residents (Pete Sands) Recognized by Time Magazine 2020

~~ For History Buffs:  A Trip Back in Time to Kayenta by Harvey Leake   The Canyon Zephyr

     


Sunday, October 4, 2020

Life in the West Amid Covid and Controversy -- Oct. 5, 2020


News In The West


Fall on Blue Mountain:  Photo Courtesy Blanding City


~~November Election: Think Before You Vote  

by Janet Wilcox       

With just a few months until the elections, it behooves all of us to dig a little deeper for facts, as we determine for whom to vote in all levels of government. It’s a time to evaluate our core values, philosophies and freedoms, then then seek candidates we can trust to promote and protect those eternal truths. The future of the United States could turn sour for all if “extreme” socialists are elected who do not believe in these values.  Please research and query every candidate before you vote.  Rather than criticizing how candidates deliver their messages or believing other superficial data, we should evaluate their political philosophy and past actions.  

      Those who live in less populated states should be also be concerned about protecting the Electoral College which ensures that each state is equally represented in Congress; otherwise we are controlled by the East and West Coast extremes.  All of us should also vote for those who will curtail excess Federal spending, instead of looking at more ways to spiral the debt ever more into the abyss. (This includes not voting for those who support using our hard earned Social Security Insurance to pay for foolish whims.) The National debt is now over $26.7 TRILLION!  Consider who the foreign countries are who may bail the USA out of that fiscal quagmire!  Citizens who value peace, security, and individual rights must elect those who will support our military, law enforcement, The Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.  Don’t take your right to vote lightly; the future of all Americans depends on far-sighted and judicious voters.  


~~Stiles: Fast Forward to 2045 -- What Election 2020 Triggered

--From 2045…REMEMBERING THE 2020 ELECTION …by Jim Stiles • September 30, 2020 

“I am very cautious of people who are absolutely right, especially when they are vehemently so.”  –Michael Palin NOTE: This story is not intended to be prophecy, projection, or prediction; nor is it offered as a warning or a celebration of “things to come.” It’s merely idle speculation on my part, based on trends I see happening in America, for better or worse. And 34 days from now, give or take a month or two to count the mail in ballots, we’ll all know if at least part of this tall tale was accurate, or total bullfeathers. And now, on to the Future, as I look back at the distant past…J.Stiles

~~The Long Walk to Socialism: 

This video shares the unfiltered stories of the harsh struggles of the Navajo Nation. These raw experiences reveal the individuals, families, and communities torn thin by socialistic government programs and waste.

~~Indigenous People and Land Grant Universities.  High Country News Investigates

~~Governor Herbert:  An Anti -Masker at Heart?  

~~Excerpt from Billionaire Wilderness :  By Justin Farrell 

"Billionaire Wilderness offers an unprecedented look inside the world of the ultra-wealthy, focused on their increasingly significant relationship to the natural world. More specifically, it shows how the ultra-wealthy use nature to resolve key predicaments in their lives. Along the way, it reveals the surprising ways in which nature and wealth intersect in America, and the swelling impact of these relationships on the nation’s social and environmental landscapes."  Canyon Zephyr


~~The Slovenly Wilderness: The Least Consequential Election …by Stacy Young

"As regular readers of this column know, it is a deep and abiding frustration of mine that serious consideration of the material conditions of modern America is consistently avoided in favor of lazy identitarian demagoguery. This criticism applies not just to our political industry, but also to the news media, the arts, corporate marketing, and the way we “choose” to spend our own individual attention on social media, and it is an imbalance that not only distracts us from the root causes of things but divides us along relatively superficial categorical lines. . ."

~~Census Count Still Not Complete on the Navajo Reservation 

by Kate Groetzinger










~~ Phil Lyman, State Legislature, Call's Out Court Corruption   Recorded Interview

         (The Bad News is that this case has drug on forever!)

~~ Meet Supreme Court Nominee  Amy C. Barrett

~~ High Speed Internet Coming to San Juan County Reservation Schools  by Kate Groetzinger




~~ Reflections of the past: Trials and Travails of Park Ranger John Wetherill at Navajo National Monument by Harvey Leake/ The Canyon Zephyr

~~ Operation Firewood Blesses Navajo Reservation







~~  Wildfires: Creating a Defensible Space Around Your Home

Utah has had a record 1,300+ wildfires this year, over 1,000 of which have been human-caused. When recreating outdoors this fall, pay attention to federal, state, and local guidelines and warnings, always completely put out your campfires, and leave our lands better than you found them. If you live close to at-risk landscapes, take a few minutes and learn what you can do to protect your home.

~~ Political Polarization Taking Over Lives  Pollution of our dysfunctional political dialogue

~~ BLM Director Nominee Under Attack by Green Machine

~~What Does Kamala Harris Stand For? And What Should We Fear?

~~ Chad Booth's County Seat Funding in Jeopardy  Zac Podmore article 



                             Sunset Over Bears Ears -- Photo by David Homedew