Utah Senate says no to more monuments

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The Utah Senate doesn't want the federal government to create any new national monuments in the state without local consent, senators said Tuesday.

In a nearly unanimous vote, with only Sen. Brent Goodfellow, D-West Valley City, dissenting, the Senate passed a resolution opposing federal creation of new monuments.

The vote comes weeks after lawmakers learned of a document in which the Interior Department discussed areas worthy of designation -- San Rafael Swell in south-central Utah and Cedar Mesa in San Juan County -- and after Interior Secretary Ken Salazar assured Utah officials nothing would happen without state consultation.

"Here in Utah, we certainly have an abundance of natural beauties that have been protected as national parks and also national monuments," said Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, R-Vernal, who sponsored SCR11.

National monuments, such as Grand Staircase-Escalante in southern Utah, inhibit energy development and other projects, he said.

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_14634373

[Peikko 1,575]

The Utah Senate doesn't want the federal government to create any new national monuments in the state without local consent, senators said Tuesday.

In a nearly unanimous vote, with only Sen. Brent Goodfellow, D-West Valley City, dissenting, the Senate passed a resolution opposing federal creation of new monuments.

The vote comes weeks after lawmakers learned of a document in which the Interior Department discussed areas worthy of designation -- San Rafael Swell in south-central Utah and Cedar Mesa in San Juan County -- and after Interior Secretary Ken Salazar assured Utah officials nothing would happen without state consultation.

"Here in Utah, we certainly have an abundance of natural beauties that have been protected as national parks and also national monuments," said Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, R-Vernal, who sponsored SCR11.

National monuments, such as Grand Staircase-Escalante in southern Utah, inhibit energy development and other projects, he said.

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_14634373

Ah, monuments as in protected wilderness, not monuments as in statuary - I was confused.

Yes they do, that's their purpose. Well, the purpose is to preserve something that is deemed desirable and irreplaceable.