Transcripts For CSPAN2 Utah National Park Designation Part 1

Lee edwards chronicles his sixyear involvement in the conservative movement. I met joe mccarthy through my father was something of a confidant to him. He was a hail fellow will met. You could ask for more fun guy to be with. He was very serious about that. And he was he was also somebody who did not take advice. Consequently said things or did things that hurt the cause for some time. The House National Resource Committee on federal land held a hearing recently on a bill that would create a National Park out of lands that were previously part of the Grand Staircase monument. It was established by president clinton in 1986. It is downsized by president trump. I would ask you unanimous consent that mr. Stewart could be allowed to sit with the subcommittee and participate. Without objection. So ordered. Under Community Committee rule. They are limited to the chairman and chairman ranking majority member. It will allow them to help keep to their schedules. We are probably going to be interrupted about 1030. And with that we will begin with Opening Statements. They meet to consider hr 4568. Cosponsored by the entire investigation. The act of 19 06 provides of the president with the authority to designate National Monuments on federal lands containing the historic landmarks. The National Monuments be confined by the smallest area compatible with proper care and management congressman stevens ask whether could ever be used to lock up large areas of land like the first review reserve help. Certainly not. The object is entirely different. To preserve the old objects with special interests in the interest in the southwest while the Forest Reserve bill reserves the forest in the watercourses. They declare 1200 lakers acres around there as a Matter National monument. They declared without any consultation. His district in whose district these lands were donated. Indeed just one week before the announcement they were untrue and no such action was contemplated. They later learned that it was able to make future Resource Development impossible. It cost to you Top Public School systems hundreds of millions of dollars in future revenues deprived local families of highpaying local jobs. Let me put this in perspective. Hurricane harvey inflicted nearly 200 billion of damage when it slammed into texas this year. The lowend conservative estimate from the executive order is 223 billion. Justin lost economic activity. Hundred 76,000 acres of land. They point to a simple truth. No one person should have the authority to lock up millions of acres of land with the stroke of a pen. By giving the congress authority over public land. All voices will be heard. A decision affecting millions of acres of land is made. They expect their government to listen to those people most affected by local land use decisions and not just outofstate special Interest Groups and they have every right to demand that congress reassert its role over management of the public lands on their behalf. This bill seeks to right this wrong. Through open hearings debate and congressional action. It would create the six National Park in and the canyons National Park. Further it creates three new separate and distinct National Monuments. The escalantes Canyon National market. Finally the bill would create a Management Council comprise of local officials to draft and oversee a Management Plan for the new monuments in the National Park. We have the most distinguished panel of witnesses here to discuss this bill and im looking forward to their testimony and i now recognize the Ranking Member for her Opening Statement. Today we will hear testimony on hr 4558 the grand case enhancement act. To ratify the boundaries of three new and National Monuments recently designated and create a new National Park in southern utah. Under normal circumstances legislative to establish a new National Park would have brought a partisan support but the circumstances surrounding this bill in the proposed National Park are by no means normal. In 1986 president clinton designated the Grand Staircase National Monument. For 20 years communities around the monuments had grown diversified and thrived. This is a story we will hire the owner of willow canon outdoor. A Small Business to replace it with three disjointed small monuments. In the livelihood of many others in their community. President trump bases his actions something many people including myself believe is without Legal Authority on a review conducted by they have yet to see despite numerous requests. They received 2. 8 million in public comments. With all of the National Monuments intact. They ultimately advised the president to alter a number of existing National Monuments. This recommendation to eight National Monuments but as we will hear from our witness today secretary zinke refused to meet with many of the Small Business owners who live in the communities that depend on National Monuments and public lands. It is unfortunate that tax dollars wasted on the report justify the actions beyond the scope of the president s authority. Only congress has the authority to shrink or rescind National Monuments which is why last weeks proclamation some also questioned the timing of this bill introduced without maps and is in complete format just two days after the president made his proclamation. I had maps and exchanged patents with the state of utah that confirmed there was an agreement puts the whole effort in question. The reality is they had acted on numerous occasions. With the state and local governments. And 20 million is appropriated to purchase the mining claims. The panel does not include a witness from either the bureau of Land Management or math National Park services. Given the fact that it seeks to create a National Parks and will be managed by an unelected board primarily comprised of representatives of state and local government. Additionally the new National Park would have a purpose. Necessary and consistent with prior proceedings in the house. Hundreds of letters from local Community Organizations they will consider these concerns as we examine this bill. Without objection. The chair and now recognizes the chairman of the National Resources committee. I do have an Opening Statement but can we hear from congressman stewart first. They are pleased to recognize punishment Chris Stewart of utah. Thank you for letting me come and speak. To give you a moment to come speak to you that as extremely important the Grand Staircase. With the spoke spoke of the pen. Im pleased that my friend and my man that i greatly admire who was a governor and during this time will enlighten us on this episode and i think share some of his insights. That we were subject to. The federal government promised the monument would take a little way in. Over two decades later it has not been enough to academically sustain these communiques communities. He was forced to declare a state of emergency with rapidly inspired. Families could not stay in the county. And they cannot state because they were so few jobs left capable of sustaining a family. Its not able to sustain these communities. I support tourism. Im proud of my state. This is a matter of common sense. Naming a job that i can sustain a family on. How much do you pay your employees how much do you pay your waitresses and those who are making up beds and hotels. Not enough to raise a family. This threatens business. How is this endangering it. The intent here is to do exactly the opposite. They had been forced upon residents by a missed guided federal policy. Washington has a bad habit of drafting policies without giving local communities a seat at the table. I was reminded of some comments by elite in hollywood and corporate ceos who were being dishonest with people about this. They have never been to utah. Some of them cannot have a conversation with anyone i spent nearly five years meeting with local elected officials. With garfield and king county the key to success in this region is finding Creative Solutions that benefit while preserving our western culture. This act does that. It creates three new separate monuments and creates a management counsel let me take just a moment to explain this bill. It creates as i said National Monuments preserving over 1 million acres of federal land in utah while also allowing access for hunting and gaming in fishing. This is an unprecedented move. 93 percent of it is controlled by the federal government. Why would anyone object to giving at the local community of voice and how it is managed. This road is very historical and its only fitting that utah own and preserved in a manage this area. Lastly the legislation creates the sixth National Park. This new park will be a win for conservation and access in it will be a win for the local communities. It would increase tourism. While giving locals a voice in their own backyard. In addition the National Park provides Infrastructure Spending enhancing visitors experiences for such things as trails restrooms and roads. I love utah. I chose to live in utah because id love to hike and rock climb and ski and all of the things that we enjoy there. I want to preserve that. This bill gives us an opportunity to do that i truly as a winwin situation. And i urge my colleagues on ball sides of the aisle to support it. With that i yelled back. Seen and we thank then we thank you for your testimony. We will do a round of questions. And i will begin. Congressman stewart did you do say that 93 percent of the land in this county is held by the community. And what impact did they head on that 93 percent of that the land in the county. Can you imagine being a locally elected officials been responsible for those things. And having 93 percent of your tax base and taken out from underneath you. Its incredibly difficult for them. You will hear from them. It leaves them coming to washington dc and begging for help because itll have the authority or ability themselves to manage their affairs. Obviously local governments are getting no tax revenue from it. Yes there were. In utah we have a thriving timber industry. It has been decimated because some of the policies. The prospects of mineral department. It has been completely taken off the table because some of these policies. They were still be able to put two productive use. In this region. As i said it made it impossible. Even though they have this multiple use before that. The local Community Still manage in such a way that it was pristine enough to be added as a monument. They have managed this land very well. We need something in washington reduce dc to do it for them. They would consider what would happen to their community if the federal government suddenly took over 93 percent of the land area. That prevented these lands from being put to any kind of productive activity. You make a point. I emphasizes all the time. I feel like im standing up for the little guy. Perfume is out in the rural communities. We cant because our permits have been taken for us. They would rather meet where they are. In this process in taking the 93 percent of the land and essentially preventing at least those local communities were fully consulted by the federal government. There were hearings held. There was maximum input from the local community. I appreciate that sarcasm but that was not the case. It was one of the primary objectives we have to do this. If people felt like they have a voice if they felt like they have an opportunity to make their input and actually be hurt all they are asking for is give us a chance. Perhaps that is why that constitution gives to congress and not to the president. They would be done in the open. With full hearings. In full consultation with the local communities affected and ultimately voted upon by all of the representatives of the people. Not by a single individual with a stroke of a pen acting in secrecy and actually misleading the local representatives of the community of his ultimate intent. I wont repeat what you said. But i will do say to say thank you for saying it. In light of the fact that we are to be called for a vote. And we have a panel who has traveled a distance to be here. I will yield my kind. Thank you Ranking Member thank you for your service and your representation. The bill does not repeal any of the approximately 900,000 acres of wilderness study areas. There is 900. Within the original Grand Staircase. There was 900,000 acres in the study area. Will they be maintained. Does 900,000 acres. It codifies the president s action of last week some of them reside in the National Park. It does not repeal any wilderness. It is quite ambiguous about that. We would be happy to work with you. They are now wilderness study acres. Thats one of the misunderstandings. Some of the misunderstandings that they had regarding this is that the assumption that it repeals any protections. Thats just not true. This is still federally owned lands. They will now remain as wilderness study acres. And also there is good to be approximately 670 thousand acres of land that they open up the federal public land. These are the lands that are no longer there can open us up to oil potentially you are understanding that now we are good open these up to those. And the intention it would be for them to be managed like any other land. If there is no Gas Resources there and i dont think there is anyone who thinks there is. They would be subject to all of the same protections or any other federal land is. You are now opening up that. That is actually one of the things we want to do. Of course were trying to do that. As one of the things we are trying to do for the local community. To make the Resources Available to them. So they can have opportunities that have been taken from them. Thank you and i yelled back. Do any other members wish to avail themselves with the five minutes of questions. We thank them for bringing the bill to us. And participate in the subcommittee. I will ask our second panel of witnesses to come forward as a history teacher i just want to go through the history of the Grand Staircase. An interior department they told the president that monuments proposed by the president do not require that. That was a year before the clinton reelected there is a series of memos that went through asking president clinton to do something for the reelection campaign. In designation of a new monument would create a compelling reason 1992 he had finished third in utah. This is easy picking. That was the election year. Once again memos went through their and there was coming from ceq to the white house a letter that needed to be signed because it have to look as if the president initiated this. Not ceq so you could avoid compliance. If the alleged letter only asked for information about utah it looked biased. But as for a broader review there are more compelling areas for designation than utah parks. A week later and another memo they said these lands are not really endangered which is one of the criteria is for using the Antiquities Act. Then they also have another week later coming from omb another report seen the grand canyon Recreational Area because they may want to go into the canyon. The regions if the package ultimately doesnt seem aqua quit adequate. Theyre adding that later on to the package. They will be designated as a National Park. They once again sent another memo to the white house. In august of that same year. They want the time to work for western democrats. On september night news reports came leaking out in the Washington Post. No decision had been made. They once again said i can tell you no decision has been made with respect to this. In a phone call to senator bennett. They said zero no. We denied the news reports. They do not know what we are talking about. No decision has been made. That is how Grand Staircase was originally established. It was not necessary in need of protection. And it was added simply in a state that wasnt went to vote for clinton. The chair now recognizes the former governor of the state of utah. His come test today from selig city utah. Chairman bishop subcommittee. In a Ranking Member. I want to thank you for the invitation to appear ive been asked to recount the history of the way in wh