Trump gives the green light for energy exploration in Utah's national parks
Energy — di Rudi Bressa
Following the reduction of protected areas, the process continues to allow oil companies to operate in what is sacred land for indigenous peoples.
Trump gives the green light for energy exploration in Utah's national parks
Following the reduction of protected areas, the process continues to allow oil companies to operate in what is sacred land for indigenous peoples.
The United States government has implemented the management plans for the two national monuments in Utah that President Trump had reduced in size in 2017. The changes to the management plans will allow energy companies to begin oil extraction and mining operations in an area of nearly 350,000 hectares, despite ongoing lawsuits from environmental and indigenous groups seeking to restore the monuments to their original size.
The news comes around two years after Trump reduced the size of Bears Ears National Monument by 85 per cent and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by nearly half. But according to Casey Hammond of the United States Department of the Interior, the opening up to new exploration "has generated little interest from energy companies", as reported by the Associated Press. He added that "if we stopped and waited for every dispute to be resolved, we would never be able to get much done".
Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante parks at risk of drilling
It was former president Bill Clinton who created Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 1996, on unique lands encompassing canyons, waterfalls and mountains in southern Utah. President Barack Obama subsequently gave the go-ahead for the creation of Bears Ears National Monument in 2016, on ancient territories considered sacred by Native Americans. The same local groups and associations have filed suit against the United States government, explaining that these sites are rare hotspots for archaeological and palaeontological research, as well as places of fundamental importance to Native American culture.
Republican support for Trump
The decision has received praise from Republicans, most notably Utah Senator Mitt Romney, who commended the current administration for pressing ahead with the exploration plans. "I appreciate the work the president and Secretary Bernhardt have done to develop plans that will allow more of our land to be used for recreation, for grazing and for its management."
Indeed, according to a government economic analysis, coal production is estimated to generate $208 million in annual revenues and $16.6 million in royalties from lands no longer within the parks' boundaries. According to the same analysis, oil and gas wells in the area could produce $4.1 million in annual revenues. Every last cent squeezed from fossil fuel sources.