(The Center Square) Utah’s Republican Governor, Spencer Cox, is not happy with President Joe Biden.
Biden proclaimed a new monument near the Grand Canyon, stopping proposed uranium mining in the area.
Cox said the Grand Canyon National Monument will be bad for American industry. “This monument designation is frustrating news, especially for residents of Utah along the Arizona strip, Cox said in a press release.
“As I’ve said many times before, massive, landscape-scale monuments like this are a mistake. These designations increase visitation without providing any additional resources for law enforcement and infrastructure to protect sensitive areas. They also needlessly restrict access to the critical minerals that are key to cell phones, satellites, U.S. defense systems, and so many other American industries. I still believe the only right way to create large new land designations is through Congress in coordination with local leaders and residents, a process that brings all voices to the table and offers the necessary funding.”
The Grand Canyon National Monument will cover nearly one million acres around the national park. The designation will help protect the country’s natural beauty, “help right the wrongs of the past and conserve this land,” Biden said at Red Butte Airfield Tuesday. “America’s natural wonders are central to our heritage and our identity of our nation.”
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, also backs the monument designation. She said the designation helps protect the state’s water supply. “Today, we’re celebrating a historic moment for our state, a moment that would not be possible without the tireless advocacy from tribal leaders and communities,” Hobbs said in a news release. “This designation will safeguard one of our most important water supplies, continue to support strong economic activity in communities across our state, and preserve a cultural and natural treasure for future generations.”
Outside of uranium mining, Republicans also noted the land had other economic uses, including cattle grazing; they also argued that people use the land for hunting, fishing and recreation.
“Mohave County doesn’t want this monument,” Arizona House Majority Leader Leo Biasiucci, R-Lake Havasu City, said in a news release. Additionally, Republicans argued the move violates the Statehood Enabling Act.
