DENVER—Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke today met with commissioners from San Juan County, Utah to discuss shrinking or eliminating Bears Ears National Monument. The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Deputy Director Greg Zimmerman:
“Secretary Zinke is willing to meet with Utah politicians who have a history of insulting tribes, while ignoring requests from the sovereign tribal nations who spent years fighting to protect Bears Ears. Today’s meeting is further proof that Zinke’s so-called review of national monuments is rigged, and will occur behind closed doors without the input of so many stakeholders who support Bears Ears National Monument.”
Previous statements and actions from San Juan County commissioners:
In October 2012, Commissioner Phil Lyman told tribal leaders they “lost the war” and shouldn’t have input on public lands issues.
In May 2014, Commissioner Lyman led an illegal ATV ride through cultural sites in Utah’s Recapture Canyon. The illegal activity led to thousands of dollars in damages. Commissioner Lyman spent 10 days in jail for his role and was fined $96,000. The cultural sites through the heart of Recapture Canyon remain closed to motorized vehicles.
In July 2016, at a public meeting hosted by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Commissioner Bruce Adams said of the Bears Ears region, “nobody really settled here” before his white ancestors.
On April 26, the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition sent a letter to Secretary Zinke noting that:
“Our letters to your office from each of our Tribal nations, the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, and the Bears Ears Commission requesting meetings with you have gone unanswered. It seems illogical that letters sent nearly 100 days ago have not been answered, yet there will be review of Bears Ears within the next 45 days.”
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Bears Ears and the Public Lands Initiative: cut from the same cloth
For more information, visit westernpriorities.org. To speak with an expert on public lands, contact Aaron Weiss at 720-279-0019 or aaron@westernpriorities.org.
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“School choice” means giving parents the power and opportunity to choose the schools their children attend.
Charter schools are public schools that provide unique educational services to students, or deliver services in ways that the traditional public schools do not offer. They provide an alternative to the cookie-cutter district school model. Charters survive — and succeed — because they operate on the principles of choice, accountability and autonomy not readily found in traditional public schools.
How did charter schooling really get started?
Long before there were national associations and organizations working to promote the schools, individuals launched the charter movement with strategy and resolve. Charter school pioneers talk about their experiences above.
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GET INVOLVED. For the movement to grow and meet the demand of parents in need of education alternatives, it’s essential to showcase the hard work charter school leaders and educators are doing day in and day out. Help celebrate #CharterSchoolsWeek by signing and sharing the pledge to support public charter schools!
Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
