Bill Bennett: “as my colleagues know nearly a year ago, on September 18, 1996, President Clinton announced the creation of the Grand…”

“as my colleagues know nearly a year ago, on September 18, 1996, President Clinton announced the creation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument under the authority of the Antiquities Act, declaring 1.7 million acres in the State of Utah as a national monument. The majority of the citizens in southern Utah were understandably distressed that they were left out of the designation process. Today, those local citizens continue to be alarmed by the potential negative impact this designation may have on their counties' economies. While we may not wish to reverse the President's designation, we must ensure that the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is sufficiently funded and managed in a way that ensures the integrity of the public comment process. I have included specific language included in the committee report accompanying H.R. 2107 represents the first opportunity we have to appropriate funds for this monument. I would like to express my appreciation to the chairman, Senator Slade Gorton and the distinguished ranking member, Senator Robert Byrd, for working with me to address the immediate needs of the monument. The language included in the committee report identifies $6,400,000 in funding for the monument.”