Orrin Hatch: “I have always been proud of Utah's rich heritage. Utah is blessed with incredible natural resources, beautiful…”

“I have always been proud of Utah's rich heritage. Utah is blessed with incredible natural resources, beautiful landscapes, and breathtaking vistas. Utahns have always understood the importance of maintaining a responsible balance between the development of our abundant resources and the need to protect the unique natural features of our State. Today, though, the executive branch threatens to disrupt that delicate balance. Countless rural communities in Utah are currently facing difficult challenges to their way of life as the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, increases restrictions on traditional economic activities, such as ranching and grazing operations on Federal land. Under President Theodore Roosevelt's leadership, Congress passed the Antiquities Act of 1906--a short, four-paragraph law that gave the President unilateral authority to designate areas as national monuments. Such designations were intended to protect special areas in our country that have particularly significant natural, historical, or cultural features. Congress crafted these designations to be limited in scope and ``confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected.'' At that time, the Antiquities Act was an essential tool to protect our Nation's historical treasures against growing dangers, such as looters and vandals.…”