BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD
SOME OF the most spectacular scenery in the world lies in southern Utah, a wonderland of rust-red rock shaped by channels of cool water, punctuated by craggy buttes and Native American ruins and artifacts. After Wednesday, more of this priceless landscape will be formally protected — if, that is, the country’s incoming Republican leaders do not allow anger at President Obama to impair their judgment.
The White House announced Wednesday that Mr. Obama designated 1.35 million acres of breathtaking lands — known as Bears Ears, after two buttes that jut prominently into the air — a national monument. The designation caps a presidential term that saw conversion of several natural and culturally significant areas into protected zones, achievements that may turn out to be the most persistent element of Mr. Obama’s legacy.
Utah leaders responded with fury, arguing that the president is behaving imperiously, and promised to push for a rollback. In fact, Mr. Obama took a moderate approach, and his critics should take a deep breath.