President Trump’s rollback of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the recent news of new mining claims in the monument have turned a historic deal upside down.
Many Utahns are familiar with the creation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The designation was very unpopular with most state and local leaders and Utah’s congressional delegation at the time. However, it is evident that few people remember that through the outstanding leadership of Gov. Michael Leavitt, a partnership was formed with Secretary Babbitt’s Department of Interior. The most critical outcome of this partnership was a massive land exchange.