This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

President Obama will make Bears Ears a National Monument and he will do it after the election so Hillary Clinton will not lose either side and not be blamed. If Hillary wins, Obama will claim it as his "gift for the USA" and she ducks the power play but will see it sticks so the federal government gets more power over Utah. If she loses, Obama will still do it as an unspoken punishment to Utah (several other states with similar punishments?) who did not support his chosen successor. Sorry, just politics.

Could this be undone by the next president, Congress or the Supreme Court?

Utah's government must plan for this and try to get the best deal, if it can agree on what's best for all the people of Utah and not just their re-elections.

Bruce Morgan

Salt Lake City