A Long Road with a Rocky Beginning: An Update on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument's Journey through Utah

Abstract

President Clinton created the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument more than sixteen years ago. At the time of its creation, the Monument outraged Utahns, and speculation about the future effects of the Monument ran rampant. After providing the historical geography of the Monument and explaining the authority with which the Executive Branch can proclaim land a national monument, this paper addresses the significant elements of the Monument's sixteen year existence. Specifically, this paper explains the impacts the Monument has had on (1) private land within the Monument; (2) livestock grazing in the Monument; (3) county-claimed roadways within the Monument; (4) State-owned land in Monument; and (5) the local and state economies. In effect, this paper addresses and analyzes all of the major concerns that existed when the Monument was created and the current status of those issues.

Keywords: public land, national monument, livestock, grazing, R.S. 2477, mining, SITLA, Antiquities Act

JEL Classification: R5, R52