Make debate on national monuments open, Rep. Rob Bishop tells Obama

SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, says a simple way exists for the Obama administration to silence the GOP outcry over revelations about its secret consideration of forming new national monuments in the West.

If the administration now acts in the open, involves all interested parties and follows the law, "There won't be any outcry whatsoever," Bishop said.

But he quickly adds, "That is not the path that it appears this administration is taking."

The issue arose this week when leaked documents showed the administration has been considering forming 14 new national monuments, including two in Utah — in the San Rafael Swell and Cedar Mesa.

Bishop said that brought back bad memories of Bill Clinton's surprise 1996 creation of the vast Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah — even though Clinton's administration insisted until the day before it was formed that no action was imminent.

What Bishop says about the issue matters because he is the ranking Republican on the House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands — where legislative attacks on Obama's public lands policy would likely be launched.

Bishop and the ranking Republican of the full Resources Committee, Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., wrote Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, essentially offering peace if the administration follows Bishop's suggestions — and war if it does not.

"The first step is simply to put the president on notice that Congress will push back unless you do it the right way, and not in secret," Bishop told the Deseret News editorial board Friday.

What kind of pushback, or war, could result otherwise?

"It actually is limitless," he said, saying he expects it would include lawsuits and legislation to revoke or restrict the Antiquities Act, which allows presidents to form monuments without congressional approval.

"If they are going to talk about these kinds of events, it must be done in the open," Bishop warned. "Congress must be involved in it and, more importantly, the people who will be impacted by these decisions must know about it and be involved in the decisions."

He also insists that the original intent of the Antiquities Act must be followed — which could be a tricky request.