Bears Ears National Monument

October 12, 2017

BearsEarsNationalMonumentUtahJune017a

Photographer: Thomas McGuire
Summary Author
: Thomas McGuire

The 117 National Monuments in the U.S., include historic locations, unique and unspoiled wilderness areas, and even protected marine regions. The U.S. Antiquities Act gives presidents the ability to establish National Monuments. President Obama established the 1.3 million acre Bears Ears National Monument in 2016. This new Monument is mostly a remote wilderness area of southeastern Utah between the Colorado River and agricultural lands about 50 miles (80 km) to the east.

The photo above shows the Bears Ears, two sandstone-crowned buttes, for which this monument was named. Currently, there's a debate concerning the future of Bears Ears and how this land should be best used; it's a classic clash among environmentalists who want to preserve unique wilderness areas, Native Americans who want to protect their sacred lands and local residents who want recreational access and economic benefits in mining and other local jobs. Unfortunately, this debate is likely to be decided by the court system.

Photo Details: Camera Model: Canon EOS REBEL T5; Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II; Focal Length: 55mm; Aperture: ƒ/9.0; Exposure Time: 0.0050 s (1/200); ISO equiv: 100; Software: Adobe Photoshop Elements 9.0 Macintosh.