The American Farm Bureau Federation, along with the Utah Farm Bureau, the state of Utah, and San Juan County in Utah weighed in on court deliberations regarding access to public lands.
President Donald Trump made a proclamation in 2017 on decreasing the size of the Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument, as well as the Bears Ears National Monument, both in Utah.
The brief supports the federal government’s motion requesting dismissal of a series of consolidated legal actions filed against the president’s declaration.
The brief describes how the changes made by the proclamation will benefit ranchers’ livelihoods by giving them expanded grazing for their livestock in and around the monuments.
“Granting the plaintiffs’ claims would significantly jeopardize those Farm Bureau members who ranch in the area, having done so for generations under the authority of multiple federal laws and regulations.”
The groups emphasized that President Trump has the authority to take such an action under the Antiquities Act. They point out that other presidents before him took similar actions on at least 18 different occasions.
They said there is no legal precedent for limiting a sitting President’s ability to make such modifications.