02/21/2010: "SJC A National Monument? Golly, What's Next?"

The San Juan islands are listed on a Department of the Interior document along with 13 other candidates to become national monuments. President Obama is reported to be considering designating the 14 sites, but hopefully not prior to open public input, and state governmental evaluations of the potential positive and negative impacts of the designations.

At least that is the hope of Utah Governor Herbert, who in response to finding out his state had two possible designation on the list, stated "At the very least, this should be a collaborative process between state and local officials and the federal government." Problem is, a sitting president need not involve anyone -not even Congress- in declaring an area a national monument; if the president declares, so it will be.

SJC Councilman Rich Peterson was reached at the Council offices on Sunday, and said "The prospect of yet another federal 'surprise' for San Juan County is most unsettling."

Peterson added: "It seems that we have somehow joined other very desirable places in the country to become the target for some 'special designation' which most likely would translate into some new top down regulations. The fact that we have been placed on a list for consideration without any prior discussion is most recently remindful of the NOAA surprise that they were very interested in closing the west side of San Juan Island to boating."

While at the time of reporting this, there has been no official response from Governor Gregoire’s office, or from Senator’s Cantwell and Murray, or Congressman Larsen , or even state Senator Ranker , there have been, however, strong statements from other elected officials of the state of Utah.

U.S. Senator Hatch quickly issued a statement that once before a part of Utah was designated a nation monument, and: “Local communities and state officials were not only bypassed, but completely ignored.” Adding “Based on past experience the claim that these plans are just preliminary offers very little comfort.”

Peterson too is concerned, stating "It will be interesting to watch this process unfold to see what, if any, influence we will have."

The 14 sites are:

• San Juan Islands, WA
• San Rafael Swell, UT
• Cedar Mesa, UT
• Montana’s Northern Prairie, MT
• Lesser Prairie Chicken Preserve, NM
• Berryessa Snow Mountains, CA
• Heart of the Great Basin, NV
• Otero Mesa, NM
• Northwest Sonoran Desert, AZ
• Owyhee Desert, OR/NV
• Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, CA (expansion)
• Vermillion Basin, CO
• Bodie Hills, CA
• The Modoc Plateau, CA

Utah Governor Herbert's office issued a statement that he “will personally meet with Ken Salazar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Undersecretary David Hayes in two separate meetings on Sunday and Monday, respectively, in Washington D.C. to express his deep concerns about the possible action.”

This not the first time for the San Juans to have a proposed to receive a designation that would impose new federal regulations and restrictions that would, depending on one’s view point, either “save” the islands, or “destroy” additional private property rights.

Back in the early seventies there was a serious discussion about forming a joint US-Canada international park that would stop any future development, but would at least allow existing homes to remain within the park boundaries, for some set length of time.

The new proposal would have less restrictions than those for the international park proposal, but no doubt would make the current concerns about restrictions on “non-conforming” uses and structures seem mild in comparison.

Now we will have to wait to see how our local and state officials respond.