Governor Greg Gianforte called out President Joe Biden and Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland ahead of any politically-motivated monument designations without state collaboration that would threaten the Montana way of life.
In a letter, the governor outlined the history of past presidential actions taken during the heat of a political campaign or in the final days of an administration to issue directives to allocate lands as monuments.
“Less than 50 days from the 1996 presidential election, President Bill Clinton stood in Arizona to announce the creation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on 1.7 million acres in Utah,” the governor wrote. “Three weeks before the end of his final term in 2017, President Barack Obama created by proclamation Bears Ears National Monument on 1.35 million acres.”
Highlighting the impact of federal mandates such as these, the governor continued, “However intentioned, each of these unilateral actions threatened livelihoods, undermined the well-established role of states, and frustrated communities whose lives were disrupted.”
Demanding answers from the Biden administration on its plans in Montana, Gov. Gianforte specifically asked if the administration or any of its agencies will implement or impose any mineral withdrawal in the state or if it plans to introduce bison to the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.
Asking the federal government to refrain from any unilateral action in Montana and concluding the letter, the governor added, “In the event your administration, departments, or agencies ignore this request and decide to recklessly plow ahead, imposing rules and decisions on Montana by dictatorial fiat, please know we will wholeheartedly oppose those actions and be well-prepared for litigation.”
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