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PLEASE READ AND COMMENT ABOUT YOUR VIEWS ON THIS TOPIC!!
Hello fellow coworkers, Bears Ears Monument (which is 315.4 mi² in size and used for recreational use like camping, hiking,etc) has been a hot topic in the Press ever since December 4th, when President Donald Trump came to Utah and announced the reduction  of this monument which was by 85%. Former President Obama in the late 2016 created Bears Ears National Monument to preserve the land. Reasons behind this include: Ancient Rock Art from the Natives, Dinosaur Bones, Geological phenomenons etc. However this land was controlled by politicians in Washington rather than the local people which has been its own ongoing battle. Another thing that is valuable in this land is the mining and oil industry. These companies have not been able to use the land due to the Antiquities Act but with Trump's reduction, mining and oil business will be able to work down in that region. Giving Utah oil and minerals that are much needed. Even though this act was almost a year ago there is lawsuits and people threatening each other from both sides.

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In the mid to late 19th century  Mormon Pioneers traveled to the southeastern corner of Utah to settle. The region was also home to many different Native tribes for many years. There are two main towns in this region that were both settled by Mormon Pioneers: Blanding and Bluff. Both towns have very different views on the land and who it belongs to. Bluff is known for working with the  Native American community and “sharing the land” and think that Bears Ears monument is a good thing. However Blanding has very deep Mormon roots and their opinion in the matter is, “getting rid of Bears Ears won’t come soon enough,” (Dougherty). With these two cities are clashing on the fate of Bears Ears, many have forgotten the voice of the Native Americans. Shaun Chapoose who is a leader of the Ute Tribe  states,” Bears Ears, the monument, is the headline, but the fight itself goes far beyond just monuments. It goes to the relationship of the United States government with federally recognized tribes and treaty rights, which existed long before some of the states did.” He continues to state that for the government it is all about the money and taking away land that was once theirs is something he fears will never stop (Brown). Utahans who have grown up visiting Bears Ears or lived nears and feel like it belongs to them; who does it really belong to?

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From all these facts pulled from their sources there are few. If you compare how big the article is, you’d assume that it’s all viable information. However as an informed reader, you must read everything with a grain of salt. Especially when a topic blows up the news like this one did. Everyone has an agenda, when reading articles in the news you must think about: what side is this source? (L,LC,C,RC,R) What is the median of the source? And the most important is to Separate the facts from opinions. Next I will state the opinions found for all the same sources as the facts, thus showing that you will find both in every single paper, magazine, podcast, etc.

-Opinions-
--On December 4th, Jason Chaffetz published an article to Fox News (R) about why, “National Park lovers should applaud Trump's monument decision. “ From this piece we learn the following options:
-All citizens will be able to access and enjoy this land.
-We don’t have to lock people out of the national park.
-Clinton and Obama administrations show little interest in talking to local people before locking up millions of acres of land around them.
--On December 4th 2018, Bill Weir who works for CNN (CR) wrote the following story, “Trump shrinks Utah monuments in historic move.” From this we learn the following opinions:
-The two former presidents wanted to perverse the culture and beauty of these two monuments.
-This government is evil, and I'm not going to sit back and let evil win.
-Only a few people in Washington should control the land in Utah. Not given to the locals.
--On December 4th 2017, Time (L) the magazine release a video taken from when Trump signed the reduction of Bears Ears. From this we learn:
-Utah Senator Orrin Hatch thinks that everyone wins with this new bill.
--On February 2nd 2018, Hannah Nordhaus who works for National Geographic (L), wrote the following, “What Trump’s Shrinking of National Monuments Actually Means,” From this we learn:
-Some people think that the natural resources should be controlled by a small handful of very distant bureaucrats located in Washington.
-- On May 10th 2018, Jeffrey Brown did a podcast segment on “Why the fate of Bears Ears’ cultural treasures is uncertain” (C). From this piece we have learned the following options:
-The relationship with the government and Native Americans needs to improve.
-The reduction is all about the money.
-Having Congress on “your” side is the best way to save this land.
--On November 13th  2018, The Salt Lake Magazine (CR) came out with the following story, “Monumental Battle: Utahns take sides in the struggle for Bears Ears.” From this we learn the following options:
-Fighting the monument is just wasting time.
-Advertising for Bears Ears reduction had false information.
-The area is already “crowded with cattle” local people believe.

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As you can tell there are far more opinions vs facts throughout these articles; it is extremely important to read everything with a grain of salt. You have to ask yourself why is there so many more opinions vs facts? It is extremely important to read everything in the news critically and use tools like ethos/pathos/logos to fully understand the rhetorical strategies companies use.

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For the past year this issue has been seen in papers, magazines, Tweets but what is the truth of Bears Ears and what is opinion? You also have to consider what side the source is. Meaning the source has predetermined values that are reflected in the paper. However since this is a political issue I am going to use the following key to determine what “side” the source is from. Democratic (L),  Central (C), or Republican R), there can also be in between (LC,RC). If a source is (L) n general they are Pro Bears Ears and think the monument shouldn’t be reduced. Whereas (R) sources are for the reduction of Bears Ears want the locals to have more say in who the land belongs to. Knowing this information is key to understanding what their personal gain is for writing is article.
-Facts-
--On December 4th, 2017, Jason Chaffetz who is a writer for Fox News published (R) an article about why, “National Park lovers should applaud Trump's monument decision.”  From this piece we learn the following fact:
-The National Park Service suffers from a $12 billion maintenance backlog
-In the case of Bears Ears National Monument, all that land was already federal land managed for conservation use
--On December 4th 2017 Bill Weir who works for CNN (CR) wrote the following story, “Trump shrinks Utah monuments in historic move.” From this we learn:
-Bears Ears National Monument was decreased by more than 80% and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by roughly 45%
--On December 4th 2017, Time (L) the magazine release a video taken from when Trump signed the reduction of Bears Ears. From this we learn:
-On December 4th Trump came to Utah and signed the papers for the reduction of two monuments.
-Former President Obama declared Bears Ears a national monument in his final weeks in office.
--On February 2nd 2018, Hannah Nordhaus who works for National Geographic (L), wrote the following, “What Trump’s Shrinking of National Monuments Actually Means,” From this we learn:
- Many past presidents have made cuts to federal land, but none have received backlash like this.
-The Department of the Interior manages one-fifth of all land in the United States.
-There are more than 100,000 ancestral Puebloan sites in this region.
--On May 10th 2018, Jeffrey Brown recorded a podcast segment on “Why the fate of Bears Ears’ cultural treasures is uncertain” (C). From this piece we have learned the following factual evidence:
-Oil and gas is part of the reason why the shrinkage, it shown through email of the government.
-The monument has been cut down and certain archaeological sites have been cut out.
--On November 13th  2018, The Salt Lake Magazine (CR) came out with the following story, “Monumental Battle: Utahns take sides in the struggle for Bears Ears.” From this we learn the following:
-Other steps had been used to try decreasing federally owned land in Utah until Trump decreased it.
-In the ’70s the area had seven BLM rangers. Now it has two.

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-Conclusion-
Everyone who report or comment about something in the news has an agenda and bias. With the big news story of the reduction of Bears Ears many residents are getting confused about what is really going on. Which goes to show how important critical thinking is in our modern world. Where every news company has ties to the democratic or republican side. The reduction of Bears Ears is still an ongoing topic of debate even though it happened a little over a year ago (December 4th 2017). As model citizens of this state please read and be aware of the ongoing news stories. Don’t be misled by false information or opinions. Go back to the facts of the stories and divide them from the options. Many different underlying issues is going on in the Four Corners area (this is where Bears Ears National Monument is located), such as: the two towns Blanding and Bluff disagreeing with the land, the local Native American tribes getting their land stolen (again), the Federal Government disagreeing (Obama who created the park and Trump who decreased it), the mining and coal industry, the Archaeology industry, the Paleontologists industry, tourism and the people of Utah in general. As you can see this affects many people and whether you're for or against the reduction it is important to voice your opinion and fully understand the story. Please don’t forget to write your opinions and post it to the bulletin!
Thanks,
Madi Vorkink