Photos: Two New Majestic National Monuments in the US
Via PNT
In the final days of his two-term presidency, incumbent Barack Obama will designate two new national monuments. Both are in the American West and the move will protect 1.35 million acres of federal land.
In the final days of his two-term presidency, incumbent Barack Obama will designate two new national monuments. Both are in the American West and the move will protect 1.35 million acres of federal land.
The Bears Ears National Monument (Utah) and the Gold Butte National Monument (Nevada) encompass Native American homeland and cultural sites.The surrounding areas include hundreds of thousands of acres of canyons, fragile rock formations, and ancient Native American structures.
Via UDB
The Bears Ears National Monument —named for twin buttes that poke above the horizon—will protect a diverse southwestern landscape. It’s among the most significant archaeological areas in the United States—more than 100,000 Native American cultural and archaeological sites in all.
It includes diverse terrain with juniper mesas, soaring red-rock formations, 12,000-foot-high mountain peaks, and remote sandstone canyons. The region is also home to well-preserved prehistoric dwellings and rock-art panels.
The desert landscape of raw beauty and immeasurable cultural value in the Southwest, will now turn to tourism on these protected lands for economic benefits.
