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Show 157 withdraw some 264,000 acres of land without any concern for anybody except a few sightseers, to me is the most blatant type of greed that I can imaginc.',4 77 Ten days after Johnson signed the executive order, more details surfaced about the land included in the monuments' expansion. The details fueled the arguments of those who had seen the expansion as a violation of states' rights. According to Charles R. Hansen, director of the State Land Board, Utah held title to almost 23,000 acres of the 215,056 added to Capitol Reef. The state had issued grazing leases on nearly 15,500 acres, gas and oil leases on close to 1,000 acres, and mineral leases on nearly 9,000 acrcs. 478 The state held title to about 6,000 acres in the area added to Arches National Monumeni. 479 Lcgisla1ive Reaction Since 1961 , Senator Bennett had pushed for national park status for Arches and Capitol Reef national monuments. He had also introduced legislation to elevate Cedar Breaks National Monument to national park status. His proposals, however, called for relatively small parks that allowed for multiple uses, and the leadership in the Senate Interior Committee never held hearings for his bills. In light of Johnson's proposal that Congress create Arches and Capitol Reef national parks, Bennett reintroduced his bills. But they got as much attention from the national press as they had from the Interior Committee. On the other hand, Utah reporters gave voice to Bennett's argument that his 4 77 •7 Sall Lake Tribune, .. Bennett Blasts 'Land Grab,'" January 22, 1969. a De.sere/ News, ..Capitol Reef Lands Under Utah Title," January 30, 1969, BIS. • 19 1bid. |
