1.   A monument designation could not be undone by a new president, though it could be overturned by an act of Congress.

2.   A monument designation simply gave it a higher level of protection against future intrusions by, say, the mining industry.

3.   But administration officials repeatedly skirted the question of whether the monument designation would actually prevent Andalex from mining.

4.   But just as Congress can choose to open the refuge to drilling, so too can it overturn a monument designation.

5.   But some senior officials are unconvinced that monument designation is necessary or tactically sound.

6.   It is also true, however, that a monument designation is a quintessentially federal act, imposed from above by the executive branch.

7.   Most Utah politicians favor development in the region and denounced the monument designation.

8.   The monument designation did not need congressional approval, which many in the West see as an abuse of federal power.

9.   The monument designation does not affect valid existing oil and gas leases, nor does it enlarge federal regulatory authority over fishing or other uses.

10.   The monument designation limits development on the land but is a step below a national park in the level of protection it provides.