BLM, USFS update management plan for Bears Ears National Monument
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MONTICELLO, Utah — Today the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced approval of the Resource Management Plan for Bears Ears National Monument. This decision marks the conclusion of a multi-year collaborative planning effort to ensure protections for the Monument’s sacred, ancestral homelands, while allowing for appropriate uses of this culturally significant landscape.
“Bears Ears National Monument encompasses vast and diverse objects of historical and scientific interest. We’re honored to care for this landscape alongside Tribal Nations, the Bears Ears Commission, the monument advisory committee, the USDA Forest Service, State and local governments, neighboring communities, other partners and stakeholders, and the public,” said Acting BLM Utah State Director Matt Preston. “This new plan will allow anyone who has a connection to the monument to enjoy the landscape while ensuring respect for the Monument and the unique values it embodies.”
“The unwavering dedication of Tribal Nations, partners, local communities, stakeholders, and the public in considering this plan’s direction and focus has been remarkable to witness,” expressed Forest Supervisor of the Manti-La Sal National Forest Barbara Van Alstine. “As a forest, we are humbled to have the distinct privilege of supporting the informed management of Bears Ears National Monument through this resource management plan to encourage visitors, land stewards, and future generations to enjoy the area while appreciating the cultural significance of the landscape.”
The approved plan incorporates Tribal input, feedback from cooperators, stakeholders, and the public, and is informed by the best available science, including Indigenous Knowledge, to ensure balanced use and protection of important resources. The Presidential Proclamation establishing the monument called for Tribal co-stewardship of the monument and established the Bears Ears Commission, comprised of representatives from five Tribes whose ancestral homelands are in part encompassed by the monument. The approved plan emphasizes resource protection and the use of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge and perspectives for the stewardship of the Bears Ears landscape.
In addition to the protection of cultural resources and important landscapes, the approved plan allows visitors and the public to continue other existing uses within the Monument, including cattle grazing, recreation, and traditional gathering of firewood and plants.
Nearly 19,000 public comments helped inform the plan’s balance of protecting objects with ensuring the availability and variety of appropriate uses within the monument. This is reflected in the decision to keep Arch Canyon open to visitors on a permitted basis and providing additional flexibilities to adjust cattle grazing based on land health improvements. Many recreational uses — such as hiking, climbing, hunting, off-highway vehicle use, backpacking, recreational shooting, and rafting — will continue to be available within Bears Ears under the approved plan.
The BLM’s Record of Decision approves this resource management plan and becomes effective immediately on BLM lands upon signature. The Forest Service Record of Decision will approve its land resource management plan amendment and will take effect 30 days following publication in the Federal Register.
Information regarding the full management plan, including maps, is available at the BLM National NEPA Register.
For additional information, please contact BLM Planning and Environmental Specialist Jill Stephenson at 435-259-2100.
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The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.