MONTICELLO, Utah — The Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and Bears Ears Commission are seeking public input on the recently released draft management plan for Bears Ears National Monument.
“The publication of the Draft Resource Management Plan and associated Environmental Impact (EI) Statement begins the next step in the Bears Ears National Monument planning process,” said BLM Utah State Director Greg Sheehan. “I greatly appreciate the extensive knowledge provided by the commission and the state, and welcome substantive public input as the vital next step in considering the alternatives in the draft.”
The Bears Ears Commission — Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Zuni Tribe, Hopi Tribe and the Navajo Nation — was established during the Obama administration, following former
president Barack Obama’s proclamation establishing Bears Ears as a National Monument.
The draft RMP is the culmination of nearly two years of collaboration between the tribes’ traditional knowledge holders, Historic Preservation Officers, elected tribal leaders and federal land planning staff and leadership at the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service.
“The petroglyphs, artifacts, landmarks and landforms in the Bears
Ears region help Hopi people trace our migration histories” said Craig Andrews, vice chairman of the Hopi Tribe and co-chair of the Bears Ears Commission. “We know that our ancestors decided to leave places that had been occupied by our people for centuries. Some non-native archeologists may use the term abandoned when studying dwellings, but that is not a word that Hopi use because we know our ancestors are still present. Though these areas were never again settled by Hopi/Pueblo physically, they remain inhabited by our ancestors spiritually.”
The BLM and Forest Service are seeking public input on the draft plan for the monument. The proposed management plan includes five alternatives for public comment.
Federal agencies stated that they are committed to ensuring existing uses of cattle grazing, recreation and traditional gathering of firewood and plants continues as part of the monument’s management.
The BLM and U.S. Forest Service will hold seven open-house style public meetings with opportunities to speak with resource specialists, including two virtual meetings. Logistics of those meetings will be on the BLM National NEPA Register at least 15 days in advance.
“While the draft management plan offers five different alternatives, public feedback will help us to refine the final plan,” said Acting Manti-LaSal Forest Supervisor Barbara Van Alstine. “It’s through these public comments we are able to find the best course forward.”
There will be a 90-day public comment period on the Draft Resource Management Plan, EI statement, related proposed recreational shooting closures, and proposed Areas of Critical Environmental Concern.
When final, the comprehensive management plan will replace the existing 2020 Record of Decision and Approved Monument Management Plans for Bears Ears National Monument and portions of the 1986 Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended, and portions of the BLM Monticello and Moab Resource Management Plans that together guide the management of the approximately 1.36 million acres of federal lands within the Bears Ears National Monument.
Interested parties may submit comments through the “Participate Now” function on the BLM National NEPA Register or mail input to ATTN: Monument Planning, BLM Monticello Field Office, 365 North Main, Monticello, Utah 84535.
MONTICELLO, Utah — The Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and Bears Ears Commission are seeking public input on the recently released draft management plan for Bears Ears National Monument.
“The publication of the Draft Resource Management Plan and associated Environmental Impact (EI) Statement begins the next step in the Bears Ears National Monument planning process,” said BLM Utah State Director Greg Sheehan. “I greatly appreciate the extensive knowledge provided by the commission and the state, and welcome substantive public input as the vital next step in considering the alternatives in the draft.”
The Bears Ears Commission — Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Zuni Tribe, Hopi Tribe and the Navajo Nation — was established during the Obama administration, following former
president Barack Obama’s proclamation establishing Bears Ears as a National Monument.
The draft RMP is the culmination of nearly two years of collaboration between the tribes’ traditional knowledge holders, Historic Preservation Officers, elected tribal leaders and federal land planning staff and leadership at the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service.
“The petroglyphs, artifacts, landmarks and landforms in the Bears
Ears region help Hopi people trace our migration histories” said Craig Andrews, vice chairman of the Hopi Tribe and co-chair of the Bears Ears Commission. “We know that our ancestors decided to leave places that had been occupied by our people for centuries. Some non-native archeologists may use the term abandoned when studying dwellings, but that is not a word that Hopi use because we know our ancestors are still present. Though these areas were never again settled by Hopi/Pueblo physically, they remain inhabited by our ancestors spiritually.”
The BLM and Forest Service are seeking public input on the draft plan for the monument. The proposed management plan includes five alternatives for public comment.
Federal agencies stated that they are committed to ensuring existing uses of cattle grazing, recreation and traditional gathering of firewood and plants continues as part of the monument’s management.
The BLM and U.S. Forest Service will hold seven open-house style public meetings with opportunities to speak with resource specialists, including two virtual meetings. Logistics of those meetings will be on the BLM National NEPA Register at least 15 days in advance.
“While the draft management plan offers five different alternatives, public feedback will help us to refine the final plan,” said Acting Manti-LaSal Forest Supervisor Barbara Van Alstine. “It’s through these public comments we are able to find the best course forward.”
There will be a 90-day public comment period on the Draft Resource Management Plan, EI statement, related proposed recreational shooting closures, and proposed Areas of Critical Environmental Concern.
When final, the comprehensive management plan will replace the existing 2020 Record of Decision and Approved Monument Management Plans for Bears Ears National Monument and portions of the 1986 Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended, and portions of the BLM Monticello and Moab Resource Management Plans that together guide the management of the approximately 1.36 million acres of federal lands within the Bears Ears National Monument.
Interested parties may submit comments through the “Participate Now” function on the BLM National NEPA Register or mail input to ATTN: Monument Planning, BLM Monticello Field Office, 365 North Main, Monticello, Utah 84535.