BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT MANAGEMENT

Visiting Bears Ears National Monument? Check out our recreation page!

Bears Ears National Monument Interim Guidance

The Bureau is providing interim guidance regarding management of the Bears Ears National Monument. This interim monument management direction will provide direction on the stewardship of these lands during the public planning effort, pending approval of a monument management plan and associated environmental impact statement, in compliance with the Presidential Proclamation. The interim guidance memorandum can be viewed on the BLM website.

New land use planning process for Bears Ears National Monument

The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service are seeking public input to help inform a new land use plan for Bears Ears National Monument, which will protect the Monument’s cultural, physical, social, biological, historic, and scientific objects and values consistent with Presidential Proclamation 10285. The monument is managed jointly by the BLM and the Forest Service, with the expertise and traditional and historical guidance of Tribal Nations through the Bears Ears Commission. The Notice of Intent will publish in the Federal Register on Aug. 30; view the Federal Register submission.

About Bears Ears National Monument

Bears Ears National Monument has a rich cultural heritage and is sacred to many Native American Tribes who rely on these lands for traditional and ceremonial uses. Much of this landscape is still actively grazed by livestock, used for personal firewood collection, and is available for many forms of recreation. Outstanding opportunities to hike, visit cultural sites, backpack, mountain bike, float the San Juan River, and ride OHVs exist within the monument boundaries. Other world-class activities include scenic driving, photography, rock climbing, camping, paleontological exploration, and wildlife viewing.

On Oct. 8, 2021, President Biden issued a presidential proclamation modifying the boundaries for Bears Ears national monument. The Monument, located in southeast Utah in San Juan County, is made up of 1.36 million acres of public lands administered jointly with the BLM and U.S. Forest Service.