BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT MANAGEMENT

On October 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. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service.

Bears Ears National Monument holds special meaning to a wide variety of users. This area’s rich cultural heritage is held sacred by many Native American Tribes, who continue to rely on these lands for traditional and ceremonial uses. The natural resources here are regularly used by local communities for firewood gathering and livestock grazing. Beyond cultural and natural resources, this area is meaningful to recreationists who visit the Bears Ears region to backpack, rock climb, river raft, and more. To find more information about recreation within Bears Ears National Monument, please visit our recreation homepage.

Bears Ears National Monument truly embodies the Bureau of Land Management’s multiple-use mission. While the Proclamation provides a framework for prioritizing the protection of the monuments objects and values, other uses continue. The Monticello Field Office strives to accommodate these different user groups. Read on to learn more about Bears Ears management.

Management Partnerships

The Bureau of Land Management (Monticello Field Office) and USDA Forest Service (Manti-La Sal National Forest) co-manage the monument with the Bears Ears Commission, which represents the five Tribes listed in the Presidential Proclamation designating the monument. This relationship was solidified with the signing of an inter-governmental cooperative agreement on June 16, 2022. The federal agencies also work closely with the Monument Advisory Committee. Members of the advisory committee are volunteers appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to represent varied stakeholder interests. These groups are currently working to determine objectives for monument management and the development of the new Resource Management Plan for the monument.

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 online.

New Land Use Planning Process for Bears Ears National Monument

The Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Forest Service are seeking public input to help inform a new land use plan for Bears Ears National Monument, which will protect Bears Ears National 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 USDA Forest Service with the expertise and traditional and historical guidance of Tribal Nations through the Bears Ears Commission. The Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register on Aug. 30, 2022; view the Federal Register submission.