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Protecting Utah's Redrock Country

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Lands at Risk in Utah BLM’s September 2018 Oil & Gas Lease Sale

Labyrinth Canyon (Green River). Copyright Tom Till

San Rafael Desert. Copyright Ray Bloxham/SUWA

Sweetwater Reef. Copyright Ray Bloxham/SUWA

Sweetwater Reef. Copyright Ray Bloxham/SUWA

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40th Anniversary #tbt Flashback! In July of 2016,

40th Anniversary #tbt Flashback! In July of 2016, more than 1,400 people braved 100-degree heat to attend a public meeting hosted by former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in the tiny town of Bluff, Utah. The topic of discussion was a proposed Bears Ears National Monument.

Sec. Jewell had already toured the Bears Ears area, met with the Utah delegation and local community leaders, and attended the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Summer Gathering. Now she was greeted by a sea of "Protect Bears Ears" t-shirts.

Informed by her report, President Obama designated Bears Ears National Monument that December. It was the first time a U.S. president had responded to a formal request from sovereign Native American Tribes to protect public lands and cultural resources under the Antiquities Act.

You know what happened next. President Trump was sworn into office in January 2017, Ryan Zinke was confirmed as his Interior Secretary, and the war on Bears Ears commenced.

Near the top of Sec. Zinke’s agenda was a trip to Utah to investigate what he called the “problem” of Bears Ears National Monument. Before he arrived, more than 2,500 people rallied at the state capitol in support of Utah’s monuments. While touring Bears Ears, Zinke and his entourage encountered more than 70 activists and Tribal members at Butler Wash. They were waiting for him at Indian Creek too.

But Zinke was resolved to eviscerate the monument, and by early December Trump was on his way to Utah to make a big announcement. Thousands showed up at the state capitol for a “Monumental Mistake” rally, then turned out again two days later to support both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments as Trump revealed he was slashing them by 83% and 47%, respectively.

One year later, Americans submitted an unprecedented 500,000 comments largely in favor of restored protections. Their voices were heard and President Biden restored both monuments in October of 2021. Meanwhile, lawsuits filed by SUWA, the Tribes, and other parties against Trump’s unlawful actions continue to wind their way through the legal system.

We’ve come a long way together—thank you for being part of the Utah wilderness movement!

Utah residents: The Division of Outdoor Recreation

Utah residents: The Division of Outdoor Recreation is seeking your input and we encourage you to speak up for conservation! The Division's survey will help shape the statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan. It will also inform management priorities, including Land and Water Conservation Fund investment throughout the state.

Please take a moment to review our Recreation Management web page at suwa.org/recreation, then fill out the survey, which should only take a few minutes (link in bio). Responses are due at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 1st. Thank you!

📷 Ray Bloxham/SUWA

📣 Good News! The Labyrinth Canyon/Gemini Bridge

📣 Good News! The Labyrinth Canyon/Gemini Bridges travel plan is now in effect! Yesterday, an administrative appeals board rejected three petitions that sought to delay implementation of the Bureau of Land Management’s Labyrinth Rims/Gemini Bridges Travel Management Plan Decision. The petitions were filed by the state of Utah and several motorized recreation groups.

“We look forward to seeing the BLM begin to implement its balanced travel planning decision in the Labyrinth Canyon and Gemini Bridges area,” said SUWA Staff Attorney Laura Peterson. “The BLM’s plan takes a thoughtful approach to managing recreation in this popular area, one that will protect the stunning Labyrinth Canyon river corridor and critically important riparian ecosystem while leaving thousands of miles of dirt roads and trails open to motorized use in the greater Moab area. As the appeals move forward, SUWA is confident the plan will withstand scrutiny and has moved to intervene to defend BLM’s decision.”

See link in bio for more background on the plan.

📷 Ray Bloxham/SUWA

Your support paired with SUWA’s deep expertise i

Your support paired with SUWA’s deep expertise is a powerful combination—one that ensures that the preservation of the outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau is not just a mission statement, but a vision for the future that we’re working towards every day.

Please consider a donation to support SUWA's work on #GivingTuesday. Visit suwa.org/donate or tap link in bio. Thank you!

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Main Office

425 East 100 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 486-3161

Washington, DC

122 C Street, NW Suite 650
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 546-2215

Moab

P.O. Box 968
Moab, UT 84532

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