October 3, 2024 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUWA Statement on the Bears Ears National Monument Final Resource Management Plan (RMP) – 10.3.24
Contacts:
Judi Brawer, Wildlands Attorney, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (208) 871-0596 (judi@suwa.org)
Grant Stevens, Communications Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (319) 427-0260; grant@suwa.org
Salt Lake City, UT – Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced the release of the final Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Bear Ears National Monument. Below is a statement from SUWA Wildlands Attorney Judi Brawer and additional information.
“Today’s release of the final Bears Ears National Monument Management Plan marks the culmination of years of hard work by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service, in collaboration with the Five Tribal Nations that comprise the Bears Ears Commission, as well as significant stakeholder input,” said Judi Brawer, SUWA Wildlands Attorney. “We expect the final Plan to prioritize the long-term protection of this unique cultural landscape. SUWA will carefully review the final Plan, and will closely monitor its implementation to ensure future actions protect and preserve the monument’s irreplaceable natural and cultural resources.”
About the Monument
Bears Ears National Monument is a region of extraordinary natural diversity and cultural significance. On December 28, 2016, President Obama used his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish Bears Ears National Monument, granting a new layer of protection to some of the most spectacular places in southern Utah. Equally important, the proclamation elevated the voices of Tribal Nations that have ancestral ties to the region. Nearly 100,000 archaeological and cultural sites were covered by the proclamation, including House on Fire and Moon House.
The Bears Ears proposal was led by the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Pueblo of Zuni, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Ute Indian Tribe (collectively these Tribal National make up the “Bears Ears Commission”). As part of the collaborative planning process, the Bears Ears Commission developed A Collaborative Land Management Plan for the Bears Ears National Monument, which “synthesizes Tribal perspectives for the management of the Bears Ears living landscape.”
On December 4, 2017, President Trump ignored millions of public comments and in a brazenly illegal act repealed Bears Ears National Monument, replacing it with two much smaller, non-contiguous units totaling less than 230,000 acres (an 83% reduction). His unprecedented action left rare archaeological sites, unique flora and fauna, and stunning wildlands without protection from looting, uranium mining, oil and gas drilling, and off-road vehicle damage. Thankfully, on October 8, 2021, President Biden signed a proclamation restoring Bears Ears National Monument to its full, original boundaries—plus an additional 12,000 acres added to the Trump-era Indian Creek unit.
In 2023, BLM began the process of developing a management plan to govern the Bears Ears National Monument; this is a crucial opportunity to ensure that the monument is managed for its unique and extraordinary values. During both the scoping phase and after a draft plan was released, SUWA asked its members and supporters to submit comments to BLM, calling for a management plan worthy of this remarkable place.
In August 2023, a Federal District Court Judge in Utah dismissed lawsuits brought by the State of Utah, Blue Ribbon Coalition, and others challenging President Biden’s use of the Antiquities Act to restore the boundaries of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments. The state and other plaintiffs quickly appealed that decision to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals; the Court held oral argument on September 26, 2024 and will issue a decision in the coming months. SUWA and nine other conservation organizations have intervened on behalf of the United States to defend President Biden’s restoration of the Monuments.
Background Information
- BLM E-planning page on the Bears Ears National Monument RMP
- SUWA Statement on Release of Draft Bears Ears National Monument Management Plan — March 8, 2024
- SUWA Advocacy Actions – Scoping Phase (October 2022); Draft Plan (May 2024)
- SUWA webpage on Bears Ears National Monument
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The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is a nonprofit organization with members and supporters from around the country dedicated to protecting America’s redrock wilderness. From offices in Moab, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC, our team of professionals defends the redrock, organizes support for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, and stewards this world-renowned landscape. Learn more at www.suwa.org.
