The Land Can’t Wait.
It’s in all of our hands to protect Bears Ears, today.
The journey to protect the greater Bears Ears region long predates President Obama’s 2016 proclamation to designate Bears Ears National Monument - a decision widely celebrated by Indigenous communities, conservationists, recreationalists, and more. Not only did this proclamation provide protections to this sacred landscape, it was also the first Monument to be created at the request of Tribes, and formally codified Tribal co-management, setting a visionary precedent for future Management Plans.
Bears Ears came into the broader public’s eye when a proclamation by President Trump reduced the boundaries of the Monument by 85%, opening the door to the resource-based extraction industry’s exploitation of the landscape and compromising stakeholders’ sacred relationships to the land.
After four years of uncertainty, President Biden restored the boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument in 2021. Yet, it wasn’t until the start of 2025 that the planning process was complete, and a historic Resource Management Plan – re-codifying Tribal co-management and prioritizing Traditional Indigenous Knowledge alongside western land management practices – was finalized.
As we await potential changes to Bears Ears National Monument from the new administration, we remember that the groundbreaking Resource Management Plan took nine years to be finalized, severely limiting opportunities for on-the-ground conservation efforts. Today, as we face increased uncertainty around the future of Bears Ears National Monument – including funding cuts, diminished agency capacity, and concern over another reduction – we know we cannot wait another nine years to implement vital on-the-ground education and conservation efforts to protect this sacred landscape.
Since 2010, Bears Ears Partnership has led on-the-ground efforts to protect the landscape and sacred cultural sites, and has educated visitors on how to visit responsibly and limit their impact. This necessary approach is staying the same, but we are continuing to gain momentum to increase our impact.
Over the coming months, stay tuned to learn more about what this phrase means for our organization’s driving mission, programming, approach, and what you can do to help.
It’s in all of our hands to protect Bears Ears, today.
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