Over the course of the last two years, traditional knowledge-holders from each of the five Coalition Tribes have worked to create a Land Management Plan (LMP), which was shared with the public just this morning. The final plan is a synthesis of tribal perspectives on how Bears Ears National Monument should be managed for generations to come.
“Our culture relies on accessibility to the Bears Ears region,” says BEITC Representative for the Navajo Nation, Hank Stevens (Naatsis’áán, Navajo Mountain). “Through this Land Management Plan, we are strengthening our connection with our people, the environment, and all the land, water, and animals. What we are looking at is reconnecting with our aboriginal lands and finding ways to incorporate our worldview into the management of our homelands. Having a say in how this region is managed brings us closer to our ancestors.”
(c) Tim PetersoThe Earth-to-Sky concept employed in the LMP focuses on protecting a diverse array of natural and scientific resources. Recognizing the landscape as a holistic and interconnected ecosystem is one way we hope to protect our ancestral homelands and sacred places within Bears Ears.
The Coalition is willing to work with federal land managers to fulfill the intent of the LMP, honor the treaties that ensure our cultural resources are protected, all while balancing agency demands by providing cultural and traditional knowledge and expertise.
The submission of the Coalition’s LMP represents another monumental milestone in the co-management of Bears Ears National Monument. Friends of Cedar Mesa fully supports the Tribes in this announcement and throughout the implementation of the plan.
See the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition’s announcement HERE, and read the Land Management Plan HERE.
State of Utah Files Lawsuit Challenging Bears Ears Restoration
Nearly a year after President Biden restored the boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument, the State of Utah has filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate Biden’s action and again shrink the Monument by over a million acres. This action is in direct opposition to years of advocacy by a historic coalition of Tribes, overwhelming public opinion, and even San Juan County, who declined to support this lawsuit.
This lawsuit comes at a time where significant progress is being made toward cooperative management of the Monument between Federal Agencies and Tribes. In light of the recent release of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition’s LMP, the cooperative management agreement signed earlier this summer, not to mention the (SITLA) land exchange also in progress, this lawsuit is out of touch with the progress being made towards the protection of Bears Ears.
Bears Ears is home to more cultural and archaeological sites than any other national park or national monument in the United States. “While some may view this landscape as another park to visit, for me it’s a living landscape – one that provides sustenance and healing,” said Friends of Cedar Mesa Board Member Louis Williams, a Diné guide who owns and operates Ancient Wayves. “While we are grateful these lands are once again protected, they must also be respected.”
Bears Ears National Monument was designated by President Obama in December 2016 at the request of five tribes who came together to form the Bears Ears Intertribal Coalition, following over a decade of advocacy and organizing to honor and protect ancestral homelands and acknowledge the importance of this landscape to Modern Indigenous Peoples. History is on the side of protecting Bears Ears, going back to 1904 when Edgar Lee Hewitt, the father of the Antiquities Act, brought the region to the attention of those in Washington D.C. after submitting a report detailing the need for protections.
The 84 page suit alleges this landscape is not important enough to be protected with its current boundary, stating: “Congress strictly limited the amount of land the president can reserve. Under the Act’s plain text, the president’s power is limited to reserving only the ‘smallest area compatible with the proper care and management’ of the qualifying landmark, structure, or object.”
Friends of Cedar Mesa couldn’t disagree more. If anything, ‘the smallest area required to protect’ should be closer to the original tribal proposal of 1.9 million acres (more than the current 1.36 million). The lawsuit also ignores the strong legal standing this Monument has under the Antiquities Act to protect the finite and unique paleontological, ecological and other unique resources in the Monument.
Friends of Cedar Mesa believes the lawsuit is legally flawed, ill-conceived, and in direct opposition to a majority of Americans. We will be working with our partners in the coming months to ensure this lawsuit does not prevail.
Read more about the lawsuit HERE.
Your Voice Matters: Take Action for Bears Ears!
(c) Jason ScogginsThis has been a big week for Bears Ears: the beginning of a historic land use planning process, the release of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition’s LMP, and the announcement of a lawsuit opposing restoration have all been announced in just a matter of days. You might be wondering, what can I do?
The time has come to speak up on the management of Bears Ears National Monument!
Yesterday, The Department of the Interior announced the start of a long awaited and historic land use planning process for the Monument. Starting on Tuesday August 30th, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and USDA Forest Service will begin a 60-day public comment period on the new land use planning process for Bears Ears National Monument.
“This new management planning process provides an opportunity to learn from our past planning efforts and ensure the 1.36 million-acres of public lands in the Monument receive the proper protections,” BLM Utah State Director Greg Sheehan explains. “The new Presidential Proclamation provides a framework for managing the Monument, but the public can help us determine the best way to implement it. Input at this stage will help inform the issues considered during the planning process and the decisions made in the final management plan.”
We’ll be sharing more information about the planning process and additional resources for your comments in the coming weeks.
Submit your comments online, starting August 30th HERE.
Or, mail to ATTN: Bears Ears National Monument Planning, 365 North Main, Monticello, UT 84535.
This scoping process will play a significant role in deciding the future of Bears Ears National Monument. Contribute to the protection of Bears Ears by making your voice heard NOW!
Header and featured image are both (c) Tim Peterson.