Tiny Bluff, Utah sits on the edge of Bears Ears National Monument - and at the heart of the hotly contested debate over the monument’s future. National publicity has drawn more people to Bluff, which has branded itself as the “Proud Gateway to Bears Ears." But can the community find a way to grow to meet tourist demand while maintaining its unique character? Read on...

As storm clouds gathered and thunder crackled in the sky above Bluff, Utah, Brant Murray entered the Comb Ridge Bistro as if blown in by the swift summer winds. Tall and tan, with salt-and-pepper stubble and a thick Southern drawl, the North Carolina transplant flashed a winning smile and a warm “How are ya?” before getting down to business. 

“Okay, guys,” he said, his eyes and voice taking on a new intensity. “Here’s your June 2017 incorporation update.”

His words (and the wind) transport us back to six months prior, when we conversed in the biting cold of early December 2016.  Read more at Terrain.org.