Bears Ears in the News: Change and Controversy at the BLM

Environmentalists, tribes blast Utah national monument plan - KUTV, 7/27/19

Perhaps the most controversial component of the plan is its opening large swaths of archaeologically significant land to off-road vehicle use - something both conservationists and Native peoples see as insulting to tribes and dangerous for fragile landscapes.

But this isn’t the only story keeping the BLM in the headlines.

Rebecca RobinsonAugust 13, 2019Bears Ears National Monument, Federal Lands, Department of Interior, Interior Department, Utah, National Monument, Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, BLM, Indian Creek

An Interview with Josh Ewing of Friends of Cedar Mesa

We caught up with Josh Ewing, Executive Director of Friends of Cedar Mesa on a day when he was acting as “sole parent in charge” of the Bears Ears Education Center in Bluff, Utah. The newly-established Center opened in fall 2018

Rebecca RobinsonApril 8, 2019Friends of Cedar Mesa, Bears Ears National Monument, Bears Ears, Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, Visit with Respect Center, Bluff, Utah, BLM

An Interview with Mark Maryboy

We caught up with Mark Maryboy several weeks before the fourth anniversary of the inaugural gathering of Hopi, Zuni and 19 other tribes in Bluff, Utah.

Rebecca RobinsonMarch 20, 2019Mark Maryboy, Bears Ears, Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, Native American, Public Land, Navajo, BLM, Utah Dine Bikeyah, Willie Grayeyes

Bears Ears in the News: Totems, Tit-for-Tats, and a Big Move for the BLM

Hello, Readers! After a sleepy start to summer on the Bears Ears beat, controversies are once again blazing like so many wildfires burning across the West. Here are the top stories from Bears Ears country:

Rebecca RobinsonJuly 20, 2018Mike Lee, San Juan County, Protect Utah's Rural Economy Act, National Monuments, Public Lands, Antiquities Act, Ryan Zinke, Bears Ears, BLM, Oil and Gas Leases, Totem Hope for Unity, Lummi Nation, Bears Ears National Monument, Native Americans, America First, Trump

Bears Ears in the News: Big Numbers and a Ticking Clock

Today is the final day for the public to submit comments on the BLM's management plans for the Trump administration's much-reduced Bears Ears National Monument. Groups such as Utah Diné Bikéyah(UDB), a Native-led nonprofit whose advocacy for the protection of Bears Ears led to the creation of the original monument proposal by Native American tribes, has urged its supporters to participate.

Rebecca RobinsonApril 11, 2018Bears Ears National Monument, Shash Jaa, Indian Creek, Utah Dine Bikeyah, BLM, Cedar Mesa, Trump, Friends of Cedar Mesa, Utah, San Juan County, Comb Ridge, Native American, National Monument

Bears Ears in the News: The Mining Rush That Wasn’t

Lots of news on the Bears Ears beat:

Congress reasserts authority over national monuments - Washington Times, 2/6/18

Following the brouhaha over President Trump’s rescinding Bears Ears and replacing it with two much smaller designations, lawmakers on the House Natural Resources Committee are seeking to use their power to create new monuments through the legislative process - a method much preferred by many Republicans who view monuments established by a presidential proclamation as "federal/executive overreach."

Rebecca RobinsonFebruary 12, 2018Bears Ears, House Natural Resources Committee, HB 4532, BLM, National Monument, Bears Ears National Monument, Outdoor Retailer, Ryan Zinke, Sierra Club, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, San Juan Record

Bears Ears in the News: “It’s About Race.”

A sampling of stories from the Bears Ears beat:

Some Monumental Issues - Archaeology Southwest, 1/8/18

Archaeologist Bill Lipe has spent more than 50 years working in the American Southwest and is one of the foremost experts on the archaeology of the Bears Ears region. In this piece, he makes the case for preservation of the entire Bears Ears cultural landscape, not merely the best-known archaeological sites. A good read and well worth 15 minutes of your time.

Rebecca RobinsonJanuary 16, 2018Bears Ears, Bears Ears National Monument, Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, BLM, Bluff, Archaeology, Southwest, Public Land, Trump, Grand Staircase Escalante, Native American, HB 4532, Gov Herbert, Utah Dine Bikeyah, Salt Lake Tribune

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