Well, folks, it really happened. Yesterday, during a whirlwind trip to Utah, President Trump signed an Executive Order shrinking Bears Ears National Monument from 1.35 million acres to 202,000 acres and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument from 1.9 million acres to just over 1 million acres. So what happens now? Let us break it down for you.
Read MoreTiny 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...
Read MoreBelow is a sampling of stories from the past week representing the latest developments in the fight for the future of Bears Ears National Monument.
In a highly anticipated announcement, the White House confirmed that President Trump would visit Utah on Monday, Dec. 4 to officially announce his plans to shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. The President will instead make the announcement from Salt Lake City and is not expected to stay the night in Utah. Cue numerous lawsuits promised by Native tribes and conservation organizations. Things are about to get very litigious.
Read MoreOur Inboxes runneth over with headlines about the latest developments in the fight for the future of Bears Ears National Monument. Below is a sampling of stories from the past week that will get you up to speed:
Trump may cut Bears Ears size by 90 percent, top Hatch staffer says - KSL, 11/15/17
Justice Department won’t release national monument documents - Captial Press, 11/17/17
(NOTE: new to the Bears Ears saga? Start here.)
Read MoreOne of the greatest challenges of this project has been trying to explain what our work is about to those unfamiliar with the story we have been following for well over two years. In this blog, and with our books, we are trying to create that space to provide context that is missing from many news stories and to humanize what can be complex and wonky issues. With that in mind, let's take a whirlwind tour of the Bears Ears cultural and political landscape.
Read MoreReverence for nature and a calling to take from the earth only what is needed is enshrined in Mormon theology, and, on a personal level, Anglo-Mormon residents of San Juan County express a deep spiritual attachment to the canyons, rivers, mesas, and wide- open spaces of their homeland. Nonetheless, the anti-environmentalist stance of Utah’s most outspoken politicians, many of whom are also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) has led many not unfamiliar with LDS teachings to assume Mormons in rural Utah lack strong ties to the land or an ethos of environmental stewardship. Yet as is often the case with religion, the tension lies between doctrine and how its adherents choose to interpret it.
Read MoreIt is impossible to understand the complex blend of cultures, the powerful connection to the land, and the political landscape that informs the Bears Ears debate without an awareness of the deeply held religious beliefs of Natives and Mormons.
To Native Americans in the Bears Ears region and indigenous peoples around the world, the earth is a living, breathing entity: a nurturer, life-giver, and beloved family member to be treated with unconditional respect.
Read MoreThe county is the poorest in the state, and revenues from extractive industries and ranching are declining while the infrastructure needs are significant. The toxic mix of strong emotions and deep uncertainty make progress on an inclusive and sustainable economic development plan problematic at best. Will leaders find a way to put politics aside and rise to the challenge?
Read More“The recreation economy is coming to San Juan County,” says Korenblat, who owns Western Spirit Cycling in Moab. “They can do all they want to try to stop it, but it’s already happening. What they do have the opportunity to do is to shape it and control it and turn it into what they want it to become.”
Read MoreThis exhibit draws together both a visual evocation of a newly declared national monument – Bears Ears, at the heart of the Colorado Plateau – and the voices of those who have fought to shape its future.
We are honored to have Stephen Strom, Eric escheenie, and Alfred Lomahquahu join us at Gallery 4 in the Gilbert Museum to discuss Bears Ears on Tuesday, October 10 from 6pm to 8pm.
Read MoreAs with any place worth exploring, it is impossible to quantify the beauty of San Juan County’s landscapes, or the richness of its indigenous and Anglo cultures. But the debate over the designation of Bears Ears National Monument encompassed more than just the county’s ineffable qualities; it brought to the fore the county’s economic struggles, and how choices its leaders make in the near future could help or hinder its fortunes for years to come.
Read MoreTribal leaders fully recognize both the opportunity presented by Obama’s action and the political challenges confronting them. Zuni Councilman and Coalition co-chair Carleton Bowekaty says the tribes are prepared to surmount what may be considerable obstacles to success.
“There’s going to be a lot of roadblocks, there’s going to be a lot of issues, but we have plenty of knowledge, [and] we have longevity in mind,” Bowekaty says. “Our view is long range.”
Read MoreThe red rock country of southeast Utah is distinctively dramatic, a region so striking it has become a visual shorthand for the wild majesty of the West. Its iconic scenery creates a compelling backdrop—and battleground—for one of today’s most fractious and passionate debates over the future of public lands.
Read MoreThe shock, confusion, anger, and grief felt and expressed by many Americans post-election was coupled (for some) with a realization of the essential need to reach across ideological and cultural divides to find common ground. The battle over Bears Ears illustrates the wrenching difficulties facing those who try to reconcile differences among groups with diametrically opposed views on many issues. In San Juan County, those differences are amplified by complex and oft-painful history laden with racism, religious persecution, and conflicts over land ownership and stewardship.
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