BLM hosts public meetings in area for draft Bears Ears National Monument Plans, comments will help shape future management of the national monument  

The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service will host three public meetings as part of the ongoing land use planning for the Bears Ears National Monument.
The draft management plans for the Shash Jáa Unit and the Indian Creek Units as well as the associated environmental impact statement (EIS) were released for public review on August 17, 2018.
More information about the planning effort may be found on the BLM ePlanning project page at https://goo.gl/uLrEae.
The BLM invites members of the public to attend meetings at the following dates and locations:
• October 2, 2018, from 5 to 8 p.m., at San Juan High School, 311 North 100 East in Blanding.
• October 3, 2018, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Bluff Community Center, 190 North 3rd Street East in Bluff.
• October 4, 2018, from 5 to 8 p.m., at Whitehorse High School, State Highway 262, in Montezuma Creek.  
These open-house meetings provide opportunities for the public to speak with resource specialists, ask questions, and submit written comments in person.
Written comments may be submitted at the meetings or anytime through November 15, 2018 via mail or email. Please see the ePlanning project page for ways to comment.   
On January 16, 2018, the BLM initiated planning to prepare Monument Management Plans for the Bears Ears National Monument Indian Creek Unit, and for the Shash Jáa Unit, which is co-managed with the Manti La-Sal National Forest.
Since then, the BLM and the USFS have worked with cooperating agencies to develop draft management plans and a draft EIS reflecting input from many stakeholders and the public.
The plans include a range of alternatives addressing management issues brought forward during scoping.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska.
The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.
The BLM and Forest Service agency mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $96 billion in sales of goods and services throughout the American economy in fiscal year 2017.
These activities supported more than 468,000 jobs.

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