Public Lands

Verdure Creek fire controlled at 157 acres

After fighting the wildfire for six days, crews fully suppressed the Verdure Creek Wildfire on October 18, with a final mapped fire area of approximately 157 acres. The fire was reported on Sunday, October 13, approximately six miles southwest of Monticello and a half mile north of the Blue...

BLM seeks Bears Ears Councils

The BLM is seeking public nominations for positions that are, or will soon become, vacant on its Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee, and Utah Resource Advisory Council. Nominations must be submitted by Nov. 20, 2024. Advisory councils and committees (councils) play a crucial role in...

Reactions to Bears Ears Management Plan

Check out our story on the new plan here: https://sjrnews.com/public-lands/proposed-management-plan-released-bears... Our conversation with BLM Field Manager Jake Palma: https://redrock92.podbean.com/e/oct-4exclusive-interview-jake-palma-fiel... The Sportsmen’s Alliance announced that because the...

The Shingle Mill prescribed burn has completed 87 of the 1,500-acres that are scheduled for burning in the Manti La Sal National Forest west and south of Monticello. With continued warm and dry weather, the project has been delayed until weather condititions improve. Brad Stoddard photo

Shingle Mill burn in Patrol Status

Manti-La Sal National Forest fire officials pause on implementing Fall prescribed burning within the Shingle Mill project area on the Monticello Ranger District. The Shingle Mill project area is located west and southwest of Monticello. Previously, approximately 1,500 acres of re-entry broadcast...

House of Fire in Bears Ears National Monument. Courtesy photo

Proposed management plan released for Bears Ears National Monument

A proposed plan to manage Bears Ears National Monument is set to be released by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service on October 4. In an interview with Redrock92, Jake Palma, field manager of the Monticello Field Office of the BLM, explained that the public input resulted in...

BLM seeks advisory council nominations

The BLM is seeking public nominations for positions on the Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee. Nominations must be submitted by October 18, 2024. Advisory committees play a crucial role in managing public lands. These councils frequently facilitate communication between community...

Tourism to area parks adds $486 million

A new National Park Service report shows that 2.4 million visitors to national parks of the Southeast Utah Group in 2023 spent $397.6 million in communities near the four parks. That spending supported 5,122 jobs in the region and had a cumulative benefit to local economies of $486.1 million. This...

mage shows climber making their way up a crack on red rocks with a belayer down below. Courtesy photo

Indian Creek climbing

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sincerely thanks those in the climbing community that followed avoidance recommendations for raptor nesting sites during the spring and summer climbing season. This year, there was a successful fledging of chicks on two prairie falcon nests and one golden eagle...

Flash flooding in Lime Canyon washed out fence lines, flooded Highway 163 for several hours, and contributed to significant damage in recent days. David Kartchner photo

Storms drench San Juan, cause damage

Several days of storms, driven in part by moisture from a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, brought a deluge of rain to San Juan County, resulting in floods, disruptions and damage during a normally dry June. The storms were widespread, but had particular impact on several key areas. Highways were...

Firewood permits on Ntl Forest

The USDA Manti-La Sal National Forest is issuing fuelwood permits and other forest products for the Monticello and Moab districts starting May 20, 2024, and continuing through November 30, 2024. Fuelwood permits on the forest cost $5 per cord with a four-cord minimum purchase, and a ten-cord max...