Public Lands

The Indian Creek corridor in Bears Ears National Monument. The State of Utah has filed a lawsuit challenging the creation of the 1.3-million acre monument. Photo courtesy Bob Wick, BLM

Utah files lawsuit challenging Biden’s designation of Bears Ears Monument

by David Boyle News Director The state of Utah, as well as Garfield and Kane counties, filed a legal challenge on August 24 to President Joseph Biden’s designation of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. The lawsuit in U.S. District Court was brought forth by Utah...

BLM lifts voluntary climbing avoidance areas in Indian Creek

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has lifted seasonal climbing avoidance areas in the Indian Creek corridor. The agency welcomes the public to use the climbing walls and areas within the Indian Creek corridor that were previously included in the voluntary avoidance areas to benefit raptors. “We...

BLM announces key local leadership changes

Nicollee Gaddis-Wyatt has been selected as the incoming Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Canyon Country District Manager and Jake Palma has been named BLM Monticello Field Manager. In these roles, Gaddis-Wyatt and Palma will make important decisions about land management, recreation, conservation,...

Flash flooding in Dry Valley on August 14 washed out sections of State Route 211, the main road accessing the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. SR 211 will be closed for several weeks while repairs are made. National Park Service photo

Storm, flash flood damages State Rt. 211 in Dry Valley

by David Boyle News Director Damages from flash flooding in Dry Valley have closed the main road accessing Canyonlands National Park for at least several weeks. With crews in the early stages of assessment, State Route 211 could be closed for longer. Afternoon flooding on Sunday, August 14 caused...

Death in Canyonlands Needles District

On the evening of Sunday, July 17, 2022, Canyonlands National Park staff received a report of a missing male subject who was overdue after attempting a short hike from Elephant Hill in the Needles District. A joint search and rescue team comprised of Canyonlands and Mesa Verde National Park Service...

County enters agreement with BLM, Forest Service

San Juan County has entered a Cooperating Agency agreement with the Bureau of Land Management and the National Forest Service. The National Forest and BLM are currently working together on a resource management plan for the Bears Ears National monument and invited San Juan County to be a...

Representatives from the BLM, Forest Service & the inter-tribal coalition pose after signing a co-managment agreement for the Bears Ears Monument. Pictured from left to right: Christopher Tabbee Representative Uncompahgre Ute, Malcolm Lehi, Councilman Ute Mountain Ute, Homer L. Wilkes Undersecretary Natural Resources and Environment, Tracy Stone-Manning BLM Director, Carleton Bowekaty Lt. Governor Zuni Tribe, Timothy Nuvangyaoma Hopi Tribe Chairman, Davis Filfred representing the Navajo Nation. DOI photo

Federal and Tribal agencies sign comanagement agreement for Bears Ears

Federal land agencies and tribal leadership formalized their co-management of the Bears Ears National Monument at a signing ceremony on June 18. The signing took place in White Mesa, afterwards, representatives traveled along highway 261 to unveil one of the new Bears Ears National Monument signs,...

Utah approves transfer of trust lands from Bears Ears

Members of the Utah Legislative Management Committee unanimously approved support for a deal that would swap over 130,000 acres of state trust lands in San Juan County for federally managed lands in the state at an interim meeting on May 17. With the approval from Utah legislators, the Utah School...

Screenshot from a SITLA DRAFT presented at the May 3 meeting of the San Juan County Commission. Pink squares are SITLA lands that may leave Bears Ears National Monument, green squares are BLM lands that could become SITLA lands

San Juan County grapples with transfer of state trust lands

Leadership with the Utah School and Institutional Trust Land Administration (SITLA) appeared before the San Juan County Commission on May 3 to hear input regarding the proposed land swap of 131,000 acres located inside the Bears Ears National Monument. Members of the public who spoke at the...

Burns planned in National Parks and Monuments

Vegetation Pile Burns Planned in Southeast Utah National Parks and Monuments Beginning February 21 and continuing through the end of March, park officials plan to burn piles of dead vegetation at various locations within Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges...