Public Lands
by Bill Boyle
While headlines across the county screamed about a land rush in the past week, the on-the-ground reality tells a much different story in San Juan County… at least for now.
“‘Outrageous’ Gold Rush-Style Grab of Public Lands to Begin Friday” screamed EcoWatch.
“Our Public...
A federal government shutdown over the past weekend has slowed the already snail-like pace in the US House of Representatives, where a bill has been introduced to formalize changes to Bears Ears National Monument.
H.R. 4532, the Shash Jaa National Monument and Indian Creek National...
A bill to formalize the creation of Bears Ears National Monument has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman John Curtis.
Curtis states that House Resolution 4532 would create the first tribally-managed national monument. The bill would create a clear...
On December 4, 2017, President Donald Trump issued Proclamation 9681 modifying the boundary of the Bears Ears National Monument to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of important objects of historic and scientific interest.
This action is part of a larger...
by Bill Boyle, San Juan Record Editor
The possibility of energy exploration activities within the prior boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument is becoming a national issue, even while many local residents question if there are actual on-the-ground realities to support the...
Preliminary maps are still all that are available, but the boundaries of the new monuments are starting to be understood.Indian Creek National MonumentThe new Indian Creek National Monument includes a total of 86,447 acres of land, including nearly 5,000 acres of private ground. There...
As promised, a host of lawsuits have been filed in federal court after the December 4 decision by President Donald Trump to reduce Bears Ears National Monument.
No less than three lawsuits were filed regarding Bears Ears and two more were filed regarding the Grand Staircase Escalante...
The December 4 executive order by President Donald Trump to rescind Bears Ears National Monument and create two smaller monuments may trigger significant changes for a Bluff-based nonprofit organization.
Friends of Cedar Mesa (FCM) took two actions in the past week, including filing a...
There are significant management changes for more than one million acres of public land in San Juan County after a presidential proclamation by President Donald Trump on December 4.
Instead of a 1.35-million acre Bears Ears National Monument, there are now two smaller national monuments...
For the second time in less than a year, a presidential signature has made significant changes to San Juan County. On December 4, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that changed Bears Ears National Monument and created two additional, separate national monuments in San...