Bears Ears National Monument Management

**Planning Underway for Bears Ears National Monument**

The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service preparing a plan to guide management of the Bears Ears National Monument, incorporating considerable input from the Bears Ears Commission, the State of Utah, other cooperating agencies, and the public. The agencies are committed to ensuring that existing uses of cattle grazing, recreation and traditional gathering of firewood and plants continues as part of the monument’s management. More information: BLM, USDA Forest Service invite input on Bears Ears National Monument draft plan and BLM, USDA Forest Service announce public meetings on for Bears Ears National Monument draft plan.

General Information

On October 8, 2021, President Biden issued a Presidential Proclamation modifying the boundaries for Bears Ears National Monument. The monument, located in southeast Utah in San Juan County, is made up of 1.36 million acres of public lands administered jointly with the BLM and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service.

Bears Ears National Monument holds special meaning to a wide variety of users. This area’s rich cultural heritage is held sacred by many Native American Tribes, who continue to rely on these lands for traditional and ceremonial uses. The natural resources here are regularly used by local communities for firewood gathering and livestock grazing. Beyond cultural and natural resources, this area is meaningful to recreationists who visit the Bears Ears region to backpack, rock climb, river raft, and more. To find more information about recreation within Bears Ears National Monument, please visit our recreation homepage.

Management Partnerships

The Bureau of Land Management (Monticello Field Office) and USDA Forest Service (Manti-La Sal National Forest) manage the monument with the Bears Ears Commission, which represents the five Tribes listed in the Presidential Proclamation designating the monument. This relationship was solidified with the signing of an inter-governmental cooperative agreement on June 16, 2022. The federal agencies also work closely with the Monument Advisory Committee. Members of the advisory committee are volunteers appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to represent varied stakeholder interests.

Bears Ears National Monument Interim Guidance

The Bureau is providing interim guidance regarding management of the Bears Ears National Monument. This interim monument management direction will provide direction on the stewardship of these lands during the public planning effort, pending approval of a monument management plan and associated environmental impact statement, in compliance with the Presidential Proclamation. The interim guidance memorandum can be viewed online.