Today, President Trump announced a reduction of Bears Ears National Monument from 1.36 million to 121,096 acres just months after the historic Monument Management Plan had been signed, and while the massive Babylon fire rages across the landscape.
While this news is deeply disappointing, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect the Bears Ears cultural landscape through on-the-ground work and education.
Regardless of the reduction, we acknowledge the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, Bureau of Land Management, and Forest Service for the Monument Management Plan, with a significant investment of tax-payer dollars and years of collaboration between agencies, Tribes, and public stakeholders. This plan will continue to guide our work on the ground and serve as a vital co-management model for the future of public lands in the region.
Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune
The landscape has faced similar challenges before, and Bears Ears Partnership isn’t going anywhere. Regardless of the politics, funding and planning, we know The Land Can't Wait, and we will respond by growing our on-the-ground conservation efforts to protect the region’s cultural and ecological resources, while strengthening Indigenous connections to this sacred landscape.