Public Lands

Federal judge dismisses lawsuit regarding Bears Ears, State of Utah appeals the ruling

by Bill Boyle Editor, San Juan Record A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit, filed by the State of Utah and others, which challenged the 2021 expansion of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments by President Joe Biden. Judge David Nuffer ruled on August 11 that the President had the...

County weighs in on proposed BLM rule to add “conservation” to multiple use

by David Boyle News Director Members of the San Juan County Commission discussed a variety of issues around public lands at their latest meeting including a proposed rule by the Bureau of Land Management that would clarify conservation as a “use” within the Federal Land Policy and Management Act...

San Juan County Commission addresses proposed swap of SITLA land currently in Bears Ears National Monument

By David Boyle News Director Members of the San Juan County Commission received an update on the Bears Ears SITLA exchange, discussed the result of their performance audit, and approved a variety of grants at their latest meeting. At their April 18 meeting, members of the San Juan County Commission...

Road work to begin at Natural Bridges National Monument

A road construction project is scheduled for this spring and summer at Natural Bridges National Monument. Work began on Monday, April 17, and continue through Friday, July 21. Project work will resurface, restore, and rehabilitate approximately ten miles of roads and pullouts in Natural Bridges...

Image of the ten geographic places in San Juan County that have been renamed as a result of the Department of Interior’s efforts to eliminate the use of a slur from federally named places.

DOI Changes names of ten areas in San Juan

by David Boyle News Director Department of Interior approves name changes for 10 areas in San Juan County.On September 8, following a 10-month process, the US Department of the Interior (DOI) announced federal agencies would replace the word “squaw” on 650 geographic features across the US...

Inter-tribal coalition publishes Bears Ears Land Plan

by David Boyle News Director Members of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition recently published a 101-page Collaborative Land Management Plan for the Bears Ears National Monument. The document lays out tribal priorities and goals for the comanagement of the monument with federal land agencies,...

Agencies host Bears Ears scoping meetings

The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service will host three in-person and two virtual public scoping meetings as part of the ongoing land use planning for Bears Ears National Monument. The public is encouraged to help identify issues or concerns that should be addressed in the planning...

Bears Ears Advisory Committee meets

The BLM and USDA Forest Service to host virtual meeting of the Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee The Bureau of Land Management Monticello Field Office and U.S. Department of Agriculture Manti-La Sal National Forest will host a virtual public meeting of the Bears Ears National...

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...