Public Lands

1.35-million acre Bears Ears National Monument created in San Juan County

The Bears Ears National Monument was created by presidential decree on December 28, resulting in a massive new national monument that takes up more than one quarter of the land mass of San Juan County. The monument designation includes 1,351,849 acres of federal land, but does not...

Rumors point toward possible December 23 designation. Anxiety builds over possible national monument.

With the days ticking down on the presidency of Barack Obama, anxiety is building in San Juan County over the possible designation of the Bears Ears National Monument. Rumors are flying over the designation, which could result in a new national monument as large as 1.9 million acres....

Federal officials tour jewels of San Juan County

The public lands in San Juan County were the focus of intense scrutiny in the past week as a high-level contingent of federal officials, led by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, toured the area. They were in San Juan County to explore public lands issues, including the proposed...

Secretary of Interior to visit county this week, holds public meeting in Bluff on Saturday

A contingent of high-ranking officials from the federal government will visit San Juan County this week on a fact-finding tour to investigate public land proposals, including the proposed Bears Ears National Monument and the Utah Public Lands Initiative (PLI). During a three-day stay,...

Expect a circus in Bluff

DUST IN THE WINDby Bill Boyle Expect a full-blown circus in Bluff on Saturday as a high-level contingent of federal officials host a public hearing about public lands issues. The meeting is scheduled to be held in the Bluff Community Center, which has a maximum capacity of several...

Bears Ears National Monument designation disastrous for Utah grassroots Navajos

by Rebecca M. Benally, San Juan Cty Commissioner Trusting the federal government has historically resulted in broken promises for Native Americans. As a Diné/Navajo woman, a resident of San Juan County and Commissioner, I speak in behalf of my constituents – the Grassroots Utah Navajos...

Some disturbing facts behind those ‘renewable’ wind turbines

TAKE IT, OR LEAVE ITby Jim Stiles Sometimes the endless open spaces of the West impress me most when I can’t see them at all. One night when I was a ranger at the Arches National Park campground, I encountered a woman so terrified she could barely speak. She was from New York City,...