San Juan County

Commission approves letter to BLM

At their March 2 meeting, the San Juan County Commission approved a letter to the Bureau of Land Management asking them to reject oil and gas leases in the McCracken Mesa area. The letter was supported by a resolution from the Navajo Utah Commission, and supported in public comment by Red Mesa...

County Commission approves continuation of voting lawsuit settlement, discusses airstrip

Voting accessibility, benefits for victims of radiation, and a housing development surrounding a Spanish Valley airstrip were all topics of conversation at the February 16 meeting of the San Juan County Commission. The commission moved through the meeting in unison for most items. Commissioners...

Commission votes to deny permit for OHV rally

by David Boyle News Director The San Juan County Commission denied a request from Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) event organizers to lease land from the county in Spanish Valley but did encourage them to move the event into other parts of the county. The Rally on the Rocks is an annual guided ride event...

Three directors to leave county government

Directors of three departments in San Juan County have recently announced their departures. Public Health Director Kirk Benge, Economic Development and Tourism Director Natalie Randall, and Human Resources and Planning and Zoning Director Walter Bird have all accepted offers for positions...

Dry weather continues for yet another month

Another month of warm and dry weather in San Juan County, with drought conditions strengthening their grip on the area. In the Drought Monitor released on December 31, the entire county, except for a small sliver in the northwest corner of San Juan County, is listed in Exceptional Drought, the...

Phil Lyman receives Presidential Pardon

Blanding resident and Utah House of Representative member Phil Lyman received a Presidential Pardon Tuesday from President Donald Trump. In 2014 Lyman, who was serving as a San Juan County Commissioner at the time, led an ATV protest ride in Recapture Canyon, located just outside of Blanding....

Energy Fuels plans to process monazite sands

Energy Fuels has announced plans to begin processing monazite sands at their White Mesa Mill in San Juan County. The sands will be used to produce a mixed rare earth element used in many modern technologies. The company announced a three-year agreement with The Chemours Company to acquire a...

Weather warm and dry

The weather continues warm and dry in San Juan County as the dryer-than-normal conditions extend into another month. In November, Blanding received just 0.1 of an inch of precipitation and stands at less than ten percent of normal for the water year, which started on October 1. In addition, the...

Commission questions proposed mining plan

The San Juan County Commission voted to oppose in situ mining in the county, including a proposed project in Lisbon Valley that would inject an acidic solution into the Burro Canyon aquifer in order to extract copper. The Lisbon Valley Mining Company is requesting a permit for Underground...

Commissioner Adams on internet task force

San Juan County Commissioner Bruce Adams has been selected as part of a national task force to study the lack of reliable broadband in the US. The National Association of Counties (NACo) formed the task force which is comprised of nearly three dozen county government officials from across the US....