A Timeline of the Bears Ears National Monument
July 2015 -The Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Zuni Tribe, and Ute Indian Tribe founded the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition (BEITC). Using a model based in Tribal sovereignty, the five Tribes submitted a proposal for the creation of a new national monument.
December 2017 -President Trump reduces Bears Ears National Monument by 85%, leaving the Monument vulnerable to looting of ancestral belongings, vandalism to sacred places, irresponsible visitation, and open to extractive industries.
October 2021 -President Biden’s Proclamation restores the Bears Ears National Monument and again recognizes the Bears Ears Commission as collaborative managers of this sacred landscape.
March 2024 -The Bears Ears Commission, BLM, and USFS released a draft resource management plan (RMP) for public comment. Alternative E, the preferred alternative of the Commission and the federal agencies, incorporates the most Traditional Indigenous Knowledge and reasonably balances public access with the protection of the cultural and natural resources that are integral to the five Tribes’ ancestral lands.
October 2024 -The proposed Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) Management Plan has officially entered the consistency review period. During this phase, the Utah Governor’s office will review the plan to ensure it aligns with state and local policies. This marks a critical step in finalizing the plan, which is the result of collaborative efforts between federal agencies and the five Tribes of the Bears Ears Commission to sustainably manage and protect this sacred landscape for future generations.