Bears Ears National Monument
Max Heaven
NATR 5270
Bears Ears National Monument sits on 1.4 million acres of public land in San Juan County, Utah.
It is a U.S. national monument originally established in 2016 by then-president Barack Obama.
Management agencies include the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Forest Service, and
five local Indigenous tribes united under the Bears Ears Commission. Stakeholders include the local
indigenous communities, Utah citizens, and those seeking recreation in the park.
Before European settlers expanded into what is now known as Utah, various Native American
tribes lived in the area of Bears Ears. The area is considered to be ancestral and sacred land by these
tribes. In 2015, the Utah Diné Bikéyah brought together five tribes – Ute Mountain Ute, Uintah Ouray
Ute, Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo – to put together a proposal for the protection of Bears Ears as a national
monument. Further, it was endorsed by the National Congress of American Indians (Utah Dine Bikeyah).
In 2018, President Barack Obama established Bears Ears National Monument by presidential
proclamation. Though Native American tribes were in strong favor of the monument’s establishment,
sentiment from Utah citizens were less savory. Conflict arose between those wishing to preserve the
ancestral lands of the original occupants of Bears Ears and Utahns who saw economic value potential in
the land. In 2017, President Donald Trump cut the size of the monument down to only 201,876.
However, in 2021, current president Joe Biden restored the territory previously removed by Trump
(Federal Register). Now, arguments remain whether or not the national monument is of benefit to the
local Utahns of San Juan County. Native American groups continue to ensure protection for their
ancestral homes.
The laws and legislation relevant to this issue are the Antiquities Act of 1906, which granted
presidents the power to set aside land as a national monument. Also relevant is the following:
Proclamation 9558 which established Bears Ears as a national monument by President Barack Obama;
Proclamation 9558 which reduced the size of Bears Ears National Monument by 85% by President
Donald Trump; Proclamation 10285 which restored the full area to protection by President Joe Biden;
and a multitude of laws that permit the BLM and USFS to condition permitted activities on federal lands
and provide specific protection for archaeological, historic, cultural, paleontological, and plant and
animal resources. (BLM and USDA).
Works Cited
UDB Timeline. Utah Dine Bikeyah. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from
https://utahdinebikeyah.org/about/udb-timeline/
(2021, October 15). Bears Ears National Monument [Review of Bears Ears National
Monument]. Federal Register.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/10/15/2021-22672/bears-ears-nationalmonument
BLM and USDA Forest Service begin new land use planning process for Bears Ears National
Monument | Bureau of Land Management. (n.d.). Www.blm.gov. Retrieved February 7,
2023, from https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-and-usda-forest-service-begin-newland-use-planning-process-bears-ears-national