Photo: John Fowler, Lone Tree at Night
Spotlight on Bears Ears National Monument
Wikipedia: Bears Ears National Monument is a United States national monument located in San Juan County in southeastern Utah, established by President Barack Obama by presidential proclamation on December 28, 2016. The monument’s original size was 1,351,849 acres (2,112.264 sq mi; 5,470.74 km2), which was reduced by 85% by President Donald Trump on December 4, 2017 – an act subsequently challenged as allegedly illegal. The monument protects the public land surrounding the Bears Ears—a pair of buttes—and the Indian Creek corridor rock climbing area. The Native American names for the buttes have the same meaning in each of the languages represented in the region. The names are listed in the presidential proclamation as “Hoon’Naqvut, Shash Jáa [sic], Kwiyagatu Nukavachi, Ansh An Lashokdiwe”—all four mean “Bears Ears.”
Key Links
blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/bears-ears-national-monument
blm.gov/visit/bears-ears-national-monument
Google Maps
goo.gl/maps/qKwbea4ygmSMXmzVA
Responsible Travel
Responsible travel (read Imagine Bears Ears as a responsible tourism model) has the potential of expanding livelihoods and conserving cultural and natural heritage in rural areas. That said, communication has often been lackluster. Visitors are told to stay away or nothing at all. Here’s to a commitment to a better understanding of Bears Ears, on our list of must-visit places. We can discuss this further during February’s Responsible Travel Week.
Headlines
What Does It Mean to Restore Bears Ears, in Words and in Spirit? – Sierra
An Adventure Guide to Utah’s Mighty National Monuments: Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante
Trump Administration Releases Final Plans For Grand Staircase, Bears Ears National Monuments
This Bikepacking Paradise May Soon Be Filled With Oil Wells – Bicycling
The Government Is Moving to Shrink Bears Ears for Good – Outside
Native Tribes Frozen Out of Controversial Plan for Bears Ears Monument
Oil Was Central in Decision to Shrink Bears Ears Monument, Emails Show – NYT
Oil and coal drove Trump’s call to shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase, according to insider emails released by court order – sltrib
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/376417-emails-show-oil-was-key-part-of-bears-ears-monument-decision
Embedded Tweets
Background
The 1.35 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah protects one of most significant cultural landscapes in the United States, with thousands of archaeological sites and important areas of spiritual significance. Abundant rock art, ancient cliff dwellings, ceremonial kivas, and countless other artifacts provide an extraordinary archaeological and cultural record, all surrounded by a dramatic backdrop of deep sandstone canyons, desert mesas, and forested highlands and the monument’s namesake twin buttes. These lands are sacred to many Native American tribes today, who use the lands for ceremonies, collecting medicinal and edible plants, and gathering materials for crafting baskets and footwear. Their recommendations will ensure management decisions reflect tribal expertise and traditional and historical knowledge. – BLM
Recommended Listening
The continuing Bears Ears protection debate – Native America Calling
Planeta.com