by David Boyle
News Director
More than a hundred people gathered in Monticello on May 4 for a rally to call for continued Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) access in Arch Canyon.
A 1,200-page draft management plan for the Bears Ears National Monument was published on March 8, with a 90-day public comment period open from the time and concluding on June 11.

The Utah Division of Water Rights (DWRi) met with the Monticello City Council on March 26 and to the San Juan County Commission on April 2, about the water rights adjudication process and its plans to kick off adjudication efforts in the Eastland area this summer.
Eastland area residents should receive letters inviting them to a public meeting this spring to discuss the general water rights adjudication process. 

Bears Ears Partnership premiered the first ever Visit With Respect short documentary film, Respecting the Past, Preserving the Future.
The premier was on March 9 during the 2024 Celebrate Bears Ears, a bi-annual event highlighting the scientific and cultural importance of the greater Bears Ears region.

Both virtual and in-person meetings are scheduled for the public to learn more about the Bear Ears National Monument Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

The Bureau of Land Management Monticello Field Office and U.S. Department of Agriculture Manti-La Sal National Forest will host a public meeting of the Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee on March 27, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mountain Time at the Hideout Community Center located at 648 South Hideout Way, Monticello, UT 84535. There will also be a virtual meeting attendance option. 

by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the San Juan County Commission addressed personal property taxes, Gunnison Sage-grouse and short-term rentals in Spanish Valley at their latest meeting.
Members of the commission approved the use of an appraisal software program for the Assessor’s office at the January 16 meeting.

The Utah Society for Range Management has named Slate Stewart its 2023 Range Manager of the Year.
This is the third time a Trust Lands Administration (TLA) Range Manager has been bestowed an award from the prestigious group.
“Slate is widely known as one of the hardest workers around,” said Ron Torgerson, Assistant Managing Director for the Trust Lands Administration’s Surface group.

by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the San Juan County Commission approved a letter commenting on a draft forest management plan, heard an update from the extension office and approved a 45-acre rezone as part of their latest meeting.

by Bill Boyle
Editor, San Juan Record
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit, filed by the State of Utah and others, which challenged the 2021 expansion of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments by President Joe Biden.
Judge David Nuffer ruled on August 11 that the President had the authority to designate monuments under the Antiquities Act.

by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the San Juan County Commission discussed a variety of issues around public lands at their latest meeting including a proposed rule by the Bureau of Land Management that would clarify conservation as a “use” within the Federal Land Policy and Management Act multiple-use framework.

By David Boyle
News Director
Members of the San Juan County Commission received an update on the Bears Ears SITLA exchange, discussed the result of their performance audit, and approved a variety of grants at their latest meeting.

A road construction project is scheduled for this spring and summer at Natural Bridges National Monument.
Work began on Monday, April 17, and continue through Friday, July 21. 
Project work will resurface, restore, and rehabilitate approximately ten miles of roads and pullouts in Natural Bridges National Monument along the main park road.  

The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service will host three in-person and two virtual public scoping meetings as part of the ongoing land use planning for Bears Ears National Monument.
The public is encouraged to help identify issues or concerns that should be addressed in the planning process; input will help set the parameters and scope for the new resource management plan.

by David Boyle
News Director
Department of Interior approves name changes for 10 areas in San Juan County.On September 8, following a 10-month process, the US Department of the Interior (DOI) announced federal agencies would replace the word “squaw” on 650 geographic features across the US including 10 in San Juan County.

The BLM and USDA Forest Service to host virtual meeting of the Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee 
The Bureau of Land Management Monticello Field Office and U.S. Department of Agriculture Manti-La Sal National Forest will host a virtual public meeting of the Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee on September 13, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a public comment period at 1:30 p.m.