Utah Reminder: BLM to host public scoping meetings for new monument plans

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will host four public scoping meetings as part of the ongoing land use planning for Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM). Scoping efforts were initiated Jan. 16, 2018, for the BENM - Indian Creek and Shash Jáa units; the GSENM- Grand Staircase, Kaiparowits, and Escalante Canyon units; and federal lands previously included in the GSENM that are now excluded from its boundaries. In total, the BLM will produce six land use plans and two associated Environmental Impact Statements (EIS). The BLM and U.S. Forest Service will jointly prepare the land use plan and associated EIS for the Shash Jáa unit.  The two planning areas cover approximately 2.1 million acres of federal land in Garfield, Kane, and San Juan counties. The new planning efforts will replace the 2000 Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument Management Plan and replace portions of the 2008 Monticello Resource Management Plan.

The lands covered by this land management planning process are open to hunting, fishing and recreational shooting.  It is critical that sportsmen and women participate in the planning process by attending one of the scoping meetings and/or submitting comments.  Comments, as noted below, will be used to set the stage for the development of the actual plans and we need to ensure that the access and opportunities enjoyed by hunters, anglers and shooters will continue into the future.  Click here and here to view comments submitted by the NRA and several other national hunting, wildlife conservation and shooting sports organizations.

Scoping meeting dates and locations are as follows:

Bears Ears National Monument

Monday, March 26

4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

San Juan High School

311 North 100 East

Blanding, UT 84511

Tuesday, March 27

4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Bluff Community Center

3rd East and Mulberry Bluff Rd.

Bluff, UT 84512

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Wednesday, March 28

4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Kanab Middle School

690 South Cowboy Way

Kanab, UT 84741

Thursday, March 29

4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Canyon Country Lodge

760 East Highway 12

Escalante, UT 84726

Additional information about the planning effort for GSENM is located at: https://goo.gl/EHvhbc and for BENM at: https://goo.gl/uLrEae.

The public is encouraged to help identify any issues, management questions, or concerns that should be addressed in the planning processes. The comments will be used to help set the parameters, or scope, of the review of the land use plans. The public scoping meetings provide the public an opportunity to talk to resource specialists and submit written comments in person.

Comments must be received within 15 days of the last scheduled public meeting for the specific planning effort. Comments on the BENM plan may also be submitted until April 11 directly through the project ePlanning page at: https://goo.gl/uLrEae, mailed to P.O. Box 7 Monticello, UT 84535, or emailed to blm_ut_monticello_monuments@blm.gov. Comments on the GSENM plan may also be submitted until April 13 directly through the project ePlanning page at: https://goo.gl/EHvhbc, mailed to 669 S Hwy 89A Kanab, UT 84741, or emailed to BLM_UT_CCD_monuments@blm.gov.