Bears Ears Management Plan Released

A new management plan for Bears Ears National Monument is a historic step to finalize protections for a landscape that the outdoor community and climbers have worked to protect for many years, and that Indigenous peoples have stewarded since time immemorial and advocated to protect for over a century.

Outdoor Alliance and our partners are pleased to see that with extensive input from the Bears Ears Commission, the BLM and Forest Service have published a draft management plan and environmental impact statement (EIS) for Bears Ears National Monument that will shape how the monument is managed going forward.

Bears Ears is home to popular outdoor recreation destinations, including Indian Creek—a globally significant climbing area that draws thousands of visitors each year. For over a decade, the recreation community has stood behind the Tribes in asking for Bears Ears to be protected. We advocated against President Trump’s rollback of the monument, went to court to defend the landscape, asked President Biden to reinstate its protections, and joined the President and Tribes at the White House in celebration of the designation.

Until June 11, the BLM and the Forest Service are accepting public comment on the draft Bears Ears Management Plan. The multi-volume document clocks in at around a thousand pages. The BLM has identified Alternative E as the preferred alternative for how Bears Ears is managed, and after analysis along with our member groups, Outdoor Alliance is pleased to support this preferred alternative. You can read our full letter to the BLM and the Forest Service on the draft plan here.

Bears Ears is unique among America’s protected lands in that the monument will be co-managed by the five Tribes—the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Ute and Ute Mountain Ute—who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial. The proclamations designating BENM establish the Bears Ears Commission, consisting of leaders from each of the five Tribes. The draft management plan was written alongside the Bears Ears Commission, and the plan outlines how decisions related to managing Bears Ears will be made in collaboration with the Commission moving forward.

The tribal co-management framework envisioned by Alternative E represents a new paradigm for managing America’s public lands—a change that is long overdue. Because this is a new approach, we are seeking clarifications about certain aspects of the plan and are suggesting changes to help ensure successful implementation. Our hope is that this management plan sets a strong and successful precedent for future co-management agreements and that sustainable outdoor recreation is continued to be thoughtfully discussed as the plan is implemented.

Below, we have highlighted some strengths of the plan and identified some opportunities to clarify and engage with management decisions going forward:

1. CULTURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION: The plan provides strong protections for cultural resources throughout the monument and integrates traditional Indigenous knowledge alongside western science. We especially appreciate that the plan offers more opportunities for visitors to understand cultural values in Bears Ears National Monument and recreate in a way that respects these values.

2. RECREATION MANAGEMENT: The plan manages outdoor recreation according to a system of landscape level “zones” that allow for varying levels of recreation infrastructure ranging from more-developed front country areas to remote wilderness settings. For the most part, the plan maintains access to existing recreation resources like trails and campsites, although these will be reevaluated through future planning. New permits will be required for both day and overnight use, although some areas (including Cedar Mesa and the San Juan River) already require permits. Ideally, we would like to see more specificity on how these zones will be managed, including timelines and a description of scope and location for future implementation level plans and permitting systems.

3. CLIMBING: We appreciate that, in most cases, existing climbing access is preserved and climbers can replace existing fixed anchors without a permit. We recommend that Alternative E be updated to provide for recreation-focused management in Indian Creek, which receives more concentrated use than other areas of the monument. New climbing routes that require fixed anchors would require authorization, but it is not clear what the authorization process would look like. Getting clarity on how those decisions would be made is a priority for the climbing community.

4. PADDLING: The plan maintains access for recreational river trips on the San Juan. Permits and fees will continue to be required, and the BLM and Bears Ears Commission will conduct future planning to designate additional campsites along the river and require reservations for all river campsites making it consistent throughout the upper and lower San Juan River segments.

5. POTENTIAL CLOSURES: The plan mentions the possibility of closures to trails or recreation areas, especially as a way to manage recreation impacts. We hope the final plan provides more clarity on how and when closures will be considered, so that closures can be tailored carefully to meet conservation and cultural needs, rather than being widespread.

6. NEW PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES. There are new prohibitions on activities like paragliding, hang gliding, base jumping, wing-suit flying, geocaching, and commercial filming. In addition, there are new regulations on pets, fires, and camping, which will be a shift from how the area has been used and managed previously, and the plan should include a better description of the purpose and need for these restrictions.

Until June 11, organizations and the public are invited to submit their feedback on the management plan. Outdoor Alliance is submitting a letter to the BLM and the Forest Service supporting Alternative E and suggesting changes and clarifications to help sustainably manage recreation in Bears Ears. The BLM will take these into consideration before they complete the final plan.

You can also submit a comment to the BLM and the Forest Service on the draft plan using the tool below. We have offered a sample comment but please feel free to modify and personalize it, especially if you have experience in Bears Ears and can speak to how the new plan will impact you: