BLM hosts public scoping meetings for new monument plans
The Bureau of Land Management will host four public scoping meetings as part of the ongoing land use planning for Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Scoping efforts were initiated Jan. 16 for Bears Ears Indian Creek and Shash Jáa units; the Grand Staircase Kaiparowits and Escalante Canyon units; and federal lands previously included in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument that are now excluded from its boundaries. In total, the BLM will produce six land use plans and two associated Environmental Impact Statements. The BLM and U.S. Forest Service will jointly prepare the land use plan and associated Environmental Impact Statements for the Shash Jáa unit.
The BLM invited members of the public to attend meetings at the following dates and locations.
Bears Ears National Monument
March 26, 4:30–8 p.m.
San Juan High School
311 N 100 E
Blanding, UT 84511
March 27, 4:30–8 p.m.
Bluff Community Center
3rd E. and Mulberry Bluff Rd.
Bluff, UT 84512
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
March 28 4:30 p.m.–8 p.m.
Kanab Middle School
690 S. Cowboy Way
Kanab, UT 84741
March 29, 4:30–8 p.m.
Canyon Country Lodge
760 E. Highway 12
Escalante, UT 84726
Additional information about the planning effort for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is located at goo.gl/EHvhbc and for Bears Ears National Monument at 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 with 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 Bears Ears National Monument plan may also be submitted until April 11 at goo.gl/uLrEae; mailed to P.O. Box 7 Monticello, UT 84535; or emailed to blm_ut_monticello_monuments@blm.gov.
Comments on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument plan may also be submitted until April 13 at goo.gl/EHvhbc; mailed to 669 S. Hwy 89A Kanab, UT 84741; or emailed to BLM_UT_CCD_monuments@blm.gov.
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.
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