Tag: Utah

Bears Ears Makes History with Release of Proposed Management Plan in Collaboration with Five Tribes

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn conservation, writing

NPCA News Release

This plan marks historic progress, incorporating Tribal collaboration into the care and stewardship of this critical landscape“–Theresa Pierno, NPCA’s President and CEO

The Valley of the Gods region in Bears Ears National Monument. According to the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, the landscape at this national monument is known to contain more than 100,000 sites of cultural and archaeological significance.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Biden administration in collaboration with five Native American Tribes proposed a first-of-its-kind resource management plan for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah that incorporates Traditional Ecological and Indigenous Knowledge.

© Arlene Hochman Waller/Dreamstime

The plan aims to manage the lands and resources of Bears Ears in collaboration with Tribes, to fulfill the vision of President Obama’s proclamation that established the monument and President Biden’s proclamation that restored its boundaries.

The proposed resource management plan will guide resource policies and procedures for the monument’s 1.36 million acres of public lands. It is the result of a multi-year collaboration with the Bears Ears Commission – the Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Zuni Tribe, Hopi Tribe and the Navajo Nation – and federal partners at the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

NPCA is carefully reviewing the final plan which is expected to shape policies that protect Bears Ears National Monument for years to come and help connect one of America’s most diverse national park landscapes from Glen Canyon to Canyonlands National Park.

Statement by Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA):

“Since time immemorial, Bear Ears has been a place of healing and refuge, connecting many Tribal communities to their ancestors across centuries. By placing Tribal collaboration at the forefront, we all benefit along with our national parks and public lands.

“Years of determination and hard work by Tribal Nations, local communities, businesses, and people across the country have led to this moment. This plan marks historic progress, incorporating Tribal collaboration into the care and stewardship of this critical landscape.

“This would not have been possible without the unwavering leadership of the Ute Indian, Ute Mountain Ute, Zuni, and Hopi Tribes and the Navajo Nation. NPCA is proud to have worked alongside the Tribes, whose leadership reinforces the integral role of Traditional Ecological and Indigenous Knowledge in shaping the future of our public lands.”

–Malcolm

Malcolm R. Campbell is  a long-time member of NPCA.

Parks Group Applauds Landmark Collaborative Tribal Management Plan to Protect Bears Ears National Monument

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn conservation, writing

NPCA News Release

March 13, 2024

Washington DC – The Biden administration in collaboration with five Native American Tribes released a historic draft management plan for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. Through this plan, the lands and resources of Bears Ears will be managed in collaboration with Tribes, utilizing Indigenous knowledge and Tribal input, as was intended in President Obama’s proclamation that established the monument and President Biden’s proclamation that restored the monument.

This management plan was the result of a two-year collaboration among five Tribes of the Bears Ears Commission – Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Zuni Tribe, Hopi Tribe and the Navajo Nation – along with federal partners at the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. Once finalized the plan will inform resource policies and procedures for the protection of Bears Ears National Monument, connecting one of America’s most diverse national park landscapes, for years to come.

Statement by Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA):

“This landmark management plan is proof that through collaboration and elevation of voices traditionally underrepresented in public lands management, our country can preserve culturally important places and ecosystems while also balancing recreational opportunities. It’s clear the Biden administration understands that true Tribal consultation in the management of our public lands benefit all of us, as well as the future of our national parks and public lands.

“Bears Ears connects and protects one of America’s most iconic national park landscapes. It is a sacred place that provides healing and sustains life for so many. This historic collaborative management plan safeguards those values. It commits to long-term Tribal consultation and ensures that the management of this landscape honors traditional Indigenous knowledge and cultural wisdom. Once realized, this plan will create a future where visitors learn about the full history of Bears Ears and the people who have understood and cared for these lands for thousands of years.

“For years, NPCA worked alongside Tribal Nations, local communities and businesses, and countless people across the country to protect the Bears Ears landscape. But this plan would not have become a reality without the leadership of Ute Indian, Ute Mountain Ute, Zuni, and Hopi Tribes and the Navajo Nation. We are proud to stand with them, together as partners, in the fight to protect Bears Ears, and all our national monuments, for generations to come.”

***