Today, Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Vice Chair Celeste Maloy (UT-02), and Representatives John Curtis (UT-03), Blake Moore (UT-01) and Burgess Owens (UT-04) released the following statements responding to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Final Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Bears Ears National Monument, which encompasses 1.35 million acres in southeastern Utah.
“Public lands deserve public access, but this announcement is the latest example of the Biden administration disagreeing with that premise,” said Chairman Newhouse. “Instead of listening to critical feedback from impacted stakeholders, including grazing permittees and recreators, the DOI is hell-bent on locking up more land across the West. As Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, I will fight against this attack on our Western Way of Life and urge the BLM and Forest Service to immediately reverse course on this decision.”
“I’m disappointed yet unsurprised by BLM’s proposal to restrict visitor access to Bears Ears National Monument,” said Rep. Curtis. “This back-and-forth management is unsustainable. We need a lasting and broadly supported solution. BLM’s failure to reach a broad consensus only increases division. I’m ready to work with my colleagues and stakeholders to find a reasonable path forward.”
“This rule is an example of everything that’s wrong with the administrative state,” said Vice Chair Maloy. “Congress’s directive to the BLM is to manage land for multiple uses and sustained yield. This rule eliminates multiple use. Therefore, this rule is in contradiction to the agency’s authority. It has to be stopped before it is implemented."
“Though unsurprised, I am incredibly disappointed that the Biden-Harris Administration has proposed a new, overreaching Bears Ears National Monument Resource Management Plan that greatly restricts recreational access across 1.3 million acres in southern Utah,” said Rep. Moore. “Not only would this proposal limit camping, climbing, and hiking opportunities, but it would also completely ban recreational shooting with no evidence of any damage to cultural resources or public safety within the monument. As this proposal is finalized, I urge the Administration to rewrite this management plan, remember its multiple-use mandate, and make a sincere attempt to both protect resources and maximize recreational opportunities for Utahns and visitors alike.”
"By banning recreational shooting, limiting off-highway vehicle access, closing land to livestock grazing, and jeopardizing our cherished outdoor traditions and local livelihoods, the Biden-Harris administration's latest BLM decision poses a serious threat to Utahns," said Rep. Owens. "Our federal delegation is committed to standing up for our state, and we will continue working tirelessly with state and local officials, as well as stakeholders, to find a permanent legislative solution that upholds Utah's right to manage its lands and resources."
Background:
In December 2016, President Obama announced the Bears Ears National Monument, encompassing 1.35 million acres. After review, in December 2017, President Trump reduced the size of the monument to 201,000 acres. In 2021, the Biden Administration announced the restoration of the Obama-era boundaries monument boundaries. The announcement of the final EIS and proposed RMP begins a 30-day protest period with an expected Record of Decision (ROD) before the end of the year.
If the preferred alternative is implemented, the RMP would:
- Prohibit recreational shooting access throughout the monument’s 1.35 million acres
- Close nearly 600,000 acres to off-highway vehicle (OHV) access
- Manage approximately 205,000 acres with wilderness characteristics, nearly four times larger than the 2020 RMP
- Close nearly 175,000 acres to livestock grazing
