Edwin Roberson, the Utah State Director for the Bureau of Land Management, provided testimony to the House Committee on Natural Resources regarding the review of National Monuments designated under the Antiquities Act. The statement addressed the implementation of Presidential Proclamations 9681 and 9682, which modified the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah.
The review process was initiated following Executive Order 13792, which tasked the Secretary of the Interior with reviewing Presidential designations or expansions made since January 1, 1996, that exceeded 100,000 acres. According to Roberson, the Department of the Interior established a process to determine if monument sizes were the smallest area compatible with protecting objects of historic or scientific interest.
Under Proclamation 9681, the boundary of Bears Ears National Monument was modified to include two units, Shash Jáa and Indian Creek. This modification encompasses 228,794 acres, including land managed by the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service, the State of Utah, and private landowners. The proclamation allows for increased public access and traditional uses such as cattle grazing.
Proclamation 9682 modified the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to identify three units: Grand Staircase, Kaiparowits, and Escalante Canyons. These units encompass a combined 1,003,863 acres and include areas with high concentrations of fossil resources and significant landscape features like the Upper Paria Canyon System.
The Bureau of Land Management has been preparing new land use plans for the units within both monuments. This process included public scoping meetings in Utah locations such as Escalante, Kanab, Blanding, Bluff, and Montezuma Creek. The BLM reported receiving approximately 400,000 comments during the planning efforts.
Regarding tribal engagement, the BLM offered cooperating agency status to 31 interested Tribes for the Bears Ears National Monument, though only two accepted the invitation. The Bureau has also engaged in government-to-government consultations with many Tribes that did not act as cooperating agencies.
The Department of the Interior stated its commitment to expanding access to public lands and restoring traditional land use opportunities. Proposed Monument Management Plans and Final Environmental Impact Statements were expected to be released following the development of these plans, subject to administrative protest processes.
