The Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) Recreational Management Plan (RMP) was released on March 8, 2024, and is now available for comments. An RMP is especially important because the terms defined in that determine what is even possible when they adopt Travel Management Plans. If a Zone or Area determination is that an activity is not permitted, it is not even possible for that type of recreation to be permitted.
In this plan, BLM introduced a concept we have not seen before. There are now 5 Alternatives, summarized as follows:
- Alternative A is the No Change Option
- Alternative B is now the most permissive Option
- Alternative C would result in a total of 664,030 acres designated as OHV Closed Areas, with 700,122 acres Open as Limited OHV area.
- Alternative D introduces 7 Management Areas with additional restrictions, it is the most restrictive. Alt D would make 982,914 acres as OHV Closed, with only 381,239 acres as OHV limited. In addition, Lands with Wilderness Characteristics: 419,128 acres will be managed as lands with wilderness characteristics under Alt. D. There is also a proposed aquifer ACEC in Alt.D that covers almost the entirety of the monument covering 1,012,371 acres, the only acreage not included is the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Areas of Critical Environmental Concern are not well defined, often restrict motorized use and are used as justification to implement restrictions and closures.
- Alternative E introduces the concept of different considerations based on 4 zones. Recreational Shooting would be prohibited in the entire BENM. 2 More ACECs will be designated. Fire Management will prioritize natural processes and incorporate Traditional Indigenous Knowledge (have no idea what this means now) Aircraft landings will be limited 2 only to airports, eliminate drones almost entirely. 569,971 acres will be OHV Closed, with only 794,181 acres as OHV limited areas.
In the past we have thought working on the “preferred alternative” (it was C in Moab) should be our focus, but they ended up choosing an alternative which was closeest to the most restrictive Alternative B.
We need to do more Analysis, but I encourage you to begin looking at the effects of Alternative D in the Bears Ears Plan.
Here’s the resources you will need to evaluate this plan:
UPLA Articles
UPLA Article On Writing Substantive Comments 03/10/2024
UPLA Article with Links to All Utah Travel Management Planning Information
BLM Resources
DRAFT EIS Executive Summary Volume 1 Description of Route Alternatives Begins on Page ES-5 (25). A chart comparing effects of the various alternatives can be found on Page 2-116 (174)
BENM Draft Management Plan Fact Sheet Just a general overview of Plan
Dingell Act Information About Recreational Shooting
Here is the Link to Submit Your Comments to BLM
Information Not Found Yet
Route Inventory Maps by Area 2/21/2021
Preliminary Alternatives Maps A B C D 02/22/2024
Route Reports 02/22/2024 (Most reports are from 2020 or earlier, but most current available)
Google Earth Preliminary Alternatives Map
PLPCO Resources
Coming Soon
Other Resources
BlueRibbon Coalition Action Alert Bears Ears
Patrick McKay Colorado Offroad Trail Defenders Facebook Overview
So What Do We Need To Do Now? Right now, we need more information…subject to revision for this stage, but here’s a start
- We need to Submit Substantive Comments regarding the 7 Management Areas introduced in Alternative D. Focus on How and why specific questions about how and why these decisions are proposed. I will add specific documents to reference later
- We need to Submit Substantive Comments regarding the 4 Areas introduced in Alternative E. Focus on How and why specific questions about how and why these decisions are proposed. I will add specific documents to reference later
- Submit Your Comments before June 11 to the BLM here. Additionally, please copy landuse@utahpla.com AND brc@sharetrails.org Again, stay tuned for more information on this.
Summary This will likely require a lot of reading and searching to make comments, so it is different than the TMP that will follow it. It is critically important though that we get this step right or there will be very few possible routes to consider in the TMP. Please do your research and help save our access.
We Need Your Support to Make This Come Together, please help!