USDA – Forest Service
Manti-La Sal National Forest
San Juan County, Utah
Bears Ears National Monument
Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), and the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 1976, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), have jointly prepared a draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and associated draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Bears Ears National Monument (BENM). Of the 1.36 million acres of the monument, 289,040 acres are on National Forest System (NFS) lands of the Monticello Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest in San Juan County, Utah.
The Forest Service responsible official is the Manti-La Sal Acting Forest Supervisor, Barbara Van Alstine.
The purpose of the draft RMP and draft EIS is to frame the identification of issues, alternatives development, and effects analysis. Proclamation 10285 directs the Agencies to “prepare and maintain a new management plan for the entire monument” for the specific purposes of “protecting and restoring the objects identified [in Proclamation 10285] and in Proclamation 9558.” The Forest Service intends to use the EIS to make its decision on the NFS lands it administers within the BENM boundary and includes a proposed programmatic plan amendment to the Manti-La Sal National Forest 1986 Land and Resource Management Plan to incorporate the proposed BENM RMP.
As per 36 CFR 219.13(b)(5), the responsible official shall, “determine which specific substantive requirement(s) within 219.8 through 219.11 are directly related to the plan direction being added, modified, or removed by the amendment and apply such requirement(s) within the scope and scale of the amendment.” We hereby give notice that the substantive requirements that are likely to be directly related to the proposed amendment are: 36 CFR 219.8 (b) (1), (5), and (6), regarding social and economic sustainability; 36 CFR 219.10 (a)(1), (4), (5), (7), (8), and (10), regarding integrated resource management for multiple use; and 36 CFR 219.10 (b)(1)(ii), (iii), and (vi), regarding cultural and historic resources, areas of tribal importance, and management of designated areas.
The Forest Service waives the objection procedures under 36 CFR Part 219, Subpart B (per 36 CFR 219.59) for all FS planning decision related to the RMP and instead adopts the administrative review procedures of the BLM (43 CFR 1610.5-2). A Memorandum of Understanding between the BLM and Forest Service documents that the BLM agrees to allow the Forest Service to adopt the administrative review protest procedures.
How to comment:
A Notice of Availability (NOA) for the draft RMP and draft EIS was published in the Federal Register on March 13, 2024. Electronic, written, or hand-delivered comments concerning these documents will be accepted for 90 days following that day. The publication date of the NOA in the Federal Register is the exclusive means for calculating the official comment period for the proposed plan amendment and draft EIS. Those wishing to comment should not rely upon date or timeframe information provided by any other source.
The decision to approve the plan amendment will be subject to the BLM administrative review procedures, as provided by the Planning Rule, at 36 CFR 219.59(a). The review procedures will include a joint response from the BLM and the Forest Service to those who file for administrative review.
The draft RMP and draft EIS are available for review on the BLM ePlanning project website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020347/510. You may submit comments on the draft RMP and draft EIS electronically or in writing to the Agencies at any public meetings or to the Agencies using one of the methods listed below. To be considered, comments must be received by the end of the 90-day comment period. The ePlanning website above includes background information on BENM and the planning process. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. (Authority: 36 CFR 219.16, 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR 1610.7-2)
Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020347/510
Mail: ATTN: Monument Planning, BLM Monticello Field Office 365 North Main, P.O. Box 7, Monticello, UT 84535 Documents pertinent to this planning effort may be examined at the BLM Canyon Country District or Monticello Field Office.
For further information please contact: Michael Engelhart, District Ranger, USDA Forest Service – telephone (435) 210–0800; address: P.O. Box 386, Moab, UT 84532; email michael.engelhart@usda.gov or Jill Stephenson, Project Manager, telephone 435-259-2141; address: Bureau of Land Management Canyon Country District, 82 E Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532; email jstephenson@blm.gov
The Agencies will hold a minimum of six public meetings, some conducted in-person and some virtually. The specific times and locations of the public meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media, social media, newspapers, and the ePlanning website.