PUBLIC COMMENT - Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante Management Plans

[Artemus]

Well the clock has started and the BLM is waiting for your input on what to do about your National Monuments. Specifically these are the draft management plans and Environmental Impact Statements for Bears Ears and GSENM National Monuments. The ones that were recently greatly downsized. The plans propose 4 different alternatives and the BLM is designating the 4th one their preferred alternative. The one that gives them the most flexibility to change designations as to what and when they want to.

In respect of our BCP site's informal and consensus tendency to stay polite and to avoid politics and divisive rhetoric I will not attempt to persuade you what is the correct approach with respect to our public lands. But I will implore you to take a look at these, make a determination, and let your opinion be known. Nearly everyone here at this site has "skin in the game" as it were with respect to these monuments. And I know many of you personally and know that you have a strong opinion about this topic. Please, please, please take the time to make your opinion known to the BLM and to other organizations and other parts of the government no matter which way you lean on this. There will be other places to weigh on this as well such as town halls, organized events, on the capitol steps but this is probably one of the fundamental places.

However, please try and refrain from campaigning here to keep our site the great place it is now.

The BLM is accepting comment by email, snail mail and at the linked web site below. The public comment period ends after 90 days on November 15, 2018. Better not to wait. Speak up. Please.

GSENM management plan press release:
https://www.blm.gov/press-release/b...aircase-escalante-national-monument-and-kanab

GSENM documents and reports listing to learn about the proposed plans. Somewhere here you also get to present your opinion. Look for the Executive Summaries to get a quick first overview.
https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front...me=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=141293

GSENM Executive Summary
https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front...8896/_GSENM-KEPA__Executive_Summary-508_r.pdf

Bears Ears management plan press release:
https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-invites-public-review-draft-bears-ears-national-monument-plans

Bears Ears management plan documents listing to learn about the proposed plans. Somewhere here you also get to present your opinion. Look for the Executive Summaries to get a quick first overview.
https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front...me=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=140966

Bears Ears Executive Summary
https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front...907/BENM_Draft_MMPs-EIS_Executive_Summary.pdf

 

[WasatchWill]

Thanks Art!

 

[Nick]

What he said!

 

[LarryBoy]

Can we make this a sticky?

 

[Titans]

Thanks so much for posting this ! We will review the links mentioned and respond to BLM

 

[fossana]

Adding that there are upcoming open houses in Kanab where BLM staff will be available to answer questions about the GSENM management plan options. They are informal, with stations representing each stakeholder group (e.g. cultural resources, grazing, recreation), so you can show up at anytime during the window.

Oct. 15, 2018, from 4 to 7 p.m., Escalante High School, 70 N 1 W, Escalante, UT
Oct. 16, 2018, from 4 to 7 p.m., Kanab Elementary School, 41 W 100 N, Kanab, UT

More info available on the BLM website.

I haven't yet read through the GSENM one (it's 1000 pages), but I suspect it's structured similar to the BENM one, where there are 4 alternatives, including status quo, one focused on conservation, one leaning more toward recreation and access, and one in between 2 and 4. This isn't quite finished, but I tried to summarize the Bear Ears proposal to make it easier to comment. Per the BLM staff at the prior open house, the final plan will likely pull from a combination of alternatives.

Please do not use generic form letters to comment as they are easily dismissed as spam/noise, as happened during the original comment period.

 

[fossana]

Friendly reminder that comments are due by Nov 15th. Please make your voice heard.

 

[Artemus]

Friendly reminder that comments are due by Nov 15th. Please make your voice heard.

Thanks for the reminder @fossana. Listen up, y'all! Speak up!

 

[blueeyes]

Saw this on Facebook this morning. Is this really a thing? Can dink really open up BE in land grab style for mineral rights?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[LarryBoy]

Pretty sure this was already allowed where monument protections were rescinded. Hence the new claim on Colt Mesa a couple months back.

You can always engage in a little bit of (legal) monkeywrenching and stake your own claim. Nobody says you have to actually mine anything or even prove economic viability.

 

[Bob]

But you have to spend some $$ improving and activity.... Can't just get it... I guy tried that a few years back and ended in a big fine

 

[LarryBoy]

But you have to spend some $$ improving and activity.... Can't just get it... I guy tried that a few years back and ended in a big fine

I think its $100 pr year in improvements... easy peasy.

 

[gnwatts]

http://www.packwoodprospecting.com/new-page-1/

Fight the man.
However you can.

 

[Artemus]

Bumping thread again. Deadline is tomorrow everyone!

 

[Reef&Ruins]

Wrote my comments just now!

 

[Nick]

Comment done!

 

[Artemus]

My comments are submitted too. The rest of you?

 

[LarryBoy]

Yup.

 

[Jammer]

Done.

 

[fossana]

Got mine in as well. Thanks all for your help.