Bears Ears CountrY

Header MG_3428_from_panorama_3x1_JPG_preview_Red_House_Cliffs_nr_276.jpg

RICH IN HUMAN HISTORY AND UNSURPASSED IN NATURAL BEAUTY,

BEARS EARS IS AT THE HEART OF A NATIONAL DEBATE OVER THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC LANDS.

BOOKS:

In a pair of complementary books, Voices from Bears Ears: Seeking Common Ground on Sacred Land and Bears Ears: Views from a Sacred Land writer Rebecca Robinson and photographer Stephen Strom capture the passions of those on opposing sides of the Bears Ears battle. Interwoven with these stories are images that reveal the rugged beauty of Bears Ears country: a landscape of endless ridges, buttes, mesas and canyons, sculpted and painted by water and wind. Together, the voices and the photographs tell a remarkable story of the connection between individuals and cultures and the land which is inseparable from their experience of life itself.

Voices from Bears Ears named a finalist for the 2020 Oregon Book Award for General Nonfiction

ORDER Voices from Bears Ears

ORDER Views from a Sacred Land

Scroll down to explore Bears Ears Country through audio, interactive panoramas, and NEWS UPDATES ON OUR BLOG

San Juan County Utah Bears Ears (Copy) (Copy)

Mesa in San Juan County Bears Ears (Copy) (Copy)

Salt Creek Canyon Bears Ears (Copy) (Copy)

Cliffs and Valley Bears Ears (Copy) (Copy)

Rainstorm on the Comb Ridge Bears Ears (Copy) (Copy)

Mesas with horses Bears Ears (Copy) (Copy)

Navajo Mountain and Mudhills Bears Ears (Copy) (Copy)

Six shooter peaks Bears Ears (Copy) (Copy)

Mesas and Spires Bears Ears (Copy) (Copy)

Blue Lighting on Bears Ears Country (Copy) (Copy)

Watering hole Bears Ears Country (Copy) (Copy)

Winter in Bears Ears Country (Copy) (Copy)

Moonlight on the Mesas Bears Ears Country (Copy) (Copy)

Bridger Jack Mesa Bears Ears (Copy) (Copy)

Comb Ridge Mule's Ear Bears Ears (Copy) (Copy)

news from Bears ears country

Want to keep up with the ever-evolving Bears Ears saga? You've come to the right place. Our blog provides interested readers with a carefully curated go-to place for Bears Ears background information, the best news coverage, and the context for interpreting a complex and nuanced story.

News from Bears Ears Country

Bears Ears in the News: A National Monument, Restored

After nearly four years of limbo, Bears Ears National Monument has been restored. Read more about President Biden’s proclamation, the reaction from advocates and politicians, and the next steps for shaping the future of Bears Ears.

Bears Ears in the News: Interior Secretary Haaland at the Helm

New Interior Secretary Deb Haaland takes the helm at the U.S. Interior Department. The fate of Bears Ears National Monument is in her hands. Learn more about her appointment and recent trip to Utah to meet with those who have a stake in the monument’s future.

Bears Ears in the News: “Stunning and Sacred”

The latest news from the Bears Ears beat includes a “strange bedfellows” story, a battle over oil and gas leasing, and a reflection on the “stunning and sacred” landscape advocates hope President Biden protects by restoring the original Bears Ears National Monument.

Bears Ears in the News: Biden’s Executive Order

President Biden took the first step toward restoring Bears Ears National Monument. Tribes, conservationists, and Utah politicians weigh in and plot their next move.

Bears Ears in the News: "Fierce" New Leadership Gives Advocates New Hope

It's been four years since former President Barack Obama established Bears Ears National Monument, and a new chapter in the ongoing saga is about to begin. What the Biden administration plans to do about Bears Ears.

BYU Charles Redd Center for Western Studies - Writing Westward Podcast

Host and Producer Brenden W. Rensink , Associate Director of the Redd Center, Associate Professor of History at BYU, and General Editor of the Intermountain Histories project interviews Rebecca Robinson and Stephen Strom about their books: Voices from Bears Ears: Seeking Common Ground on Sacred Land and Bears Ears: Views from a Sacred Land.

CLICK HERE to listen to the podcast.

Bears Ears in the News: Change and Controversy at the BLM

Environmentalists, tribes blast Utah national monument plan - KUTV, 7/27/19

Perhaps the most controversial component of the plan is its opening large swaths of archaeologically significant land to off-road vehicle use - something both conservationists and Native peoples see as insulting to tribes and dangerous for fragile landscapes.

But this isn’t the only story keeping the BLM in the headlines.

Bears Ears in the News: "Conflict and Change in San Juan County"

When we were working on our books, we became avid readers of The Salt Lake Tribune. The reporters at Utah's paper of record did exemplary work placing the Bears Ears saga in context of the state's and region's complex history.

Today, Report for America fellow Zak Podmore is continuing the Trib's thoughtful and incisive coverage of "conflict and change in San Juan County."

Audio

Talk to people who know and love this landscape, and you’ll quickly discover that it’s impossible for them to describe a favorite canyon, trail, or vista without a touch of reverence. Sometimes they will point, tracing the path of a raptor or the meanders of a river. Some will subconsciously place their hands over their heart, an unspoken expression of deep love for a land that lives within them—and, in some cases, changed them forever.

A sampling of the individuals whose voices inform the discussion in Bears Ears Country (Copy) (Copy)