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SALT LAKE CITY — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will host four public scoping meetings as part of the ongoing land use planning for Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM). Scoping efforts were initiated Jan. 16, 2018, for the BENM - Indian Creek and Shash Jáa units; the GSENM- Grand Staircase, Kaiparowits, and Escalante Canyon units; and federal lands previously included in the GSENM that are now excluded from its boundaries. In total, the BLM will produce six land use plans and two associated Environmental Impact Statements (EIS). The BLM and U.S. Forest Service will jointly prepare the land use plan and associated EIS for the Shash Jáa unit.

The BLM invites members of the public to attend meetings at the following dates and locations:

Bears Ears National Monument

Monday, March 26 4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Tuesday, March 27 4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Wednesday, March 28 4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 29 4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Additional information about the planning effort for GSENM is located at: https://goo.gl/EHvhbc and for BENM at: https://goo.gl/uLrEae.

The public is encouraged to help identify any issues, management questions, or concerns that should be addressed in the planning processes. The comments will be used to help set the parameters, or scope, of the review of the land use plans. The public scoping meetings provide the public an opportunity to talk to resource specialists and submit written comments in person.

Comments must be received within 15 days of the last scheduled public meeting for the specific planning effort. Comments on the BENM plan may also be submitted until April 11 directly through the project ePlanning page at: https://goo.gl/uLrEae, mailed to P.O. Box 7 Monticello, UT 84535, or emailed to blm_ut_monticello_monuments@blm.gov.

Comments on the GSENM plan may also be submitted until April 13 directly through the project ePlanning page at: https://goo.gl/EHvhbc, mailed to 669 S Hwy 89A Kanab, UT 84741, or emailed to BLM_UT_CCD_monuments@blm.gov.

The two planning areas cover approximately 2.1 million acres of federal land in Garfield, Kane, and San Juan counties. The new planning efforts will replace the 2000 Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument Management Plan and replace portions of the 2008 Monticello Resource Management Plan.