The Bureau of Land Management says a 15-member advisory committee for the downsized Bears Ears National Monument in Utah will include spots for two tribal representatives — three less than a tribal coalition who spent years lobbying for protections of the land wanted.
The federal agency said in a Thursday news release that it will accept nominations until Oct. 1 for spots designated for a host of different sectors who have interest in the management of the 315 square mile-monument in southeastern Utah.
There are openings for local and state government officials, a private landowner, a local business owner, a conservationist, paleontologist, a hunter and outdoor recreationalist, among others.
Pat Gonzales-Rogers, executive director of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, says each of the five tribes in the coalition should have a spot on the committee.
