Bears Ears National Monument

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered federal officials to review and consider redrawing the boundaries of national monuments created under previous presidents to protect unique landscapes and cultural resources.

Native American tribes and conservation groups are pressing President Joe Biden to designate more national monuments before he leaves office next month.

Conservation groups worry President-elect Donald Trump could attempt to rollback some national monuments, as he did in his first term.

State Republican leaders have asked a federal appeal court to roll back two national monuments in Utah as they plan to file their own lawsuit over a new monument at the Grand Canyon.

A federal judge has tossed a lawsuit by Utah political leaders who asked the courts to declare President Joe Biden’s restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments unlawful.

A new paper describes the importance of two pieces of jewelry found in Bears Ears National Monument…. rare necklaces made from beetles. These unusual objects offer a glimpse into the daily lives of Indigenous peoples who lived in the region more than two thousand years ago. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke about the necklaces with Kaibab National Forest archaeologist Michael Terlep.

Several tribes and environmental groups have filed legal motions in lawsuits challenging the restoration of national monuments in southern Utah. The groups aim to defend President Joe Biden’s protections of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.

Tribal members and environmental advocates will hold an annual protest Saturday at the site of the only operational uranium mill in the U.S. They’re concerned about its potential impacts to public health and the environment.

The U.S. Interior Department says it’s strengthening ties with tribes in managing some federal lands. It recently ordered its agencies to deepen collaborations with Indigenous nations in sacred and culturally important areas.

The bills would create a new tribal cultural area designation and require Native input on any decision on those lands.