Public Comment Period For Bears Ears Ends Friday

By Al Macias
Published: Monday, May 22, 2017 - 8:01am
Updated: Monday, May 22, 2017 - 8:21am

Time is running out for comment on the Bears Ears National Monument. The monument is located in southwestern Utah just north of the Arizona state line.

Bears Ears is one of 22 national monuments that is being reviewed following an executive order President Trump signed last month. The order tasks the Interior Department with reviewing all federal monuments 100,000 acres or larger that were established or expanded under the Antiquities Act after Jan. 1, 1996.

Bears Ears was declared a national monument at the end of the Obama administration.

The public comment period on the Bears Ears monument began May 12 and runs through May 26. It’s the shortest window of time for making comments compared to the other monuments under review, which have a 60 day comment period

New Mexico Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich said the limited time is a hardship for people who live in remote areas without access to the internet.