Bears Ears in Utah draws support from tribes, interest from mining outfits
New poll shows bipartisan desire for protecting landscape
Since federal protections were greatly reduced and mining claims started pouring in, Bears Ears National Monument in Utah has remained a flashpoint for nationwide contention around sacred cultural sites, public lands and resource extraction. Five tribes with cultural investment in Bears Ears have banded together to protect the area, with leadership spanning the Hopi, Zuni, Ute Mountain Ute, Diné and Ute tribes.
And their efforts are resonating across the state, according to a new poll.
The findings showed two-thirds of Utah voters support restoring greater protections for all of Bears Ears and nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments. Additionally, 82% of Utah voters indicated they believe tribes should have a strong role in managing public lands that involve sacred or culturally significant sites.
This broad support for Bears Ears includes significant bipartisan agreement on these issues: 76% of Republicans, 86% of independents and 97% of Democrats backed the idea that public lands management should involve strong tribal representation.
On its website, the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition celebrated the results of the polling. A press release in late September noted, “Tribal people continue to return to Bears Ears to pray, gather medicines and foods, visit important places, and teach younger generations.”
The poll took place in August 2026, surveying 500 registered Utah voters, according to the Inter-Tribal coalition
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