Key facts
- President Donald Trump reduced Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah by approximately 90% each.
- The reductions open millions of acres to potential resource development, including mining.
- Bears Ears was reduced from 1.36 million acres to 121,100 acres.
- Grand Staircase-Escalante was reduced from 1.87 million acres to 181,500 acres.
- Tribal leaders and environmental groups have criticized the move and plan legal action.
President Donald Trump has signed executive orders drastically reducing the size of two national monuments in Utah, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, by approximately 90% each. This move opens up nearly 1.5 million acres of land, previously protected for their cultural and environmental significance, to potential resource development, including mining and energy extraction.
Trump stated during a White House event that the land was being returned to the people, implying a reversal of what he called a "massive land grab" by previous administrations. The Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments are significant to many Native American tribes, containing ancient cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and sacred sites. Bears Ears was established by President Barack Obama in 2016 at the request of tribal nations, while Grand Staircase-Escalante was designated by President Bill Clinton in 1996.
Utah officials, including Republican Governor Spencer Cox, have long advocated for smaller monument designations, arguing that the original boundaries were excessively large and hindered economic development. The downsizing is expected to allow for increased access to resources like coal and uranium.
However, the decision has drawn sharp criticism from environmental advocates and tribal representatives. Earthjustice, an environmental law firm, has vowed to take legal action to preserve the protections, with managing attorney Heidi McIntosh calling the proclamations "illegal" and a "slap to the face." Davina Smith-Idjesa of the Navajo Nation expressed heartbreak, accusing federal officials of failing to adequately consult with affected tribes and emphasizing the deep cultural and ancestral importance of Bears Ears.
This action follows a similar reduction of these monuments by Trump in 2017, which was later reversed by the Biden administration. The move aligns with a broader pattern of the Trump administration and some Republicans seeking to expand drilling, mining, and logging on public lands, while rolling back environmental protections.