President Donald Trump has issued proclamations that significantly reduce the size of two national monuments in Utah, a move that hinges on a contested interpretation of the Antiquities Act of 1906. The law, signed by President Theodore Roosevelt, grants presidents the authority to designate national monuments, a power distinct from the congressional approval required for national parks.
The Antiquities Act Under Scrutiny
The Antiquities Act has been utilized by 18 U.S. presidents to establish 168 protected areas, including marine monuments. Notable designations include Grand Staircase-Escalante, established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, and Bears Ears, designated by President Barack Obama two decades later.
While presidents have historically used the Act to expand existing monuments, Trump's actions mark a return to a less common presidential power: reducing monument boundaries. Several presidents, including William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy, have previously adjusted monument perimeters. However, the scale of Trump's reductions in Utah is unprecedented and may face significant legal challenges.
The debate over these reductions centers on the scope of presidential authority granted by the Antiquities Act, with implications that could extend beyond Utah's public lands.