President Donald Trump has sharply reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah, undoing protections on public lands that are sacred among many Native Americans and contain significant mineral deposits.
Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in southern Utah were reduced by approximately 90% each through proclamations issued under the Antiquities Act. The combined area of the monuments, which previously spanned over 3.2 million acres, has been reduced to less than 303,000 acres.
Trump stated at a White House event that the land was taken "from the people" and that he was "giving it back." This action follows similar moves during his first term, which were later reversed by President Joe Biden.
Grand Staircase-Escalante was established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, and Bears Ears was created by President Barack Obama in 2016. The 1906 Antiquities Act grants presidents the authority to protect sites of historical, archaeological, or cultural significance.
Tribal leaders have expressed deep disappointment and heartbreak over the decision. Davina Smith-Idjesa, co-chair of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and a citizen of the Navajo Nation, described Bears Ears as a "living cultural site" holding histories, ceremonies, traditional foods, and ancestral footprints, rather than just federal public land. She accused federal officials of failing to adequately consult with impacted tribal nations.
Utah officials have long advocated for state control over these lands, arguing that the monument designations were excessive. Governor Spencer Cox, present at the White House signing, remarked that monument designations are intended to protect only the smallest necessary areas for antiquities.
Bears Ears holds particular significance as the first national monument created at the request of tribal nations. It is considered sacred by the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Ute Mountain Ute, and Uintah-Ouray Ute tribes, featuring ancestral villages, ceremonial sites, and burial grounds. The area is jointly managed by tribal nations and federal agencies.
Grand Staircase-Escalante is characterized by cliffs, canyons, natural arches, and archaeological sites, including rock paintings. Both monuments contain valuable natural resources, with Grand Staircase-Escalante holding large coal reserves and Bears Ears containing uranium deposits.
The national monument designations typically prohibit drilling, mining, and new construction in surrounding areas. Proponents of the reduction argue that the expansive protections hinder the development of critical minerals and resource extraction.
Trump's assertion that people cannot hunt, fish, or even walk on the monuments has been disputed. Conservation groups note that such recreational activities are generally permitted under existing regulations.
President Biden has aimed to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030, expanding or designating over a dozen monuments. Trump's policies, in contrast, prioritize tapping into the natural resource wealth of federal lands and offshore areas.
This approach has drawn criticism from Democrats who warn of the potential loss of treasured landscapes for commercial purposes. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico called the action "another chapter in this administration’s war on the West" and stated Trump was "turning the Antiquities Act on its head."
In his current term, Trump has also lifted commercial fishing prohibitions within marine monuments in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, aiming to boost the fishing industry. These actions signal a shift in federal policy toward prioritizing commercial interests over conservation efforts.