Senator Mike Lee and the Utah federal delegation on July 13, 2026, applauded a presidential proclamation modifying the boundaries of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. The decision significantly reduces the size of the monuments to align with the Antiquities Act's mandate for the smallest compatible area, a move Lee said corrects the previous abuse of the law.
Significant Reduction in Monument Size
The proclamation drastically scales back the footprint of the two monuments. Bears Ears National Monument has been reduced to approximately 121,000 acres, while Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument has been reduced to approximately 182,000 acres. Under previous designations, the two monuments encompassed approximately 3.2 million acres, a landmass larger than all seven of Utah's other national monuments and all five of its national parks combined.
Lee Criticizes Previous Monument Use
The reduction in acreage is intended to address the scale of previous designations, which were larger than the combined size of the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut. According to Senator Mike Lee, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the previous sweeping boundaries strained federal staffing and law-enforcement resources. He also noted that the large designations increased burdens on rural counties responsible for public services such as search-and-rescue operations.
Lee stated that the proclamation shows President Trump listens to Utahns and respects the limits Congress placed on the Antiquities Act. He argued that for too long, presidents have weaponized monument designations to lock up millions of acres, close roads, restrict grazing, and cut rural communities off from lands their families have lived on and worked for generations.
Focus on Resource Management
The modified boundaries are designed to allow federal agencies to concentrate limited personnel and funding on the specific cultural, historic, and scientific objects identified within the proclamation. The action aims to provide greater access for recreation, preserve historic roads and trails, and provide ranching families and rural communities with greater certainty regarding the lands on which they depend.
Governor Spencer Cox stated that the modified boundaries do not diminish protection but rather focus it. Cox said the new proclamations focus management efforts to better preserve the cultural and archaeological resources that make this part of Utah unique, expressing optimism about the future preservation of the state's historic, cultural, and scientific resources.
Local Community Concerns
Other members of the Utah delegation expressed support for the move, emphasizing the need for local input. Representative Celeste Maloy said the action honors the goal of protecting Utah's extraordinary cultural and natural resources while following the law passed by Congress and considering the people who know the lands best.
Representative Blake Moore noted that the issue has historically become a back-and-forth between different administrations. He said the announcement takes into consideration years of local concern regarding restricted access and the misuse of the Antiquities Act, while still maintaining protections for the state's natural and cultural resources for future generations.
Adherence to the Antiquities Act
Representative Burgess Owens and Representative Mike Kennedy both highlighted the importance of adhering to the original intent of the 1906 Antiquities Act. Owens stated the act is crystal clear that presidential designations should be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected. He criticized previous administrations, specifically citing Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, for creating monuments larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
Representative Kennedy added that the people of Utah understand these lands better than any distant bureaucracy and argued that management decisions should rest with the communities living closest to them. He stated that honoring the intent of the Antiquities Act is the rational way to safeguard Utah's treasures while giving residents a real voice in their future.
The Role of Congress
While the proclamation reduces the monument boundaries, the lands outside the modified areas remain under federal ownership and continue to be protected under existing federal and state laws. The federal government has clarified that the action does not remove existing protections but rather aligns the boundaries with the legislative intent of Congress.
Senator John Curtis noted that while the executive action is an important step toward a more balanced approach to managing Utah's public lands, the ultimate responsibility lies with Congress. Curtis stated that Congress must work to bring stakeholders together, resolve disagreements, and enact lasting solutions, citing a successful approach used in Emery County as a model for future land management.
Future Stewardship and Stability
The shift in monument management has also been addressed by other state leaders. Attorney General Derek Brown stated that while Utah will continue to fight for limits on monument size to ensure lasting certainty, the long-term answer lies in honoring the textual limits of the Antiquities Act rather than relying on which president occupies the White House.
Utah Speaker Mike Schultz and Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams both expressed optimism regarding the changes. Schultz noted that the changes could improve management, public access, and recreation opportunities. Adams highlighted that the changes provide a more focused approach to preserving landscapes while ensuring they remain accessible for hiking, hunting, camping, and biking, and offer land managers flexibility to reduce wildfire risk and combat invasive species.
