President Donald J. Trump signed proclamations on July 13, 2026, reducing the size of Utah's Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, a move the White House described as restoring sensible land management but critics characterized as an illegal attack on protected landscapes. The orders significantly diminish the acreage of both monuments, sparking intense debate over the future of public land use and conservation in the region.
Monument Acreage Reductions
Under the new proclamations, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument will be reduced from approximately 1.87 million acres to approximately 181,500 acres. Similarly, the Bears Ears National Monument will see its size decreased from roughly 1.36 million acres to approximately 121,100 acres. The White House stated that these modifications aim to reduce the size of the monuments to appropriate levels that allow for common sense land use.
Ending Government Overreach
The White House defended the decision as a way to end government overreach and the abuse of the Antiquities Act. According to a July 13 White House fact sheet, the administration argued that the term "objects of historic or scientific interest" has been stretched to include landscape areas, biodiversity, viewsheds, and remoteness. The administration further maintained that many features currently protected are not objects of historic or scientific interest or are already covered by other federal laws providing enhanced protections.
Restoring Multiple-Use Access
The administration emphasized that the reduction of these monuments is intended to restore public access for multiple-use, sustained-yield management. This includes activities such as grazing, timber harvest, fishing, hunting, resource development, infrastructure upgrades, and motorized recreation. The White House noted that the Department of the Interior has rescinded the Bureau of Land Management's Public Lands Rule to prioritize multiple use access and support ranching, grazing, and timber production.
Conservationist Backlash
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) issued a statement on July 13, 2026, calling the administration's actions reckless and unlawful. SUWA Executive Director Scott Braden stated that the action makes it clear that Utah is the "epicenter of Republican efforts to dismantle and obliterate America's system of public lands." Braden alleged the move was taken at the urging of Utah politicians, specifically naming Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis and Governor Spencer Cox.
Threats to Cultural Sites
SUWA is prepared to challenge the decision in federal court, asserting that the landscapes deserve protection for future generations rather than being opened to exploitation. The organization noted that the original designation of Grand Staircase-Escalante in 1996 was intended to protect scientific, ecological, and paleontological resources across 1.9 million acres. Regarding Bears Ears, SUWA highlighted that the 2016 designation by President Obama elevated the voices of Tribal Nations, including the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Pueblo of Zuni, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and the Ute Indian Tribe, and covered nearly 100,000 archaeological and cultural sites.
A History of Litigation
The dispute over these lands has a long history of litigation. In December 2017, SUWA and a coalition of conservation organizations sued President Trump over his previous efforts to eliminate large swaths of both monuments. While President Biden signed proclamations in 2021 to restore the monuments to their full boundaries, the current administration has moved to roll back those protections. Efforts by Utah Senator Mike Lee and Representative Celeste Maloy to undo the management plans via the Congressional Review Act failed in June 2026.
Hunting and Fishing Concerns
The American Hunters & Anglers Action Network has also criticized the administration's approach. In a social media post on August 4, 2026, the organization described the move as "the biggest rollback of protected public land in American history" and accused the Oval Office of providing "plenty of lies." The group challenged claims that the lands were not open to hunting, fishing, or walking, asserting that the Interior Department is aware these activities remain possible.
