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Stop The Government From Selling Off Our National Monuments

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Sponsor: The Rainforest Site

Nearly 3 million acres of Utah public land have lost national monument status after dramatic reductions to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.

Two tall red sandstone buttes stand in a flat desert with scattered shrubs beneath a blue sky.

Two of America's most significant public landscapes have been dramatically reduced. President Donald Trump cut the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by about 90%, removing monument status from nearly 3 million acres of southern Utah.1

Bears Ears fell from approximately 1.36 million acres to about 121,100 acres. Grand Staircase-Escalante dropped from roughly 1.87 million acres to 181,500 acres.2 These reductions go even further than monument cuts made during Trump's first term.

The excluded lands contain canyons, mesas, fossil deposits, wildlife habitat, archaeological resources, and places with deep cultural importance to Indigenous communities.

Ancient Cultural Sites and Scientific Resources Face New Pressure

Bears Ears contains ancestral villages, ceremonial places, burial sites, and other cultural resources connected to the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Ute Mountain Ute, and Ute Indian Tribe.1 Hundreds of thousands of culturally and scientifically significant objects exist across the region.

Grand Staircase-Escalante holds vast cliffs, canyons, natural arches, archaeological sites, and important fossil resources. Numerous dinosaur fossils have been found within the monument.2

The Trump administration says the larger boundaries protected more land than the Antiquities Act requires. The new proclamations argue that monument lands must remain confined to the smallest area compatible with protecting designated historic and scientific objects.34

The administration has also pointed to minerals and other natural resources within these regions. Lands removed from monument boundaries could face greater pressure from mining, logging, grazing, motorized recreation, and other development.2

These Public Lands Cannot Be Replaced

Conservation organizations dispute the president's legal authority to make these sweeping reductions. Earthjustice has announced plans to challenge the proclamations, arguing that the Antiquities Act grants presidents the power to establish monuments but not dismantle protections created by their predecessors.5

Legal arguments may take years to resolve. Damage to archaeological resources, fossil sites, habitat, and culturally important places can happen much faster.

The Department of the Interior and Environmental Protection Agency must use their environmental and resource protection authorities to defend these landscapes. Federal officials must also support restoration of the broader monument boundaries and respect the cultural connections tribal nations have maintained with Bears Ears for generations.

Sign the petition and demand restored protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.

More on this issue:

  1. Matthew Brown and Savannah Peters, Associated Press (14 July 2026), "Trump Reduces Size of 2 National Monuments in Utah as Republicans Reshape Land Management."
  2. Gram Slattery and Kanishka Singh, Reuters (13 July 2026), "Trump Slashes the Size of Two Utah National Monuments."
  3. The White House, The White House (13 July 2026), "Modifying the Bears Ears National Monument."
  4. The White House, The White House (13 July 2026), "Modifying the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument."
  5. Perry Wheeler, Earthjustice (13 July 2026), "Trump Administration Illegally Attacks Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments."

The Petition

To the Secretary of the Interior and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,

I am writing to urge you to defend the cultural and natural resources of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments and support restoration of their broader federal protections.

In July 2026, President Donald Trump issued proclamations that reduced the two Utah monuments by about 90%. Bears Ears fell from approximately 1.36 million acres to about 121,100 acres. Grand Staircase-Escalante was cut from roughly 1.87 million acres to approximately 181,500 acres.

Nearly 3 million acres lost national monument status.

These public lands contain cultural, archaeological, scientific, and environmental resources that cannot simply be recreated after they are damaged.

Bears Ears contains ancestral villages, ceremonial places, burial sites, and other resources connected to tribal nations with generations of cultural ties to the landscape. The Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Ute Mountain Ute, and Ute Indian Tribe have all played central roles in efforts to protect this region.

Grand Staircase-Escalante also contains significant geological and paleontological resources. Its cliffs, canyons, plateaus, and badlands preserve an extraordinary record of ancient life. Numerous dinosaur fossils have been discovered within the region.

The removal of broad monument protections creates new uncertainty for these resources. Lands outside the new boundaries could face greater pressure from mining, logging, expanded motorized use, and other development. Archaeological sites can be disturbed. Fossil deposits can be damaged. Wildlife habitat and natural systems can be permanently altered.

Federal land and environmental management require humanity, compassion, and respect for interests beyond immediate commercial use. These places carry Indigenous history, preserve a scientific record that spans millions of years, and form part of a public lands heritage shared across generations.

I urge the Department of the Interior and Environmental Protection Agency to use all available authorities to protect environmental and cultural resources within and around Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. I further urge federal officials to support the restoration of stronger monument protections and meaningful consultation with tribal nations.

Protecting these landscapes, honoring their cultural significance, and preserving their natural resources will ensure a better future for all.

Sincerely,

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