Trump Shrinks Utah National Monuments by 90%

The Trump administration issued executive proclamations under the Antiquities Act reducing Utah’s Grand Staircase–Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments by about 90% each, prompting criticism from tribal, environmental, and cultural preservation groups. Grand Staircase–Escalante was cut from 1.87 million acres to 181,500 acres, and Bears Ears from 1.36 million acres to 121,100 acres, affecting ancestral lands tied to the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, and other Native nations. Bears Ears is described by the Inter-Tribal Coalition as containing more than 100,000 Native American archaeological sites, including petroglyphs and cave drawings, and the Salt Lake Tribune reported the reductions include areas such as the Grand Staircase formation and Bears Ears’ Valley of the Gods. Coalition coordinator Autumn Gillard said tribes were not consulted, while Utah Republicans and the administration argued the changes would focus protection on “specific sites” and expand “resource development,” and Earthjustice said it would pursue legal action.

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