Trump Reduces Protection for Utah National Monuments Again

President Donald Trump has decided to reduce the size of two of the nation’s national monuments, intensifying debates on conservation, public lands management, and presidential authority. On Monday, Trump signed executive orders significantly shrinking Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in southern Utah.

The move strips nearly 3 million acres from monument protection. This reduction goes beyond the cuts Trump made during his first term. The Trump administration has previously sought to increase activities such as drilling, mining, and logging on public lands, while removing protections for endangered species and loosening conservation regulations.

“They took the land from the people quite honestly,” Trump stated at a signing event. “We’re giving it back.” The White House declined further comment when approached by Newsweek.

Newsweek provided a map that illustrates how the boundaries of these monuments have changed over time, demonstrating a comparison between the restored boundaries under former President Joe Biden and the reduced boundaries established by Trump in 2017. The new 2026 reductions further decrease the size of these monuments.

Trump’s Reduction of Utah National Monuments

Trump signed the proclamations in the Oval Office with Utah Governor Spencer Cox and members of the state’s congressional delegation present. Under these new orders, Bears Ears National Monument is reduced from roughly 1.36 million acres to about 121,000 acres. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is reduced from approximately 1.87 million acres to about 182,000 acres. Together, these reductions remove nearly 3 million acres from monument protection.

During the signing ceremony, Trump remarked that the previous boundaries were unfair to Utah’s residents. State officials argued the monuments had grown larger than necessary to protect historic and archaeological resources. This action is similar to Trump’s move during his first administration in 2017, when he also reduced the sizes of both monuments significantly.

Historical Changes to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was originally established by President Bill Clinton in 1996. It protected nearly 1.9 million acres known for geological formations and paleontological discoveries. In 2016, President Barack Obama designated Bears Ears National Monument to preserve thousands of culturally and spiritually significant sites, following advocacy from Native American tribes.

In 2017, Trump reduced Bears Ears from about 1.35 million acres to roughly 228,000 acres and cut Grand Staircase-Escalante to approximately 1 million acres, prompting lawsuits from tribes and environmental groups. Biden restored the monuments to their original boundaries in 2021. But now, Trump’s latest orders reduce Bears Ears to 121,000 acres and Grand Staircase-Escalante to roughly 182,000 acres, leaving both at about one-tenth of their originally protected size.

Opposition and Legal Challenges

Environmental and tribal organizations have condemned the move, suggesting a new legal battle is likely. Earthjustice described the reductions as an attack on important cultural and natural sites. They argue the monuments were created to protect Native American heritage sites, archaeological resources, and environmentally sensitive areas.

President Trump’s attack on Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments is just as illegal today as it was in 2017,” said Heidi McIntosh, managing attorney for Earthjustice’s Rocky Mountain Office. “The Antiquities Act authorizes presidents to designate national monuments, not to destroy them.

Earthjustice and its partners are prepared to defend these monuments once again. The Center for Biological Diversity argues the reductions could open vast areas to mining, drilling, and other developments, threatening wildlife habitats, cultural resources, and tribal stewardship arrangements.

Davina Smith-Idjesa, co-chair of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, highlighted the cultural importance of Bears Ears. Speaking for the Navajo Nation, she stated, “For Diné people, this land shapes our way of life. Bears Ears holds our ancestors’ footsteps and our children’s future. This decision dishonors generations of care and weakens the unity we’ve built to safeguard Bears Ears for everyone.”

Newsweek has reached out to Earthjustice and The Center for Biological Diversity for further comment.