Trump Slashes 2 Utah Monuments by Over 2.9 Million Acres for Drilling and Mining
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 13
Trump Slashes 2 Utah Monuments by Over 2.9 Million Acres for Drilling and Mining
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 13
Summary
Grand Staircase-Escalante fell to about 181,500 acres from 1.87 million, and Bears Ears to about 121,100 from 1.36 million, after Trump signed orders Monday.
Trump framed the cuts as part of a national energy emergency, saying the lands hold coal, uranium, oil and gas needed for energy independence and national security.
Environmental groups and tribal advocates condemned the move, saying Bears Ears was reduced without consultation and warning the decision threatens sacred lands, biodiversity and recreation-based local economies.
The orders set up another legal fight over whether presidents can shrink monuments under the 1906 Antiquities Act, which authorizes creation but is silent on reversals.
The rollback goes beyond Trump's 2017 reductions that Biden later restored, reviving a long-running clash over federal land control in a state where nearly two-thirds of land is public.
Can a president legally shrink national monuments? A century-old law now faces its biggest test.
What specific cultural and natural resources are now at risk within the nearly 3 million acres of reduced monument lands?
Trump Shrinks Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in 2026: Legal Showdown and Consequences for Public Lands
Overview
On July 13, 2026, President Donald Trump signed executive orders that drastically reduced the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, marking a major shift in federal land management. This move reversed protections restored by President Biden in 2021 and opened the lands to increased development and resource extraction. Native American tribes and conservation groups immediately expressed deep dismay, highlighting the cultural and environmental importance of these areas. The orders sparked intense legal challenges, centering on whether the Antiquities Act allows a president to reduce monuments, a question that remains unresolved and fuels ongoing debate over presidential authority and public land stewardship.