President Donald Trump has significantly reduced the size of two contested national monuments, leading to renewed debates over conservation, public lands, and presidential power. On Monday, Trump used executive orders to shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in southern Utah. These actions remove nearly 3 million acres from monument protection, going beyond reductions from his prior term.
Trump administration officials and Republican congressional members have previously pushed to expand resource extraction on public lands, affecting species protection and conservation rules. During the signing event at the White House, Trump claimed the move was about returning land to the people. However, the White House declined additional comments when contacted by Newsweek.
A Newsweek map shows the changes in the monuments’ boundaries, contrasting the restored boundaries under former President Joe Biden with those reduced by Trump in 2017. The latest 2026 orders further reduce the monument size.
Trump Shrinks Utah National Monuments Again
Trump signed the proclamations alongside Utah Governor Spencer Cox and the state’s congressional delegation. Bears Ears National Monument is now reduced from approximately 1.36 million acres to about 121,000 acres, and Grand Staircase-Escalante from roughly 1.87 million acres to about 182,000 acres. This collective reduction amounts to nearly 3 million acres losing monument protection.
Trump argued that the previous boundaries were unfair to Utah locals. State officials maintained that the original sizes were excessive for protecting historical and archaeological assets. The action reflects Trump’s earlier move in 2017, during his first term, when he dramatically reduced both monuments’ sizes.
How Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante Changed Over Time
President Bill Clinton established Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 1996, covering nearly 1.9 million acres in southern Utah known for geological and paleontological features. Two decades later, President Barack Obama designated Bears Ears National Monument in 2016 following advocacy from Native American tribes concerned about preserving the region’s culturally and spiritually significant sites.
In 2017, Trump reduced Bears Ears from roughly 1.35 million acres to about 228,000 acres and Grand Staircase-Escalante to around 1 million acres, resulting in lawsuits from tribes and environmental groups. Biden restored both monuments to their original dimensions in 2021, reversing Trump’s prior reductions. Now, Trump’s new orders cut Bears Ears to 121,000 acres and Grand Staircase-Escalante to roughly 182,000 acres, leaving them at about one-tenth of their previously protected sizes.
Opposition Groups Promise New Legal Challenges
Environmental and tribal organizations promptly criticized the reduction, hinting at possible legal battles. Earthjustice called it an assault on vital cultural and natural sites, arguing that the monuments aim to protect Native American heritage, archaeological resources, and sensitive areas. Heidi McIntosh, managing attorney at Earthjustice’s Rocky Mountain Office, stated, “President Trump’s attack on Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments is just as illegal today as it was in 2017.”
She argued that the Antiquities Act authorizes the designation of national monuments, not their destruction, noting the new proclamations disrespected public land visitors and local communities that have worked to protect these areas for years. The Center for Biological Diversity also expressed concerns, suggesting the reductions could open large previously protected areas to development activities, posing risks to wildlife habitats, cultural resources, and existing tribal stewardship arrangements.
Davina Smith-Idjesa, co-chair of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and Navajo Nation representative, emphasized the cultural importance of Bears Ears for Diné people, noting its impact on family traditions such as prayer, medicine gathering, and ceremonies. She stated, “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 contacted Earthjustice and The Center for Biological Diversity for comments.