President Donald Trump has again reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah, reviving a long-standing debate over conservation, public lands, and presidential power. On Monday, Trump signed executive orders significantly diminishing the protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. The recent reductions remove nearly 3 million acres from protection, surpassing the cuts Trump implemented during his first term.
The Trump administration and congressional Republicans have aimed to expand activities like drilling, mining, and logging on public lands, often scaling back conservation efforts and protections for endangered species. At the signing event, Trump stated, “They took the land from the people quite honestly. We’re giving it back.” The White House did not provide further comments when approached by Newsweek.
A Newsweek map shows the boundary changes over time, comparing the reinstated boundaries under former President Joe Biden with the trimmed boundaries set by Trump in 2017. The latest reductions in 2026 further cut the monuments.
New Boundaries for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante
In the Oval Office, Trump signed the proclamations alongside Utah Governor Spencer Cox and members of the state’s congressional delegation. Under these orders, Bears Ears National Monument’s size shrinks from around 1.36 million acres to roughly 121,000 acres. Simultaneously, Grand Staircase-Escalante decreases from about 1.87 million acres to about 182,000 acres. Together, these changes remove nearly 3 million acres from monument protections.
During the ceremony, Trump claimed the previous boundaries were unjust to Utah residents. State officials contend the monuments expanded beyond what was necessary to safeguard historical and archaeological assets. This action replicates what Trump did in his first administration when he reduced both monuments in 2017.
Historical Context of the Monuments
Established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument protected nearly 1.9 million acres of Utah canyon country, celebrated for its geology and paleontological finds. Two decades later, President Barack Obama designated Bears Ears National Monument in 2016 following advocacy by Native American tribes. They asserted the area hosts thousands of sites of cultural and spiritual significance.
In 2017, Trump reduced Bears Ears from about 1.35 million acres to around 228,000 acres and Grand Staircase-Escalante to approximately 1 million acres, sparking legal action from tribes and environmental groups. Biden later restored both monuments to their original size in 2021, reversing Trump’s first-term reductions. Trump’s current orders cut Bears Ears to 121,000 acres and Grand Staircase-Escalante to about 182,000 acres, each now about one-tenth of their former protected sizes.
Legal Challenges Loom
Environmental and tribal groups have strongly criticized the new reductions, indicating potential legal battles. Earthjustice condemned the cuts as an attack on significant cultural and environmental resources. They emphasized that national monuments, under the Antiquities Act, should be designated, not dismantled. “President Trump’s attack on Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments is just as illegal today as it was in 2017,” stated Heidi McIntosh, managing attorney for Earthjustice’s Rocky Mountain Office.
The Center for Biological Diversity warned that these cuts could open protected lands to mining and drilling, jeopardizing wildlife habitats and cultural resources. Davina Smith–Idjesa, co-chair of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and representative for the Navajo Nation, expressed concern. She stated: “For Diné people, this land shapes our way of life. Bears Ears (Shash Jaa’) 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 reached out to Earthjustice and the Center for Biological Diversity for further comments.