Trump Dramatically Shrinks Two National Monuments in Utah
President Trump on Monday significantly reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah—Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante—cutting protected land by about 1.5 million acres each. This action, which opens the area to oil drilling and uranium mining, mirrors a similar move during his first term that was later reversed by President Joe Biden. Environmental groups and Native American tribes, who successfully sued previously, are preparing to challenge the executive order in court. The legal dispute centers on the Antiquities Act of 1906, with opponents arguing a president cannot shrink or eliminate monuments, while supporters cite Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts' 2021 opinion that reserved land must be limited to the smallest compatible area. Bears Ears is the ancestral homeland of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Pueblo of Zuni, and contains culturally significant rock art.
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