President Donald Trump has once again reduced the size of two contentious national monuments, reopening a long-standing debate over conservation, public lands, and presidential authority.
Trump’s Recent Reductions
On Monday, Trump signed executive orders that significantly decreased the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in southern Utah. These orders remove nearly 3 million acres from monument protection, going beyond the reductions he ordered during his first term.
Previously, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans sought to expand drilling, mining, and logging on public lands while removing protections for endangered species and easing conservation regulations. At the signing event at the White House, Trump stated, “They took the land from the people quite honestly. We’re giving it back.” The White House provided no additional comments when approached by Newsweek.
A Newsweek map shows the changes in monument boundaries over time, comparing the boundaries restored by former President Joe Biden to the reduced boundaries established by Trump in 2017. The latest reductions in 2026 have further cut the monuments.
Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante
The proclamation signing occurred in the Oval Office with Utah Governor Spencer Cox and members of the state’s congressional delegation. Under these orders, Bears Ears National Monument will decrease from 1.36 million acres to about 121,000 acres. Grand Staircase-Escalante will drop from approximately 1.87 million acres to about 182,000 acres.
Trump argued that the previous boundaries were unfair to Utah residents. State officials claimed the monuments extended far beyond the area necessary to protect historic and archaeological resources. This mirrors Trump’s 2017 actions during his first administration, when he reduced both monuments significantly.
Historical Background
President Bill Clinton established Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 1996, protecting nearly 1.9 million acres known for geological formations and paleontology. In 2016, President Barack Obama designated Bears Ears National Monument after advocacy from Native American tribes, who argued for protection due to cultural and spiritual significance.
In 2017, Trump reduced Bears Ears from about 1.35 million acres to 228,000 acres and decreased Grand Staircase-Escalante to nearly 1 million acres, which led to lawsuits from tribes and environmental groups. Biden later restored both to their original boundaries in 2021.
Opposition and Legal Challenges
The latest reductions have prompted criticism from environmental groups and tribal organizations. Earthjustice described these actions as an attack on cultural and natural landscapes, emphasizing the importance of protecting Native American heritage sites 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 Center for Biological Diversity cautioned that the reduced boundaries could lead to mining and drilling in previously protected areas, threatening wildlife habitats and cultural resources. Davina Smith–Idjesa, co-chair of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, expressed concern over the impact on Diné communities and their traditions.
Both Earthjustice and the Center for Biological Diversity have indicated plans to challenge the reductions through legal means, emphasizing the importance of maintaining protection for these significant areas.
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