President Donald Trump has announced a significant reduction in the size of two national monuments in Utah: Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. On Monday (July 13), Trump signed an executive order to shrink these monuments to about a tenth of their original size, reducing them by nearly 1.5 million acres each. This move has sparked a mix of support and criticism.
The decision, which opens the land to developers and the oil industry, was praised by Utah Governor Spencer Cox and the state’s Republican Congressional delegation. They argue that the downsizing returns land to the people and aligns with the Antiquities Act, which mandates that monument designations be the smallest area necessary to protect significant sites. “We’re giving it back,” Trump said during the signing event, as reported by The Guardian.
However, environmental groups and tribal representatives have voiced strong opposition. They argue that the move disregards the cultural and historical significance of the land, which includes ancient cliff dwellings and petroglyphs. The Associated Press reports that Earthjustice plans to take legal action to maintain protections for these landscapes. Davina Smith-Idjesa, co-chair of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, expressed her disappointment, stating, “This is a living cultural site that holds our histories.”
The reduction is part of a broader effort by Trump and other Republicans to reshape public land management, emphasizing resource extraction over conservation. This decision reverses protections established by previous Democratic presidents, including Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. The matter is expected to face legal challenges, with conservationists arguing that the Antiquities Act allows for monument creation but not their reduction.
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